Strictly Business

The veteran comedy writer/producer/performer is back with another talk show on the Peacock streaming network, where he's up to the challenge of finding the humor amid bleak political headlines. Wilmore also traces his evolution through a 30-year TV career. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix’s co-CEO and chief content officer discusses the global scope of the streaming giant’s business during a wide-ranging Q&A. Sarandos details how the company decides when to invest big in local language production, and the metrics that Netflix uses to evaluate the success of original and acquired content. The long-serving Netflix executive also weighs in on the controversy in the U.S. over the French film “Cuties,” the challenges of filming during the coronavirus pandemic and recent changes in the company’s senior management ranks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media, started his company in 2013 as a digital magazine venture that was dubbed by one reader “the love child of Vice and the Economist.” Watson’s ambition for Ozy Media has grown to include TV series, podcasts and a traveling festival featuring top thinkers and entrepreneurs. The former McKinsey & Co. analyst turned journalist discusses how his San Francisco-based company plans to grow even in pandemic times and how he attracted top investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and Marc Lasry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wattpad Studios head Aron Levitz and his team comb through the nearly 1 billion stories that members of Wattpad’s 80 million-plus monthly users have shared on the app. His goal: to find the unique narratives that resonate with fans, and then turn them into TV shows, movies and books. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mona Scott-Young, CEO of Monami Entertainment and the steward of VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” franchise, discusses the growth of the company she launched in 2008. Scott-Young details the preparation and the lucky breaks that allowed her to seize the moment to segue from her background in music management to TV and media. She credits the seminal influence of her hard-working mother for helping her realize her strengths and her potential. “I have so many tools at my disposal – how dare I not succeed,” Scott-Young says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently recreated in an Oscar-winning film, the travel route African-Americans used in the segregated south is being revisited not only as a new podcast, but as an audio guide thanks to a new integration between Apple Podcasts and Apple Maps. MacMillan Publishers VP of podcasting Kathy Doyle describes "Driving the Green Book" and shares her perspective on the broader podcast business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ariel Horn and Ben Kusin, co-founders and co-CEOs of VENN, discuss how the “white space” in TV for content aimed at videogame enthusiasts drove them to launch the Videogame Entertainment & News Network streaming platform. The digital entrepreneurs detail the steps they took to the Aug. 5 launch and how they plan to fund up to 50 hours of original programming through sponsorships and distribution partnerships with Twitch, YouTube and others. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Craig Hunegs, president of Disney Television Studios, details how the Disney-21st Century Fox mergers create a TV production behemoth and why studio chiefs decided it was important to maintain three distinct imprints: 20th Television, ABC Signature and Touchstone Television. He also discusses the studio’s new approach to compensation formulas for creative talent at a time when Hollywood’s traditional profit models are in flux. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The music biz legend discusses how he teamed with “Bohemian Rhapsody” screenwriter Anthony McCarten to develop a biopic of Whitney Houston, the singer whose career Davis shepherded to great heights before her tragic death in 2012. Davis details how they shaped the script, raised the financing and then held a vigorous auction for the property with Hollywood’s major studios. Davis also offers his thoughts on the state of the pandemic-rocked music industry and his advice for aspiring music moguls. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the political conventions set for next week, the presidential campaign is ready to take yet another unpredictable turn. 'Good Luck America' host Peter Hamby gives his POV on what to expect next on the road to the election and his own role translating politics for Snapchat's Gen Z audience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, discusses how New York City plans to gradually get TV and film production back in action amid the pandemic. “It’s been very hard to see these industries that are really so definitive of New York City just (struggling) to find a way forward,” del Castillo says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dealmaking required to get studios, networks and guilds on the same page has gotten more complex than ever amid COVID-19, but that's what it will take to ensure the creation of more TV shows and movies. Ken Basin, head of business affairs at Paramount TV, gives an inside look at the issues people like him are confronting now to make things happen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CW chairman-CEO Mark Pedowitz discusses how the network has revamped its fall launch plans amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The executive who moved CW into the ad-supported streaming area nearly a decade ago also weighs in on the fate of linear TV, the growth of on-demand competition and why the end of CW’s output deal with Netflix has been a good thing for the network. And he gets a little sentimental about the final bows of stalwart CW series "Arrow" and "Supernatural." