City Cast Names Co-Founder Andi McDaniel CEO as Local Media Network Enters Next Chapter

Founder David Plotz hands leadership to longtime business partner as City Cast, with 1.5 million listeners and readers across 13 cities, reimagines local media for how people live now

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- City Cast, the local media network connecting people to the cities they love, has named co-founder Andi McDaniel as chief executive officer. McDaniel succeeds founder David Plotz, who is departing after six years of building City Cast from a two-person startup into a 13-city network reaching 1.5 million people. McDaniel will guide City Cast's next phase: expanding audiences, accelerating revenue growth, and embracing new platforms.

Plotz and McDaniel founded City Cast in 2020 on a simple belief: people are more connected than ever, and somehow less connected to the places they live. As local newspapers, community institutions, and shared rituals have faded, City Cast set out to become the new thread — a daily conversation about what's happening in your city, and why it matters. City Cast has expanded from daily audio podcasts and newsletters into a fully multiplatform local media company, with video on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, live events, and Neighbors, City Cast's paid membership program. City Cast has also recently established a 16-person local newsroom for its Washington, DC outlet.

"Building City Cast has been the proudest achievement of my career," Plotz said. "We've created something from nothing, growing from two employees to 122 and building a company that's ambitious and experimental, with a culture that's joyful and kind. Andi has been central to that work from the beginning, and she's exactly the visionary leader City Cast needs for what comes next."

At a time when local newspapers are shrinking and media companies are cutting staff, City Cast is one of the few local networks growing across multiple cities. The company recently posted its strongest revenue quarter. Most of City Cast's audience is between 21 and 44 — a cohort traditional local media has struggled to reach.

"People care as much as ever about what's happening where they live. They just want it delivered in a way that fits their lives," said McDaniel. "City Cast is showing that it's possible to reach younger audiences with local news and information they care about and are willing to pay for."

McDaniel has shaped City Cast's editorial voice, talent and brand since its launch, first as chief creative officer and recently as interim CEO. Before City Cast, McDaniel was chief content officer at WAMU, NPR's Washington station, where she led the development of the national daily program 1A, launched a podcast division and oversaw a period in which the station's audience grew larger, younger and more diverse and its revenue nearly doubled.

"City Cast is building something new in local media, reaching younger audiences on the platforms where they spend the most time," said Tim O'Shaughnessy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Holdings Company, City Cast's parent company. "I am thrilled that Andi McDaniel will lead City Cast in its next chapter, where we aim to turn our extensive local reach into an excellent business. Andi's ability to understand what local communities want, her extensive background leading editorial organizations, and her drive to build new business models give her the perfect trifecta to be the next CEO of City Cast."

About City Cast

City Cast is a network of local media outlets making podcasts, newsletters, and social content in 13 U.S. cities.Through daily conversations, local news, and recommendations for making the most of city life, City Cast helps residents stay informed, curious and connected. City Cast operates in 13 cities: Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, the Twin Cities and Washington, D.C. City Cast is part of Graham Holdings Company. Learn more at citycast.fm.

SOURCE City Cast