Media reporter Jim Miller launching podcast to explore origins or sports, pop culture, politics topics

The man who has brought you thorough oral histories of ESPN, Saturday Night Live and CAA is launching a podcast series that sounds fascinating.

Jim Miller announced Monday that he’ll soon debut a podcast called “Origins,” which will look at a prominent topic in sports, media, pop culture or politics and examine how it got its start.

“I’ve had this idea for quite a while now,” Miller said in a press release, “and I’m excited to bring these unique stories to life. When working on oral histories and other reporting, one of my favorite parts of the process has always been digging into the beginnings of journeys. I find early stage stories intoxicating, and love examining the factors that contribute to success or sometimes lead to setbacks, many of which seem incidental at the time but later prove pivotal.”

This podcast could go a lot of directions. The press release says episode topics could include “a historic album, a groundbreaking television show, a company that altered the way we consume media, or even a couple whose romantic relationship garnered widespread curiosity. That’s a pretty wide range of subjects.

Regardless of what topics Miller chooses, you can bet he will provide an illuminating look. One of the most interesting aspects of his ESPN oral history, These Guys Have All the Fun, was the story of how Bill Rasmussen wound up broadcasting a national sports station from Bristol, Connecticut. ESPN came to be thanks to a series of coincidences and good fortunes, of the exact kind that this new podcast seems interested in examining.