Local Podcasts Gain Growing Popularity in Ute Pass Region
Trevor Phipps
Back in the early 20th Century, families would often huddle around a radio at night to not only hear the news, but to be entertained by fictional episodes.
In fact, popular television shows of the mid-1900s started as radio dramas, such as “Gunsmoke”, “Dragnet” and the “The Lone Ranger.” And this list of radio favorites even included the popular soap opera, “Guiding Light.”
But once television entered the communications scene, people tended to turn off the radio and turn on their TV set. But as times changed, streaming services have replaced records, cassettes, VHS, CDs and DVDs. Now many people stream their television and music without even tuning to a local television or radio station.
The newest trend centers around the growing world of podcasts, defined as episodic digital audio/video shows that you can download or stream to listen to anytime on your communication devices. Podcasts have emerged as a popular medium for news, information and entertainment.
In fact, according to the almighty holder of information (Google’s AI Assistant), over half of the adult population in the U.S. listened to a podcast on a monthly basis in the past year. Moreover, worldwide it is estimated that 584 million people listened to a podcast. And experts say the global number will surpass 600 million this year.
Podcasts proved to be relevant during the 2024 election as President Donald Trump went on the Joe Rogan podcast, while Democratic nominee Kamala Harris refused to take advantage of this offer. Many political experts believe that Trump’s appearance on the podcast help boost support for him among the young male demographic, a group of voters credited with helping Trump to win the 2024 presidential race.
These days, you can listen to podcasts that span the gamut in categories. You can tune into true crime stories, educational features, political rants and much more with just a simply click on a phone, computer or smart device.
Locally, there are a growing number of options that seem to be gaining in popularity. When you Google “podcasts in Teller County,” even a show produced by the Teller County Sheriff’s Office pops up.
The sheriff’s podcasts mainly focus on big news taking place, or highlight the efforts of county officials in dealing with new laws proposed by the state lawmakers. The sheriff’s office doesn’t put out podcasts on a regular basis. But there are a variety of podcasts in the Ute Pass region that do appear regularly.
The following is a quick highlight of the most popular podcasts in Teller County that show up when searching for a local podcast.
This Week in the Bear Cave
“The Bear Cave” as it is sometimes affectionately called, is hosted by Dennis Zerull, a former TV and movie producer/director. Currently, “The Bear Cave” is the longest regularly running podcast in the county, operating for more than four years.
Zerull likes to cover a variety of local, state and national topics, and strives to be entertaining and informative at the same time. Zerull takes pride in calling out stupidity when he sees it, and has been known to make fun of people on both sides of the political aisle.
He does, though, have a focus on local topics when it comes to the guests he features on the show. He often hosts area political representatives and other local figures. And nearly every week, Michelle Rozell, the heritage tourism director for the city of Cripple Creek, presents her “Story Time.” In addition, yours truly (Trevor Phipps of TMJ News, reports on the “Big News” of the week.
Each episode comes with entertainment and news as Zerull covers a wide variety of topics. This Week in the Bear Cave has hosted psychedelic mushroom experts, real estate gurus and even one person who was acquitted of a local crime that made news headlines.
This Week in the Bear Cave, similar to all the shows highlighted in this article, is available on just about any service that hosts podcasts, such as Spotify or Apple Podcasts or iHeart. The show doesn’t come out on a set time or date, but it is usually finalized by the end of each week.
Teller Time
The region last fall gained its newest podcast, Teller Time, which is hosted by some faces familiar to the community. Some of the key figures of Teller Time include Thom Seehafer, a local karate instructor, and Charlie Chambers, president of the Ute Pass Historical society. Chambers also previously worked with TMJ and has done a variety of videos.
The podcast was launched in October 2025. To date, Teller Time has been pretty steady about producing an episode every week. So far, its focus has been centered around local figures in the community.
Seehafer and Chambers interview their guests in a way that informs and entertains with sometimes throwing them off-guard with unexpected questions. Teller Time’s podcasts have mostly featured well-known local figures, such as Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case, and Miss Priss Boutique Co-Owner Elizabeth Eicher.
Stories from the Midland
“Stories from the Midland” is another podcast that has gained in popularity in the last couple of years. These shorter podcasts focus on telling stories related to local history.
The Stories from the Midland website hosts around 80 audio podcasts and more than a dozen video episodes, aimed at telling the story of Teller County’s past in a colorful manner. Stories from the entire region, including Cripple Creek, Woodland Park and even Park County, can be frequently heard as host Tommy Allen takes listeners on a railroad trip through history.
