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KPFA - Against the Grain

Podcast · kpfa.org/program/against-the-grain · US · EN
Hosted by Sasha Lilley

Against the Grain is a daily public radio program from KPFA 94.1 Berkeley, produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley. It covers political, economic, social and cultural ideas important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. The feed lists 25 episodes, updated daily, with a median episode length of about 60 minutes. Estimated downloads are roughly 8,000 to 25,000 per episode (estimated), with a rate of about $150 to $630 per episode for a host-read mid-roll.

Why brands sponsor KPFA - Against the Grain

Daily progressive analysis with an engaged, rated audience of political listeners

  • Daily episodes of roughly one hour each, with 207 Apple Podcasts ratings averaging 4.8 stars
  • Long-running KPFA public radio program, listed on Apple Podcasts since 2005
  • Topics cover labor, health, policing and tech, suited to brands serving politically engaged audiences
Best fornonprofit and mission-driven brandsbook and media launcheslabor and civic-tech products
Watch forPolitically partisan content may not suit brands seeking neutral or broad mainstream audiences.

Brand fit report

Content

Topics, IAB taxonomy
News and Politics70%
Society20%
Health10%
Formats
interview, solo commentary, rebroadcast of archival content
Tone
analytical, committed
Language
English
Production
Clean, edited audio
Typical length
about 60 minutes

Audience

Commercial intent5/100
Comments asking for links, prices or where to buy
Sentiment65/100
Estimated from titles, descriptions and engagement
Est. downloads per episode8k–25k
Estimated, confidence 50%: 207 Apple Podcasts ratings places the show in the 200 to 1,000 ratings band (5,000 to 25,000 downloads), supported by a long-running listed history since 2005, daily cadence, and a broadcast-station hosting base.
Audience asks aboutHow capitalism shapes health outcomesWhat drives the policing and immigration control systemsHow social movements and labor organizing succeed
Age
15%18-24
25%25-34
25%35-44
35%45+
Gender
45%women
55%men
Countries
🇺🇸 United States90%
🇨🇦 Canada3%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom2%
LanguagesEnglish 100%

Commercial

0%of the last 20 episodes had a sponsor
None seenno sponsor mentions in the last 20 episodes
Brands seen
None yet
Categories promoted
None yet
Affiliate links
No

No sponsor mentions found in the feed; the recent titles are station fund drive specials, which are listener-funded rather than brand sponsorships.

Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability

Profanitylow
Adultlow
Drugslow
Violencemedium
Politicshigh

Recent titles such as 'When the State Kills by Lethal Injection' and 'Building the Repressive Machinery of Immigration Control' address violence and state power in a political register.

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: 34 / 100

Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.

Consistency Latest episode within the usual cadence0 / 50
Activity Episodes in the last 90 days, weekly is full marks30 / 30
Reach Estimated downloads per episode, 20k is full marks17 / 20

Recent episodes

Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 5 days ago, a new one about every 1 days.

Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.
KPFA - Against the Grain's own show description from the podcast feed

Do you make KPFA - Against the Grain? Claim or remove this page.

About KPFA - Against the Grain

Against the Grain is a program from KPFA 94.1 Berkeley, California, hosted and produced by Sasha Lilley. The show offers in-depth analysis and commentary on political, economic, social and cultural topics important to progressive and radical thinking and activism, according to the show's website and feed description.

The feed lists 25 episodes, updated daily, with a median length of about 60 minutes. Recent episodes include interviews and commentary on health justice, labor history, policing and immigration. Apple Podcasts shows 207 ratings with a 4.8 average.

Listeners are estimated at roughly 8,000 to 25,000 per episode (estimated), mostly in the United States. No brand sponsors were found in the feed. Estimated rates run about $150 to $630 per host-read mid-roll, best suited to mission-driven and civic brands.

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

Questions about KPFA - Against the Grain

How much does Against the Grain charge for a podcast sponsorship?

Estimated rates are about $150 to $630 per host-read mid-roll ad, based on an estimated 8,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode. Contact the show for a confirmed quote.

What is Against the Grain about?

Against the Grain is a KPFA program hosted by Sasha Lilley, offering progressive analysis of political, economic, social and cultural issues in daily episodes of about an hour.

How do I contact Against the Grain 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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