November 11, 2026
Inside Radio — City Cast Names Andi McDaniel CEO
Inside Radio
City Cast has named co-founder Andi McDaniel CEO, succeeding David Plotz, who is leaving the company after spending six years leading the local media network from startup to a 13-city operation with 1.5 million listeners and readers.
McDaniel will oversee the company's next phase, with priorities including audience expansion, revenue growth and development across new platforms. The leadership change comes as City Cast reports its strongest revenue quarter, positioning the company for further growth.
Founded by Plotz and McDaniel in 2020, City Cast was built around the idea of creating daily conversations about local communities as traditional newspapers and other civic institutions lose reach. The company initially focused on daily podcasts and newsletters but has since expanded into video on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, live events and Neighbors, its paid membership program.
The company has also recently established a 16-person local newsroom for its Washington, DC operation. City Cast now has 122 employees, up from the two-person team that launched the business.
“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,” McDaniel said. “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.”
The company says most of its audience is between 21 and 44, a demographic that traditional local media has historically struggled to attract. Its multiplatform strategy is designed to reach those consumers through the formats and services they already use while creating additional opportunities for audience engagement and revenue.
McDaniel has helped shape City Cast's editorial voice, talent and brand since its launch, initially serving as chief creative officer before becoming interim CEO. Previously, she was chief content officer at American University news/talk WAMU Washington, DC, where she led development of the national daily program “1A,” launched a podcast division and oversaw audience growth that made the station's reach younger and more diverse. WAMU's revenue nearly doubled during her tenure.
Plotz described McDaniel as central to the company's development and the right person to lead its next chapter.
“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.”
City Cast is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. Chairman and CEO Tim O'Shaughnessy said McDaniel's editorial background and understanding of local audiences will be important as the company works to translate its audience growth into a sustainable business.
“City Cast is building something new in local media, reaching younger audiences on the platforms where they spend the most time,” O'Shaughnessy said. “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.”