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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Technology
Gaming is a great hobby. But when does it become unhealthy?
Gaming can be a quick release from the pressures of the real world. But games are made to be engaged with, either through a deluge of collectibles or quick hits of achievement. But the same mechanisms that make games enjoyable can also make them addicting. So where do you draw the line between the two?
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Business
Should vehicles be allowed through Pike Place Market?
Earlier this week, a serious confrontation occurred on the cobbled street running through Pike Place market. Involving three motorists, a hammer, and an injured bystander, the altercation is the latest fiasco to reignite a decades-old debate on whether Pike Place Market should stay open to cars.
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Environment
Washington just designated its first seagrass sanctuary. Here's why
Last month, the state of Washington announced a new kelp and eelgrass protection zone off the shores of Everett. Covering roughly 2,300 acres, this marine plant sanctuary is the first of its kind. Officials hope the designation will help preserve the vital ecosystem seagrass provides, while also opening an avenue to understand the threats seagrasses face.
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Environment
New to the outdoors? These volunteers will teach you to explore safely
When the best laid plans go south, and you're stuck in the wild either lost or hurt, Seattle Mountain Rescue springs into action to get you home safe. The volunteer team covers a wide area from Seattle city proper to the Cascades, and after 70 years they're finally close to getting a new base of operations in North Bend. Additionally, a recent study from the Black Washingtonians Workgroup on Outdoor Recreation found fewer than 1.5% of State Parks visitors are Black. So how can Washington improve access to its famed outdoors?
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Arts & Life
The Goodwill Games sought to pull politics from sports. So why did they end?
If you were around Seattle in 1990 — or watching Turner Broadcasting channels anywhere in America — you may remember the "Goodwill Games." The games faded out by 2001. What happened?
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Who is the 'public' in public media? And how far has public radio come from its initial promise?
Public Radio was meant to serve as an amplifier and archive for everyone in the American public. But does it live up to its up to its initial promises?
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Government
By any other name ... Washington moves to ban the word 'marijuana'
There are lots of nicknames for cannabis: pot, weed, grass, reefer madness. But now there’s one name state lawmakers think you should avoid: "marijuana."
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Government
'We did the jobs we knew how to do.' Revisiting Oso, 8 years later.
On March 8, 2014, a landslide rushing at 60 miles per hour swept over State Route 530. It engulfed more than 40 homes and remains the deadliest land
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Environment
What's behind those mysterious booms in Washington state?
On March 7 folks across Orcas Island heard a BOOM. Some locals said they saw a flash of light along with it. But the source of this sudden, loud noise has been a mystery to local law enforcement over the past month. And that's because it's hard to track something like a boom.
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Government
Listen again: A wildfire burned 85% of this Washington town. This is their recovery story.
If you had to rebuild your town, where would you begin? It's a question that residents of Malden, Wash. have asked for months. The Soundside team checked in on Malden of