Shows
The Sunshine PlaceIntroducing: What We SpendImagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2025-04-1110 min
The Sunshine PlaceS2|E8: SurvivorsBy the early 2000s, the “troubled teens” of Straight Incorporated have grown up, and they’re no longer victims, they’re survivors. Many of them embark on a quest for answers, but the architects of their pain and suffering have moved on to bigger, more insidious things. So the survivors look to one another for meaning, but their newfound connection reveals a profoundly dark secret. Together, they discover that the only path forward leads back home. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy ...
2024-12-1152 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E7: KIDSIt’s the 1990s, and the rehab landscape has changed, but into this new environment enters a familiar opportunist. Dr. Miller Newton, the personification of the evil at Straight Inc., resurfaces with a new program and a new scheme to con parents. When the next generation of teenagers fall under his influence, it seems like they might never recover. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2024-12-0452 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E6: Poster ChildPrincess Diana graces Straight Incorporated with her presence at the invitation of the First Lady, Nancy Reagan. Their visit puts the program in the international spotlight. Enrollment numbers explode, but more teenagers to rehabilitate means more parents to indoctrinate. At Straight, adults take their cues from kids, no matter how vicious the mandate. Whether you call it rehabilitation or brainwashing, the program’s roots lead back to a powerful and unsettling origin. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn mo...
2024-11-2744 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E5: The Mayflower GroupStraight Incorporated sets its sites on the next prime market. The suburbs of Washington, D.C., with its population of wealthy and powerful parents who are also desperate and vulnerable to Straight’s propaganda. But one of the kids there comes up with a daring plan that threatens to upend Straight’s expanding empire. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2024-11-2051 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E4: Drug WarriorsAs Straight Incorporated makes plans to expand across the country, the program’s founder recruits a powerful ally with connections to the White House. But in order to secure a presidential endorsement, Straight will have to answer one glaring question. Is the program brainwashing kids? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2024-11-1338 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E3: Start AgainThe Seed is heading down a dark and dangerous path, but nobody seems to realize it, except for the kids. As The Seed grows, so does the ego of its founder, Art Barker. The bigger the program gets, the more rumors start to spread about what is really happening behind closed doors. When people start asking questions they are alarmed by the answers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com...
2024-11-0651 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E2: The SeedTo understand Straight, we have to look back at its predecessor: The Seed. This Florida-based rehab center was founded by Art Barker, a former alcoholic and stand-up comedian turned rehabilitation guru. In the 1970s, he took his new act on the road, performing not in empty comedy clubs, but in packed warehouses filled with teenagers and their desperate parents. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2024-10-3046 minThe Sunshine PlaceS2|E1: IntakeOn Halloween of 1982, a Florida teenager named Valerie is kidnapped from her home, by her own mom. She ends up at an experimental drug rehab called Straight Incorporated. Valeries quickly realizes that at Straight, therapy is more like torture, and rehabiliation happens through indoctrination. When Valerie doesn’t know yet is that Straight is connected to something much bigger and more sinister than she could have possibly imagined. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad ch...
2024-10-3052 minThe Sunshine PlaceIntroducing: The Sunshine Place, Season 2Welcome to the 1980s, where the war on drugs rages on and America's teenagers are caught in the crossfire. Enter Straight Incorporated, a controversial new rehab program that promises its tough love approach can set kids back on the straight and narrow. But for the survivors of Straight, their experience tells a horrifyingly different story — one of abuse, torture, and brainwashing. Season 2 of “The Sunshine Place” delves into the shocking tale of Straight Incorporated, an experimental teen rehab that descended into a sadistic cult exploiting parents' deepest fears and their children's vulnerabilities. This heart-wrenching exploration of parenting, family, and the hu...
2024-10-2903 min
Dark City: Revealing History Hiding in the Shadows20. CULT: Synanon's Degeneration from Addiction Treatment to Violent Cult Pt 2Tomales Bay, CA | What if the very institutions meant to rehabilitate and guide are the ones causing the most harm? Amidst egregious human rights abuses - mass sterilizations, institutionalized child abuse, violent threats and assaults on its critics - Synanon continues to get recognition from community leaders and tax dollars throughout most of the 1970s. What’s more shocking than that? Its many abusive practices are still very much alive today in the in the troubled teen industry.But there are actions you can take to help change that. Visit stopinstitutionalchildabuse.com and unsilenced.org for resources and h...
