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Imperfect Paradise is a weekly on-demand news magazine from LAist Studios that digs into the week's most consequential Southern California stories from the LAist newsroom. The show has 207 episodes since January 2022, releases every Friday, and runs about 25 minutes per episode. Estimated downloads are 20,000 to 80,000 per episode (estimated), with a rate of $360 to $2,000 per episode for a host-read mid-roll.

Why brands sponsor Imperfect Paradise

Weekly Southern California news magazine from a established regional newsroom

  • 207 episodes since 2022 with a steady Friday release schedule
  • Long-form reporting on Los Angeles housing, transit and politics
  • Apple Podcasts rating of 4.5 from 528 ratings
Best forlocal servicesreal estate and home servicescivic and nonprofit campaigns
Watch forPolitical and immigration coverage may limit fit for brands wanting light or lifestyle content.

Brand fit report

Content

Topics, IAB taxonomy
News70%
Politics15%
Society15%
Formats
narrative, interview, newsroom reporting
Tone
serious, informative
Language
English
Production
Studio production
Typical length
22 to 35 minutes

Audience

Commercial intent10/100
Comments asking for links, prices or where to buy
Sentiment60/100
Estimated from titles, descriptions and engagement
Est. downloads per episode20k–80k
Estimated, confidence 60%: Apple Podcasts shows 528 ratings, placing it in the 1,000 to 5,000 ratings band, adjusted for a 2022 start, weekly cadence, 207 episodes, high production, and a publisher-backed news brand.
Audience asks aboutWhat is happening in Los Angeles this week?How do local housing, homelessness and immigration issues affect me?What do the upcoming California and Los Angeles elections mean?
Age
15%18-24
25%25-34
25%35-44
35%45+
Gender
50%women
50%men
Countries
🇺🇸 United States95%
Other5%
LanguagesEnglish 100%

Commercial

5%of the last 20 episodes had a sponsor
Host-readhost reads the sponsor message
Brands seen
Gordon and Dona Crawford
Categories promoted
philanthropy
Affiliate links
No

The description credits support from Gordon and Dona Crawford, and no other sponsor mentions appear in the 20 recent episode titles.

Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability

Profanitylow
Adultlow
Drugslow
Violencemedium
Politicsmedium

The feed carries the explicit flag, and recent episodes cover ICE protests, immigration detention and the 2025 fires, which sit in the medium range for violence and political content.

We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.

Where to listen

Benchmark score: 91 / 100

Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.

Consistency Latest episode within the usual cadence50 / 50
Activity Episodes in the last 90 days, weekly is full marks30 / 30
Reach Estimated downloads per episode, 20k is full marks20 / 20

Recent episodes

Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 3 days ago, a new one about every 7 days.

Imperfect Paradise is LAist's weekly on-demand news magazine show that pulls back the curtain and dives deeper into the biggest and most consequential SoCal stories of the week from our newsroom. New episodes drop every Friday. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Imperfect Paradise's own show description from the podcast feed

Do you make Imperfect Paradise? Claim or remove this page.

About Imperfect Paradise

Imperfect Paradise is a weekly on-demand news magazine produced by LAist Studios, the podcast arm of the LAist newsroom covering Southern California. Each episode takes a deeper look at a major regional story reported that week, with recent topics ranging from voter ID and the Los Angeles mayor's race to homelessness, transit and immigration bond hearings. Source: the show's RSS feed and LAist's website.

The show has 207 episodes in its feed, released every Friday, with a median running time of about 25 minutes. The LAist website lists the podcast under its podcasts page. The show carries a 4.5 average rating from 528 Apple Podcasts ratings. Listener figures are estimates: the show likely reaches roughly 20,000 to 80,000 downloads per episode. The show's only named sponsor in the dossier is Gordon and Dona Crawford.

Estimated downloads suggest a host-read mid-roll rate of about $360 to $2,000 per episode. Civic organizations, local services and real estate brands targeting Southern California adults may find the audience a good match.

Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. Imperfect Paradise can edit or remove this page at any time.

Questions about Imperfect Paradise

How much does Imperfect Paradise charge for a podcast sponsorship?

Based on estimated downloads of 20,000 to 80,000 per episode, a host-read mid-roll is estimated at about $360 to $2,000 per episode. Exact rates are not published, so confirm directly with the show.

What is Imperfect Paradise about?

Imperfect Paradise is LAist's weekly news magazine covering the biggest Southern California stories from the LAist newsroom each week, including politics, housing, transit and immigration.

How do I contact Imperfect Paradise about sponsoring an episode?

The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80, and boosted shows can be booked through Starbooked.

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