CBC and Munck Studios partner on new international podcast The Conspiracy, to launch spring 2021

CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, and award-winning Scandinavian production company Munck Studios today announced the new true crime podcast series THE CONSPIRACY, investigating the 1986 murder of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme, and shedding new light on one of the most notorious political murders in recent history. The announcement comes following yesterday’s remarks from Swedish prosecutor Krister Petersson pointing to the late Stig Engström as the murderer, thereby closing the preliminary investigation. But many key questions remain unanswered, which will be addressed by the podcast. Currently in production, THE CONSPIRACY will be released in spring 2021 on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. 

On February 28th 1986, Sweden’s prime minister Olof Palme, a key figure in the international social democratic movement, was fatally shot after leaving the cinema. For decades, the unsolved assassination, which has been compared to the killing of JFK, resulted in a number of conspiracy theories. It is one of the largest murder investigations in history and changed Swedish politics forever.

THE CONSPIRACY investigates the multiple theories surrounding the enigmatic murder case, in which more than 10,000 people have been questioned and 134 people admitted to the crime, and explores the lengths that individuals are willing to go for what they believe is right in the absence of a singular truth. The series includes recordings from individuals who may have been involved in the assassination, and takes listeners on a journey through Sweden, Prague, Cyprus, and North America, as well as face-to-face with former members of the South African secret service.

“Trying to get to the truth in this story has seemed almost impossible,” said Jair Stein, Producer, Munck Studios. “There are so many different theories that become equally convincing once you start digging. At the same time, this is such an important story that it feels vital to dig even deeper. The listeners should prepare for quite a ride.”

“We’re proud to be bringing this compelling podcast to life as our second international co-production, on the heels of the award-winning Hunting Warhead,” said Arif Noorani, Executive Producer, CBC Podcasts. “The Olof Palme assassination made world headlines at the time, and the story has had ripple effects over the years with many journalists investigating the case. We want to use this podcast to find out the truth and share it with listeners around the world.”

THE CONSPIRACY is an international co-production from CBC and Munck Studios. Radio-Canada is the French language partner. The series is produced by the team behind Hunting Warhead (winner of the 2020 New York Festival Grand for best investigative reporting) and award-winning Dutch producers Jennifer Pettersson and Jair Stein.

From Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC Podcasts is a richly diverse collection of award-winning podcasts that engage, enlighten and entertain. CBC is the #1 podcaster in Canada, reaching more Canadians than any other podcast publisher, with more than 100 series in genres such as true crime, comedy, human interest and audio fiction.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About Munck Studios

Munck Studios is a production company, focusing on radio and podcast productions. Since the start in Sweden thirteen years ago, Munck Studios has become one of the most important suppliers of high quality sounds to public radio companies and online platforms such as SR, UR, DR, NRK, Podme, Podimo, Spotify, Bauer and more.