iHeartRadio’s New Original Podcast “Ben Steele, American” with Host Alec Baldwin Tells the Harrowing and Inspiring Story of a Prisoner of War Turned Brilliant Artist

Based on the book "Tears in the Darkness,” the podcast recounts Ben Steele’s incredible story of survival.

Listen to the trailer HERE.

WHAT: Just months after World War II broke out, Ben Steele found himself in the Philippines, a long way from his home state in Montana, and in the most perilous circumstances. iHeartRadio’s new original limited series documentary podcast “Ben Steele, American,” hosted by Alec Baldwin, tells Steele’s harrowing story as he became a prisoner of war within the first five months of WWII and forced to take part in the brutal and deadly Bataan Death March, in which prisoners were cruelly treated while forced to march for over 60 miles. Ben came close to dying and was given last rites three times while imprisoned at a camp, yet he miraculously survived. To keep his sanity, Ben began using charcoal from the fire at the prison hospital to draw, and a lifelong love of the arts was born. 

After the war, Ben studied with famous artists and eventually made his way back home to Montana, where he taught art at a college in Billings where he had a particular empathy for, and influence on, students who had suffered traumas in their own lives.

Ben Steele, American” is a documentary limited series podcast telling the remarkable story of Ben Steele: the best of human beings in the worst of times.

WHO: Narrated by actor Alec Baldwin, “Ben Steele, American” features interviews with Ben Steele acquired over a span of 30 years before his death in 2016 at age 98. The podcast also has first-person interviews with over thirty former prisoners of war, including numerous Bataan Death March survivors, and notable history scholars from around the world.

The podcast is narrated by Baldwin, who also produced the show alongside Jan Thompson and Zach McNees. The podcast, written by Thompson and mixed by McNees, was inspired by the book “Tears In The Darkness” by Elizabeth and Michael Norman.

Baldwin has appeared in numerous productions on stage, in films and on television since his debut in 1980. He’s won three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role on NBC’s 30 Rock. He’s also received nominations at the Tony Awards in 2001 for A Streetcar Named Desire and at the Academy Awards in 2004 for The Cooler. 

WHEN: The first two episodes of “Ben Steele, American” premieres tomorrow, Thursday, June 30, with new episodes released weekly on Thursdays. Listen to the trailer HERE.

WHERE: Listen to “Ben Steele, American” on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.