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Investor Mellody Hobson: 'If It Matters, It's Counted Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

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.

How Women With Agency Run Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

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.

Larry Wilmore Navigates His New Show Through the Trump Era Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

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.

Ted Sarandos on Netflix's Five Years of Global Growth, Controversy Over 'Cuties' and Management Changes Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

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.

How Carlos Watson Built a Media Brand to Discover 'The New and the Next' Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

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.

'90-Day Fiance' Producer on Unscripted TV Demand: 'Our Business is Booming' Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Eli Holzman, veteran producer and CEO of Industrial Media, discusses the explosive demand for unscripted TV content and how that spurred him to sell his fledgling Intellectual Property Corp. banner two years ago to private equity investors. He now heads a collection of independent production banners that collectively has more than 60 series running across two dozen-plus networks. Holzman talks about the lift that comes when a show connects big in pop culture -- a la TLC's "90-Day Fiance," from Industrial's Sharp Entertainment -- and how streaming has opened the door for the kind of shows he most loves to produce.

How Wattpad's Aron Levitz Mines User-Generated Stories for Movie, TV Hits Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

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.

How Dare I Not Succeed? How 'Love and Hip Hop' Producer Mona Scott-Young Hit Big by Channeling Her Passions Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

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.

Reliving 'Green Book' History Through a New Podcast and Apple Maps Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

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.

VENN Founders Eye TV's Big Game With Streaming Network Launch Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

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.

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