Alec Cowan
Producer, Soundside
About
Alec Cowan is a producer for Soundside. His interests have brought many eclectic stories to the program, and his segments gravitate toward history, technology, arts and culture, and the environment. Proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
Prior to joining Soundside, Alec wore many hats at KUOW. He was a producer for The Record with Bill Radke and Primed seasons two and three . He also reported an episode of SoundQs detailing how prohibition forever changed Seattle policing and assisted with reporting a breakthrough cold case solved with the use of genetic genealogy.
Before joining KUOW Alec worked in NPR's Story Lab, where he helped pilot the Louder Than a Riot podcast, about hip-hop and mass incarceration, and assisted in producing a story on volunteerism in Iraq for Rough Translation. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, his roots in the Northwest begin in Eugene, where he studied English and philosophy at the University of Oregon and worked as a news reporter for NPR member station KLCC. He is likely neglecting his saxophone, growing book collection, and expanding personal project list in favor of boosting his online Xbox ranking.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Podcasts
Stories
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Government
Ferry makes a hard landing at Fauntleroy, halting service
The 7:55am ferry from Vashon to Fauntleroy in West Seattle had a hard landing near the terminal this morning. The boat hit an offshore pillar which crumpled the left end of the ferry.
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Arts & Life
The objects that define us: Shin Yu Pai on her new podcast, 'The Blue Suit'
Objects can sometimes tell complicated stories. An old collection of papers might be destined for the recycling, or it might tell us how someone lived and what they loved most. Plant clippings might be a hobby, or they might show a connection to home, the life of a transplant.
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Health
For the Methow Valley, wildfire smoke has created a 'fifth' season
The Methow Valley starts at the east end of the Cascades, at the headwaters of the Methow River. It includes the towns of Twisp and Winthrop, as well as the unincorporated community of Mazama. Residents of the valley experience the same four seasons most of us do — spring, summer, fall, and winter. But in the last ten years, a fifth season has crept into Methow Valley life: smoke season.
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Environment
It's peak hiking season in the PNW. But who takes care of all our trails?
Washington state has more than 700 miles of hiking trails in it state parks alone, alongside hundreds more in its national parks and national forests. With so much room to roam, keeping up with trail maintenance is a daunting task, and organizations like the forest service are constantly fighting a backlog of trail maintenance. What goes into trail design and upkeep? And what happens when trails are left unattended?
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Technology
Hear it again: Seattle's NFT Museum and tech bro villains
Soundside is on summer break, but while we're away, we're bringing you some of our best stories since we launched our show in January. Today: the best of tech.
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Environment
Hear it again: The fauna that define us
Washington state is no stranger to majestic and awe-inspiring wildlife. Think of the orca, the bald eagle, the mighty salmon. But hiding in the cracks of our mountains and our cities lie creatures big and small, loving and annoying. Today, Soundside looks back on our favorite animal stories and how Washington balances
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Government
Pierce, King County announce new safe parking lot programs
Roughly a third of those experiencing homelessness in the region live in their vehicles. Two new pilot programs will test the viability of supervised safe parking lots for those living in their vehicles, with aims to build a long term solution for homelessness around RVs and other vehicles.
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Arts & Life
Living on the Puget Sound
Many people in Seattle are looking to find affordable housing and some are getting creative with their search. Soundside’s Alec Cowan spoke with Ian and Becky Thompson about the challenges of living on a boat around Puget Sound.
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Government
Exploring the complexities of our democracy
A More Perfect Union is a media project that explores the complexities of our democracy in order to help strengthen it. Through radio programs, podcasts, and oral histories, A More Perfect Union examines American democracy’s founding documents: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, through a cross-cultural lens.
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Government
After two years of isolation, Point Roberts is open for business — sort of
Point Roberts, Washington's famous exclave, is surrounded on three sides by water and on the last side by the Canadian border. If you want to get to "The Point" on land, you have to drive to Blaine and through British Columbia to drop back down into U.S. soil. So when the pandemic closed the northern border, the community of 850 residents was essentially cut off. Two years later, with the border the most open it's been since the pandemic began, there are slow signs of recovery -- but some residents say more needs to be done.