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Hall and Jessica Lane Alexander, co-founders of the newly launched multicultural marketing firm Pop’N Creative, discuss their Atlanta-based startup. The entertainment veterans who worked together at Turner Broadcasting and at TV One talk about the tone-deaf and “offensive” marketing pitches that inspired them to go into business for themselves with the goal of helping to guide big brands through unfamiliar waters and uncomfortable conversations about race in America. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO Greg Laemmle describes what it has been like to keep his chain of seven arthouse theaters afloat as they remain dark for a fourth month amid a COVID-induced shutdown. Having already laid off nearly 200 employees, he has begun to explore selling some of his properties to keep the 82-year-old family business going. Regardless, Laemmle believes moviegoing will return post-COVID and he is also hopeful his budding foray into virtual cinema will be there for the long term. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the coronavirus lockdwon began in march, WME partner Richard Weitz was like any father looking to find a way to celebrate his daughter Demi’s 17th birthday amid the pandemic. From that humble start, the two have built the Quarantunes franchise that has raised $6.7 million for coronavirus-related relief efforts around the country. Here the Weitzes discuss the spark for the fundraising effort, the hurdles they overcame and how they recruited partners such as Goldman Sachs and Alliance Bernstein to help drive big-dollar donations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One key trend to emerge during the pandemic era is "watch parties," enabling socially distanced users to share a viewing experience. To explore this phenomenon, we spoke with Joe Braidwood, COO of Scener, which has differentiated itself from the many players in this space with an HBO partnership. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Moore, managing partner and CEO of Vine Alternative Investments, discusses the asset management firm’s approach to building a diversified portfolio of content, production and IP holdings. The parent company of Village Roadshow has been slowly amassing a library through acquisitions. As Moore explains, Vine hopes to help fill the void for global TV buyers as Hollywood’s largest studios focus on funnelling content into vertically integrated streaming platforms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blair Breard, a longtime New York City-based producer, details the steps that a coalition of producers are taking to prepare for the resumption of production in New York. Breard, known for her work on auteur-driven comedy series including “Louie,” “Baskets,” “Better Things” and “One Mississippi,” discusses the coalition of New York-area production veterans who came together to develop COVID-19 safety guidelines in order to make sure the industry is shovel-ready to return to work once the greenlight comes from state and local health officials. “We’re problem solvers,” she says. “That’s what we do.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the streaming wars in full swing, Starz finds itself in a crowded market alongside bigger ventures from HBO Max to Netflix. But as Starz CEO Jeff Hirsch explains, his company is content to be a second or third option behind other larger players as the streaming space evolves toward more bundled offerings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct to Consumer, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creative and technical development of the HBO Max streaming service, which debuts May 27. He details the reasoning and rationale behind the service’s curation focus, the depth of its content library and how its user interface was designed to stand out from the rest of the streaming pack. Greenblatt also weighs in on the hard decision to delay the planned “Friends” reunion special that was to have launched the service because of the coronavirus lockdown. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow Studios leaders Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements discuss their efforts to blaze their own path through the global content landscape with backing from ITV Studios. The pair detail the circuitous journey that the new TNT/Netflix drama thriller "Snowpiercer" took the screen and how they got Netflix to agree to break its binge rule for the international release of the series. Adelstein, who was a partner in the early years of the Endeavor talent agency, and Clements, who had a long tenure at Brillstein-Grey Television, weigh on chasing hot IP prospects around the world, what it takes to bring a series to fruition as well as the state of play in the creative community in general and the talent agency business in particular. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off a second season renewal for her NBC late-night show, Singh candidly discusses the growing pains of her first season in a new medium while somehow managing to keep her Internet presence going. It wasn't easy but she says she's slowly figuring it all out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television Studios, discusses the “triage” process of adjusting the division’s operations to the realities of the coronavirus lockdown. The industry veteran who was part of the team at FX Networks and spent 16 years as an agent at ICM reflects on how dealmaking has changed in TV and why studios need to think about a portfolio approach to managing content rosters. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britbox super-serves super fans of British TV series in the U.S., UK and Australia via a streaming service that has more than 1 million subscribers. CEO Soumya Sriraman shares her strategy for standing out in the cluttered streaming marketplace and the pandemic's role in changing that marketplace. