In April of 2005 the majority of people viewed the Internet as something you visited occasionally during your day, either to send an email, browse through the news on a handful of websites that got daily updates, watch short videos on a recently launched app called YouTube (if you had a fast enough connection that is) or search for a new cooking recipe posted by someone who wrote in a blog. Only a very small percentage of web users had ever heard of podcasts, which were mp3 files you actually had to download to your computer before even listening to them.
Two decades later we are no longer visitors to the Internet, but permanent residents posting and scrolling non-stop through a rainforest of apps and social media. And even though the iPod is now a museum relic, the term podcast stuck and is still used to identify one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the planet.
It seems that every week we get a thousand new podcast options to listen to, for every niche and topic imaginable… even though most of them barely last less than a year. Which is why for a podcast to stay online and relevant for twenty years (longer than Rogan!) it is more than a milestone—it is a legacy.
Such is the legacy achieved by Tim Binnall, the Podfather of the Paranormal. During his tenure, Tim has managed to interview—and oftentimes befriend— some of the most important movers and shakers of Fortean culture of the XXth and XXIst centuries, alongside a plethora of quirky individuals who nonetheless had fascinating things to share with Binnall’s international audience.
In an age in which every GenZer wants to become an influencer, turn into a viral sensation overnight, and transmute their passion into a monetized commodity, what distinguishes Binnall of America—and in several ways explains its rare longevity—is due to Tim’s genuine love for the topics he’s covered on his show; which also shows a broad interest in diverse subjects ranging from the classic popular ones like UFOs, ghosts and Cryptozoology; to more eclectic topics like Amelia Earhart, D.B. Cooper, meat-eating horses (yes, they are real!) and even the risks of ocean cruise trips.
With his unmistakable Boston accent and nicotine-laced raspy tone, Binnall has carved himself a reputation as one of the best interviewers in the field. He does the hard work of reading the books and learning about the topic, so his questions to his guests will always be on point, without losing the freshness and humor of the conversation.
Even though his ample knowledge managed to get him a nice job as news editor for Coast to Coast, and despite the inevitable disenchantment that gradually grows on a person, if they stick around long enough in a field plagued by fraudsters and snake oil salespeople, Tim never lost sight of his love of sitting in front of a microphone to engage with an interesting guest in order to satisfy his unquenchable curiosity.
Which is why, despite a brief ‘retirement’ period, Tim got back in the saddle and decided to ‘revive’ BoA out of the ashes of a million cigarette butts.
Inspired by an alcohol-fueled fervor (his words, not mine!) Tim wanted to record an anniversary special to mark the momentous occasion: one guest for each year BoA has remained online, making a total of 20 guests (yours truly being among them) and Six Hours of laughing remembrance, tearful nostalgia, and enduring friendship. Because as Tim constantly mentions through this podcast marathon, it’s not just about looking for answers that may never come, but about the people we stumble upon along the way and join us in our search.
So here’s to you, Tim, a man I’m very proud to call my friend. Thank you for making this path I chose—or did the path choose me?—a little less tortuous, and a little more cheerful.
Enjoy!
