Podcasts have come a long way since their inception. According to a Pew Research study, only 12% of Americans had listened to a podcast in the previous month a decade ago. By 2023, that number soared to 42%.
Today, there’s a podcast for nearly every topic imaginable—even letter carrying. Local mailman and Desert Companion contributor Alan Gegax launched his podcast, "Classes of Mail," last year. Despite its niche subject, the podcast has thrived, boasting over 60 episodes, 60,000 downloads, and a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts.
Alan Gegax joined us on State of Nevada to talk about the impetus for his podcast, and how it's making ripples in the postal world.
And a note:
This segment features comments and criticism by Gegax on USPS management and the challenges that letter carriers face because of it. We reached out to the United States Postal Service for comment and they provided the statement below.
"We have a robust initial and ongoing training and safety program for our carriers and all employees. Like many organizations within the delivery industry, we have a pre-career program in certain areas of the country - such as the City Carrier Assistant (CCA) - that allows employees to gain job experience before advancing to career positions. These positions are negotiated at the national level with our unions. The Postal Service is committed to preparing our hard working employees to provide efficient, safe, and professional service to serve the needs of the American public as we have for 249 years."
Guest: Alan Gegax, letter carrier, USPS, and host, Classes of Mail