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three top entertainment industry bankers go deep on the details of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program loans. Martha Henderson, Stephanie Dalton and Lori Badgett of City National Bank describe two weeks of round-the-clock loan processing on behalf of clients in the pandemic crisis loan program designed to help companies with 500 employees or less keep workers on the payroll for at least two months. The trio describe the footrace to secure as much money for clients before the $349 billion fund ran dry, and they discuss the prospects for Congress approving additional funding for SBA relief programs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Mills, ABC's head of alternative series, specials and late-night programming, explains why the network embraced "the show must go on" mantra to salvage "American Idol's" live performance episodes amid the coronavirus shutdown. Mills also discusses the return of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" with Jimmy Kimmel, his desire to get "The Bachelor" back in production as soon as possible and why the economics of game shows make them so attractive to networks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The media business is starting to absorb "the new normal" of life amid the coronavirus crisis, as reflected by a panel discussion held Monday in the Variety screening room webinar featuring executives from WarnerMedia, Spotify, NBCUniversal and PwC, who shared their outlook for the industry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Sloss has negotiated every kind of deal and navigated every aspect of the independent film business, from lining up financing to advising on marketing and awards campaigns. Today, he’s expanded the company’s purview to include television development, talent management, and a branded content joint venture with filmmaker David Gordon Green. In this wide-ranging discussion about media and entertainment, Sloss explains why he “somewhat bombastically” sees Cinetic as a media conglomerate for the 21st century. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exploding Kittens is the biggest sensation in tabletop gaming these days, but that's not the only reason the Chernin Group invested $30 million in the venture, started by this week's guest, former Xbox designer Elan Lee. Learn from Lee about how the plan is to translate his company's quirky intellectual property into TV shows, movies and even theme park rides. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The veteran film producer doesn’t hold back in a conversation about race, money, movies and why said yes to leading an the ambitious Gamechanger investment venture. The company aims to make creatives from diverse backgrounds -- women, people of color, LGBTQ and the disabled -- equity owners of content. And she wants to dramatically widen the circle of financial backers for film and TV content by bringing in investors who also represent a greater array of diverse voices. “If we don’t bet on us, nobody will,” Brown says. The producer of indie hits such as “Dear White People” and “Real Women Have Curves” also gives her candid opinion about what has and hasn’t changed in Hollywood when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the wake of #MeToo, #OscarsSoWhite and other movements. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The director-producer behind the new “American Masters” documentary “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” discusses his non-profit Firelight Media venture, which offers a Documentary Lab program to help promising filmmakers develop projects. Nelson, a 2002 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, explains how a community of documentarians has emerged from the lab program, and why he decided this year to add the William Greaves Fund program to support directors with more experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Variety's weekly podcast hits its 100th episode milestone, hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein revisit some of their most intriguing discussions with top industry executives, producers, technologists and entrepreneurs. Interview highlights featured in this special installment include Disney's Dana Walden, former HBO chief Richard Plepler, Discovery's David Zaslav, Spotify's Dawn Ostroff, comedian Kevin Hart, Barstool Sports' Erika Nardini and Revolt TV's Roma Khanna. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debmar-Mercury principles Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein discuss the origins of the production-distribution company that is now part of Lionsgate. The pair detail why they remain bullish on the first run syndication business, so much so that they are launching two new series -- a talk show from Nick Cannon and magazine series "Central Ave" from producer Will Packer -- in the fall. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Sharenow, president of programming for A+E Networks, discusses the exercise is “brand focus” that led to the revitalization of A&E Network and History amid the general downturn in viewership for ad-supported cable channels. The longtime cable executive also weighs in on how Lifetime has grown by shifting its efforts away from the extremely competitive world of scripted drama series to a broad slate of made-for-TV movies -- yes those kind of Lifetime movies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has America's most famous family stayed on E! for 18 seasons? Bunim/Murray CEO Gil Goldschein has the secret to producing the long-running series. He also shares his take on the latest trends in the unscripted TV category, a business changing dramatically in the age of streaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Sharp, president-CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, discusses how the digital revolution in television presents challenges for industry awards shows. He details NATAS’ response to questions raised about the eligibility of certain programs considered in the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards competition. The process of looking into what went wrong helped the organization develop uniform standards and best practices to protect the integrity of the Emmy statuette. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that she's a few months into the integration of her magazine business with Vox Media, she shares what the process has been like and how the newly combined company is navigating the treacherous waters of the publishing business. With 13 brands from Vulture to Polygon in the portfolio, Wasserstein discusses her diversification strategy, from podcasts to licensing intellectual property. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The "Shark Tank" star pulls no punches on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to the tech world, from the importance of artificial intelligence in today's business world to his misadventures in the film industry, where he believes theaters will stand the test of time. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Endemol Shine North America CEO Cris Abrego explains why the company decided to integrate activity on Spanish-language programs with the rest of the core Los Angeles-based development team. Abrego details the growth of the company’s Mexico City-based Endemol Shine Boomdog operation and the lessons learned from working outside the U.S. He also weighs in on how changes in major Latin American TV markets are opening doors for all producers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Strictly Business hosts Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein as they make the rounds at the Consumer Electronics Show. Listen for insights on the convergence of digital media and entertainment, streaming wars, AI and what's next from Jeffrey Katzenberg, Meg Whitman, Mark Cuban, UTA's Brent Weinstein, Pluto TV's Tom Ryan and other movers and shakers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Lorre, one of the most successful writer-producers in the history of television, developed new writing muscles and found a fresh source of joy as he branched out into streaming series with Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method” and CBS’ single-camera comedy “Young Sheldon.” Here Lorre compares the creative process in streaming and broadcast TV. He also offers frank thoughts about the prolonged battle between the Writers Guild of America and Hollywood’s largest talent agencies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Construction is underway in Los Angeles on Hollywood Park, a nearly 300 acre complex that will be the site of the city's NFL teams, SoFi Stadium. But this isn't just another development project. Jason Gannon, managing director of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment District, oversees a $10 billion build poised at the cutting-edge of live entertainment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Shapiro, president of National Lampoon, discusses the effort to revive National Lampoon as a comedy content studio, starting with the Dec. 19 relaunch of "The National Lampoon Radio Hour" as a podcast. Shapiro details the plan to embrace National Lampoon’s storied legacy to generate a new breed of "twisted mainstream" comedy projects in various media. Shapiro also details the company’s recent struggles and how his partners at PalmStar Media aim to restore the lost luster of the company that inspired (and staffed) the original "Saturday Night Live." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WarnerMedia's CTO shares his perspective on what it takes to launch a massive streaming platform in a cluttered competitor environment. He discusses balancing the many brands under AT&T's umbrella as well as making space for human curation inside HBO Max, which launches next May. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abrams Artists Agency chairman Adam Bold discusses why his company signed the WGA code of conduct that allowed his employees to resume representing writers, his broader observations on the standoff, and why he decided to get into the talent agency business just over a year ago. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The megaphone of social media has brought dramatic changes to the business of public relations. Sean Cassidy, president of New York-based public relations and marketing firm DKC, discusses the new rules of engagement in image-making -- and image protecting -- for individuals and corporate brands. “This is not an industry for people who panic,” Cassidy says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local broadcast TV stations are struggling to draw big audiences in daytime as fragmentation and an ever-growing number of programming options takes its toll. Frank Cicha, executive VP of programming for Fox Television Stations, discusses how one of the industry’s largest station groups adjusted its approach to program development in response to big shifts in the marketplace. Cicha also weighs in on the growth of the digital multicast network business and how life at Fox Corp. has changed since Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Akamai CEO Tom Leighton illuminates the complexities of working with media companies to transmit their content to consumers as quickly as possible. While Akamai may be seeing record Internet traffic now, he notes that the future of digital transmission has barely begun. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks, has the difficult job of navigating the independent cable TV group through unprecedented upheaval in the pay TV marketplace. He speaks candidly about the competitive disadvantage that Crown Media faces against larger competitors who have greater sway with distributors. The business climate has only gotten tougher following the latest burst of mega media M&A deals. “If we have a difficult time seeing a path forward in this linear environment than there’s something wrong with the system,” he says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.