2024-10-1140 minDark City: Revealing History Hiding in the Shadows19. CULT: Synanon's Degeneration from Addiction Treatment to Violent Cult Pt 1Santa Monica, CA | How does a group once celebrated for its success treating heroin addicts become a violent cult? Founded in 1958 by Charles "Chuck" Diederich, Synanon initially presented itself as an innovative and promising program for those struggling with addiction. However, beneath its acclaimed exterior lay a deeply flawed foundation. Despite praise from the media and endorsements from prominent figures - including one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century - Synanon was always rotten at the core. You’ll be shocked by the methods Synanon used to treat drug addiction, all while enjoying public recognition.
2024-09-1930 min
Productive Conversations with Matt BrownRobert Downey Jr is Doctor Doom, The Olympics, Glen Powell, & moreWe're in the final days of July and let's talk about what's trending as the month comes to a close.We Talk:Robert Downey Jr as Dr.Doom (2:05)The Olympics (23:30)Glen Powell (38:00)Tommy Richman (49:09)Do Looks Matter? (54:00)White Boy with Swag (1:06:12)More 90s Sitcom (1:12:12)And more Check out this quality episode of the Productive Conversations Podcast, on all Podcasting Platforms and YouTube. Best way to contact our host is by emailing him at productiveconversationspodcast@gmail.com or mbrown3212@gmail.comThis show has be...
2024-07-301h 19
The Kirk Minihane ShowThe TouchablesKirk is back in studio with Blind Mike as he recaps the weekend and the tail end of his Chicago trip. (13:00) Kirk is down on the Minifans after their constant complaining about last week's shows. (23:40) Mike had a good pretzel. (28:00) George Soros is the largest shareholder of Audacy. (29:00) Coleman thought Larry Bird sounded sweet in a recent uncut interview. (38:20) Years ago, Cullen had shown glimpses of being fascinated with assisted suicide. (44:30) The Patriots Dynasty documentary released and is rewriting history. (51:55) Kirk has some WEEI news. (54:30) Robert Downey Jr. seems to now think he is above his time as Tony...
2024-02-192h 21
The Sunshine PlacePresenting Gone South Season 3: The Sign CutterOn September 3, 2018, a rancher in Laredo, Texas, discovered a woman’s body shot execution-style on the side of the road. When investigators identified her as a local sex worker, their search for the killer took them into the darkest corners of the city. Then, after days of false starts and dead-ends, another body turned up, terrifying residents and leading law enforcement to conclude a serial killer is at large. More would die before a survivor finally came forward and identified the killer… but his motives proved as confounding as his crimes. To learn more...
2023-10-2602 minThe Sunshine PlaceIntroducing Say More with Dr? SheilaIn the world of feelings, there are winners and losers, and somebody has to be the judge. World-renowned, self-proclaimed couples therapist Dr? Sheila invites you to sit in on her private sessions with clients. (For legal reasons, Dr? must be said in the form of a question.) Each week, a new couple…and a new puzzle to crack. You’ll get to hear, and benefit from, many of her famous techniques as she counsels patients on overcoming disagreements, dealing with an overstepping mother-in-law, navigating open relationships, and much more. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, because the best way...
2023-09-2503 min
The Sunshine PlaceIntroducing: Search EngineNo question too big, no question too small. On Search Engine, host PJ Vogt answers the kinds of questions you might ask the internet when you can't sleep. If you find the world bewildering, but also sometimes enjoy being bewildered by it, Search Engine is here for you. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2023-08-0409 min
The Sunshine PlaceIntroducing: The SetIt’s the crack era.The most violent time in New York City history. The NYPD is fighting a losing battle and instead of protecting the city from drug dealers, some police officers have become them. This is the never-before told, first-person documentary of the biggest police corruption scandal in NYPD history and the investigation that uncovered it all. From Audacy Originals and Zak Levitt, the Emmy, Peabody, and NY Press Club Investigative Journalism Award winning creator of Root of Evil, Gangster Capitalism, and Relative Unknown. To learn more about listener data and our...
