Strictly Business

The CEO and creative director of fashion juggernaut Alice + Olivia takes a break from the Allen & Co. moguls conference in Sun Valley to talk about the post-pandemic business landscape and why the ranks of female CEOS remain stubbornly low. Bendet Eisner also details her vision for Creatively, the startup professional network designed to help employers connect with freelancers in a range of creative fields. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter execs Sarah Rosen and Lara Cohen break down how the company teams up with talent and media firms to maximize reach and engagement — while acknowledging work the social platform still needs to do. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scooter Braun’s business savvy and mentorship of top artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande have netted him a fortune — but not without drama. Variety’s Music Mogul of the Year lays bare his management philosophy, addresses misconceptions about his character and reveals his future plans with South Korean entertainment giant HYBE. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ViacomCBS' Seema Patel and Dish's Tim Myers go deep on addressable TV, and how businesses like theirs have partnered together to tackle the challenge of getting the industry to adopt the tools that enable targeted commercials. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amounting to nearly $180 billion in 2020, the global video games market continues to ascend to new heights. Ophir Lupu, a partner and head of video games at UTA, discusses his involvement in several gaming sectors through his oversight of a diverse range of clients and negotiating of capital investment for new studios, along with how his division adapted to the pandemic and continued to foster virtual collaboration across UTA's other units. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Rosenthal, founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, offers her perspective on how the entertainment industry is slowly but surely coming back to life. She details the massive effort that went into planning for this year’s 20th anniversary Tribeca Film Festival across New York’s five boroughs. The film veteran also weighs in on the cyclical nature of media M&A and the fate of old-fashioned movie-going. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephanie McMahon, WWE’s chief brand officer, discusses the pro wrestling firm's evolution into a TV and digital content powerhouse over the past decade. The daughter of WWE chairman-CEO Vince McMahon and former WWE chief Linda McMahon details the “circuitous” path she took to learn every aspect of the business in preparation for her current role. She makes no apologies for the company’s forays into markets like Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi to expand the boundaries of what women can do publicly in entertainment and sports settings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As radio’s reach holds firm among a slew of streaming options, broadcasting veteran John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia, expounds on the importance of curation, looks back at the company’s pandemic pivot and assesses an exploding podcast market, astutely identified by his boss, Bob Pittman, while still in its infancy. Named chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, Sykes also talks about the Class of 2021 class, which includes Tina Turner, Jay-Z and the Foo Fighters, among others. Elsewhere in the iHeart empire: Lisa Worden, brand manager for rock and alternative and program director of Los Angeles radio station Alt. 98.7, reflects on a career spent soundtracking Southern California’s rock-loving airwaves. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid weeks of presentations from media brands to advertisers, there's no better time to check in on the state of the advertising business with Brian Wieser, global president of group intelligence at media-buying giant GroupM. From connected TV to e-commerce, he touches on all the biggest trends shaping how tens of billions of promotional dollars are being spent. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Cuthbert, president of Rock the Bells, discusses the company’s growth plans following its successful recent fundraising round of $8 million. The former BET and Coca-Cola marketing executive sees big potential for the legendary hip hop star’s company to craft a media and lifestyle brand that speaks to a multi-generational swath of consumers. Cuthbert discusses the company’s evolution into e-commerce, content production and live experiences and the importance of working to “uplift the culture.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paula Kerger, longtime president of PBS, says pandemic conditions have underscored the importance of PBS and its mission. Kerger discusses how PBS stations partnered with districts to help with remote learning and how the network known for prestige TV is faring in the chase for top content. Separately, Weigel Broadcasting's Neal Sabin tells the backstory of why the company was so early on the multi-cast boom with channels such as Me TV. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lyor Cohen started his career as a roadie for Run DMC and went on to head Def Jam Records when it was home to the likes of Jay-Z and DMX. With that experience, followed by a chief executive gig at Warner Music Group through 2012, he helped create the soundtrack that would play an important role in propelling hip-hop music from niche to mainstream to everywhere. Now coming up on 5 years as YouTube’s global head of music, Cohen shares his views on the place of record companies today, including who should be running Def Jam, and offers his thoughts on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame contender LL Cool J, the recent passing of rapper DMX and of Cardi B's "Wet Ass P—." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of the popular instructional service discusses the company’s launch in 2015 and how its growth was turbo-charged during lockdown conditions. Rogier details the uphill climb to convince notables such as Dustin Hoffman and Serena Williams to teach the first courses. He offers his wish list for future MasterClass instructors, and the former venture capitalist speaks candidly about the hardest parts of being an entrepreneur. “By nature you’re choosing to do pursue an idea that most people think is impossible,” he says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of the management-production company behind such series as “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “Breeders” discusses the company’s strategic advantages as an independent outfit with roots in the U.K. and U.S. Kennedy addresses the challenges and opportunities that talent representatives have at a time of enormous change for the industry. “We were a talent management company first — that’s really the DNA of the company,” she says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scripps Co. CEO Adam Symson explains why he doubled down on TV station acquisitions at a time when all eyes are on the transition to streaming media. The leader of the Cincinnati-based media firm with deep roots in mass media discusses the rationale behind the company’s $2.65 billion purchase of Ion Media. He also details how Scripps wound up enlisting Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway as a partner in the transaction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Wick, head of UTA Ventures, discusses the booming marketplace for talent and business partnerships, from startups to equity ventures. Brands are becoming savvy about making connections with celebrities, influencers and creative talent at a time when millennial consumers are increasingly focused on companies with “founder-led stories.” The alumnus of Maker Studios, MySpace and MP3.com also offers thoughts on the media M&A environment and sectors to watch in the coming year. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The “Let’s Make a Deal” host talks about his ambition to build a consulting business based on the tenets of comedy improv: active listening, openness to collaboration and the ability to think fast on your feet. Brady, also a regular on “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” sees the “Yes and” philosophy of improv as a framework for helping youths develop self-confidence and critical thinking skills. He draws from his own story to explain why he is working to open youth-focused improv centers in Los Angeles and his hometown of Orlando, Fla. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sony Music lifer has met more than his share of challenges since assuming the chairmanship in 2019: from making the right hires to see the company’s vision through to banking on talent and not just “hits” to segueing to a subscription-driven business to getting through a global pandemic and responding to the call for social justice -- all this as borders cease to exist in this new global music economy. Bonus: a talk with Grammy-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The celebrated chef and “Chopped” star discusses his growing Corner Table Entertainment banner that is busy producing TV shows for Food Network and other outlets, in addition to podcasts, charity telethons and a Tribeca Enterprises documentary about the pandemic’s devastation of New York’s restaurant scene. Zakarian offers his thoughts on the differences between launching a restaurant and launching a TV show — and for him it’s no contest as to which one is the harder job. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cutting edge of film and TV production technology is getting cornered by the videogame biz. Miles Perkins and Connie Kennedy of Epic Games, creator of the global phenomenon "Fortnite," discuss how their Unreal Engine software is increasingly being used during the pandemic to shoot with a new set of tools loosely known as virtual production. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cameo CEO Steven Galanis says his company is part of a rising wave of direct-to-fan platforms enabling a much broader range of talent beyond A-listers to make money online. He explains how Cameo built a booming business by selling bespoke video shout-outs recorded by its roster of tens thousands of celebs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles King, CEO and founder of Macro, explains how the content company behind “Judas and the Black Messiah” has grown quickly with a focus on creating opportunities for underrepresented storytellers. King details the business deal that Macro and partners made with Warner Bros. on “Judas” and how he feels about the film’s day-and-date premiere in theaters and on HBO Max. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The co-founders and leaders of Alcon Entertainment detail the business backstory of the Syfy/Amazon fantasy drama “The Expanse,” a series that Alcon owns outright thanks to savvy dealmaking by the seasoned producer-financiers. Kosove and Broderick, known for movie hits including “The Blind Side,” “The Book of Eli” and “Dolphin Tale,” also speak frankly about the state of the film marketplace and what happens post-pandemic. It’s an insightful session with two producers in the trenches. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Chandlee, VP of global business solutions and head of ad sales for TikTok discusses the social media platform's meteoric rise and how its many tools kept more than 100 million users engaged during lockdown conditions. He details TikTok's unique ability to connect its creators with blue-chip marketers to generate new innovative forms of advertising. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear more about big deals the senior VP of its platform business landed with Warner Media, paving the way for subscribers to enjoy HBO Max, and Quibi, which will bring the defunct mobile app's content to Roku. It's all a part of the company's big effort to evolve ad monetization on its platform, particularly through the fast-growing Roku Channel. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bart Spiegel, U.S. entertainment and media deals leader for PWC, offers his 2021 outlook on dealmaking in an industry that has buffeted and buoyed by pandemic conditions. Spiegel points to the rise of videogame usage and a “repositioning” of assets held by traditional media giants as trends to watch in the year ahead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each week, Observer senior entertainment reporter Brandon Katz and Hollywood Reporter contributor Jean Bentley highlight the new Netflix titles they're excited about. Recent guests: Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter, Joanna Robinson from Vanity Fair, and Megan Vick from TV Guide. Click Must Watch: Netflix Edition to follow the show on your podcast app. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aryeh Bourkoff, CEO of LionTree, offers insights into how the pandemic has reshaped the marketplace and what that means for media dealmaking in the near term. The veteran investment banker, who is on speed dial for such notable, media moguls as John Malone and Shari Redstone, weighs in on the convergence trends that he sees coming for Big Media and Big Tech, and he explains why LionTree is closely watching the gaming arena. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of the usual guest interview, this episode features co-host Andrew Wallenstein offering his no-holds-barred assessment of everyone who competed in streaming video in 2020, from the stratospheric rise of Disney+ to the ignominious end of Quibi. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Lessin, founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, discusses the growth of the eight-year-old outlet that has distinguished itself through deep-dive reporting, analysis and scoops in the tech and media worlds. Lessin also offers her perspective on trends for the coming year at Facebook, Google, TikTok, and she weighs in on the prospect of some Silicon Valley stalwarts facing regulatory action next year, at home and abroad. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Dey, president and CEO of ACF Investment Bank, discusses the dealmaking landscape in media and entertainment, predicting that networks and services stuck between those with massive scale and those with niche audiences will get "washed away." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The veteran unscripted TV producer and entrepreneur behind Wheelhouse discusses the building blocks of his three-year-old venture. Montgomery, the producer behind “Pawn Stars” and other cable hits, explains why Wheelhouse has expanded beyond TV production to investing in tech startups, digital media, marketing and merchandising efforts for promising talent talent such as TikTok phenoms Hype House. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For just $20 a month, Philo offers consumers more than 60 cable channels. It's a simple value proposition that has helped this venture stand out in a crowded marketplace of so-called virtual MVPDs. And as Philo CEO Andrew McCollum explains, he's not about to make the mistake that has the prices of many of his competitors soaring. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken the streaming wars to local markets. The TV station giant is expanding its ad-supported STIRR platform designed to help its nearly 200 stations better monetize digital viewing of newscasts and syndicated programming. Adam Ware, Sinclair's VP and general manager of national networks and platforms, talks about the growth of the streaming service and why local TV is poised to prosper in the free streaming arena. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Moses and Dwight Caines reflect on how they rewrote the theatrical promotional playbook over the course of the global pandemic as the first studio to bypass theaters, strike the only deals with major exhibitors to shorten the theatrical window, and introduce a new hybrid window. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, explains why she’s bullish on the media sector at a time of great transition for traditional TV and film giants. The respected investor and former DreamWorks Animation board chair asserts that the most important way for media giants to pursue diversity and inclusion goals is to start by counting. "If it matters, it’s counted," she says of establishing an honest benchmark for measuring workforce diversity goals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Neustadter, head of film and TV for Hello Sunshine, discusses the growth of Reese Witherspoon’s content production banner. One of the company’s first employees, Neustadter explains the guiding principles for projects tackled by the company – including Apple’s “The Morning Show” and Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” -- and how Hello Sunshine has navigating the exploding global marketplace for content. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.