2023-06-1504 minThe Sunshine PlaceA New Case from Fallen Angel Co-Host: The Nxivm Sex Cult on InfamousAfter The New York Times reports that self-help group NXIVM has branded female members on their pelvic regions, NXIVM ran damage control by giving Vanessa exclusive access to the group’s top members, including Seagram’s heir Clare Bronfman, Smallville star Allison Mack, and, eventually, Keith Raniere, who was "on vacation" in Guadalajara just weeks before his indictment when the two of them met. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit http...
2022-12-2906 minThe Sunshine PlacePresenting Gone South Season 2: The Dixie MafiaWelcome to Season Two of Gone South, the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning documentary podcast from C13Originals. Starting in the sixties, a loose-knit confederation of traveling criminals known as The Dixie Mafia terrorized every state from Georgia to Oklahoma. Its hundreds of members, unofficially headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi, specialized in scams, heists and murder. Their alleged leader — the estranged son of a prominent Oklahoma politician — was a skilled and charismatic outlaw named Kirksey Nix. In 1972, when Nix was sentenced to life in prison at Angola for a murder he committed in New Orleans, The Dixie Mafia was thoug...
2022-11-0203 minThe Sunshine PlaceIntroducing: Wolves Among Us, Season 1, The Larry Lavin StoryOn the surface, there was nothing remarkable about Larry Lavin. He lived in a quiet neighborhood with his wife and family, drove a Volvo, and practiced dentistry in Philadelphia. But, from 1978 to 1984, Dr. Lavin moonlighted as one of the largest cocaine kingpins on the Eastern Seaboard.Through the voices and perspectives of law enforcement, drug runners, friends, business associates and Larry Lavin himself, Wolves Among Us, Season One, The Larry Lavin Story, tells the story of Lavin’s dual life, his impact on Philadelphia culture in the late 70s and early 80s, and the stunning events that le...
2022-09-2802 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E8: The First Day of the Rest of Your LifeChuck Dederich's story reaches its conclusion. Whether or not Synanon does is up for debate. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-09-211h 11The Sunshine PlaceS1|E7: The Holy WarChuck is consumed by paranoia and Synanon erupts in violence. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-09-1452 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E6: Changing PartnersAfter Chuck's wife Betty passes away, he quickly finds a new partner, and he instructs his followers to find new ones too, whether they want to or not. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-09-0755 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E5: The BreedersChuck declares that there will be no more children born in Synanon, and he goes to great lengths to make sure of it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-08-3149 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E4: The Punk SquadChuck breaks one of his two rules for Synanon, no violence, beginning with his youngest followers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-08-2448 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E3: The TripLegend, ritual, religion, LSD. Chuck experiments with all of it on his followers in Synanon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-08-1749 min
Origins with James Andrew MillerWelcome to The Sunshine PlaceOnce called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions...
2022-08-1104 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E2: The Miracle on the BeachChuck Dederich hits rock bottom as an alcoholic in the beachside slums of Los Angeles. It's 1958, and he's got nothing but an idea, but it's one that would save countless lives. He calls it Synanon. Others call it the Miracle on the Beach. Through sheer force of will, Chuck's idea becomes national news, and Synanon becomes a household word. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2022-08-1045 min
Once Upon a Time… at Bennington CollegeWelcome to The Sunshine PlaceOnce called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions...
2022-08-1004 min
Gone SouthWelcome to The Sunshine PlaceOnce called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions...
2022-08-1004 min
Relative UnknownWelcome to The Sunshine PlaceOnce called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions...
2022-08-1004 min
The Sunshine PlaceS1|E1: The KidsnatchersWelcome to Synanon. If you're wondering what Synanon is, then you're asking the same question as Celena and Mike, whose lives change forever the moment they arrive. It's the 1970s, and Synanon is a community, a utopia, a cautionary tale, and a cult. But more than anything else, it's a person, the founder of Synanon, a man named Charles E. Dederich, who most people call, Chuck. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit h...
2022-08-1047 minThe Sunshine PlaceWelcome to The Sunshine PlaceOnce called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions...
2022-07-2604 min