In a very special episode, Jon Kelly has a candid conversation with New York Times Company C.E.O. Meredith Kopit Levien about Gray Lady’s extraordinary transformation during her tenure. The two chop it up about the Times’ M&A strategy, the company’s investment in software, the paper’s institutional advantages, the evolution of its lifestyle product strategy, and its signature investment in the newsroom. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc....
Oct 13, 2025•51 min
Veteran media analyst Michael Nathanson returns to the pod for a romp through the sports media circus: David Ellison and Paramount’s sports rights binge, the NFL’s looming $110 billion rights bonanza, legacy media’s curious flirtation with niche sports, and much, much more. If you like what you heard on this episode, click here to subscribe to more of The Varsity content. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about ...
Oct 11, 2025•52 min
Lauren Sherman joins Peter to debrief after Fashion Month in Paris and Milan, where the major houses were under serious pressure to deliver. Lauren breaks down the season’s winners and losers—and dissects some of the rising trends this season, including Ozempic hips, 80s fashion throwbacks, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 10, 2025•24 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to reveal what military officers are telling her about Donald Trump’s plans to deploy troops to American cities. As Julia explains, many officers feel bound by the chain of command, even as they quietly worry about the precedent—but the real question is how this affects Americans’ faith in their armed forces. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastch...
Oct 09, 2025•22 min
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to discuss the legal nightmare that is Sora 2, the A.I. video generating social app that’s set the internet ablaze. As OpenAI faces major litigation from The New York Times and the Authors Guild, Eriq explains why Sam Altman remains bullish that he can prevail in court—and why the company keeps forging ahead with new products, despite growing backlash from the creative community. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com...
Oct 08, 2025•18 min
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to discuss the state of play surrounding the week-old government shutdown, as Democrats seem to be winning the messaging war and early polls suggest that Trump and Republicans are taking most of the blame. Can Trump and Speaker Johnson actually convince Americans they're not trying to gut health care benefits? What points of leverage do the parties have at their disposal? And what might eventually break the impasse? To learn more about listener data and our privacy...
Oct 07, 2025•22 min
Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to scrutinize Bari Weiss’s imminent coronation as editor-in-chief of CBS News—and what her arrival might mean for the old guard still clinging to the house of Murrow and Cronkite. They also assess OpenAI’s new video-generation model, Sora 2, and Zuckerberg’s new social media platform, Vibes, along with the A.I.-related dread gripping the media-industrial complex. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-polic...
Oct 06, 2025•27 min
Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI’s new video-generation app, Sora 2, and Mark Zuckerberg’s A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry battles going forward. Make sure you subscribe to The Grill Room for more great content like this. T...
Oct 04, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Kim Masters joins Peter to scrutinize the expanding Ellison empire at Paramount Skydance as David Ellison prepares to install Bari Weiss as CBS News’s editor in chief, raising concerns that the queen of anti-woke will upend the Cronkite-era newsroom once and for all. Kim also breaks down Larry Ellison's involvement in TikTok and why the new deal announced by Trump is actually way more complicated than the White House is letting on. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visi...
Oct 03, 2025•23 min
Marion Maneker joins Peter to reflect on his recent sit-down with legendary art dealer Larry Gagosian—shedding light on his succession plans, his read on the art market slowdown, his enduring bond with Jeff Koons, and much more. Marion also spotlights a buzzy new Keith Haring exhibition making waves across the industry. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adc...
Oct 02, 2025•22 min
Julia Alexander joins Peter for a deep dive into Disney+’s subscriber exodus in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and what the backlash really cost the company. She also breaks down YouTube TV’s bruising carriage battles, as the scrappy streamer tries to keep pace with ballooning rights fees. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 01, 2025•22 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to unpack Donald Trump’s theatrical visit to the United Nations, where he mocked the organization's very existence and took an unusually sharp tone against Russia. Julia breaks down Trump's pivot on Vladimir Putin before turning to explain how the State Department has been strong-armed into executing Trump’s aggressive deportation crusade. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad c...
Sep 30, 2025•25 min
Jon Kelly and Peter trade observations about the Jimmy Kimmel resolution, at least for now, and assess the true winners and losers. Then they turn their attention to the NFL’s potential premature negotiation strategy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 29, 2025•27 min
Simpsons fans —THE VAULT IS OPEN! I’m Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson for 35+ years, and I’m finally taking you inside Springfield. Simpsons Declassified is your all-access pass to the world’s most iconic, animated series. Each week, we crack open wild predictions, eerie coincidences and fan conspiracies and stories from 36 seasons (that’s 800+ episodes!) behind-the-scenes with writers, directors, the cast and celebrity superfans, PLUS…Simpsons-themed games— play along and test your ...
Sep 28, 2025•2 min
Pete Nordstrom, co-C.E.O. of the Seattle-based department store group, joins Lauren to reflect on how he got into the family business, and how the company has remained family-run for four generations (without that much trouble). They also discuss the company's recent take-private, the state of multi-brand retail, Pete's hiring philosophy, and much, much more. To subscribe to Fashion People click here To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/pri...
Sep 27, 2025•1 hr 39 min
Bill Cohan joins Peter to puzzle over why billionaire C.E.O.s keep genuflecting to Donald Trump, even though he’s in his final term with abysmally low approval ratings. Then they dig into Intel’s stock surge after Trump funneled government money its way, and consider whether the stock pop is real or dramatically overhyped. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/...
Sep 26, 2025•29 min
Matt Belloni joins Peter to share a behind-the-scenes look at Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC this week following his suspension from the airwaves. While Kimmel’s return on Tuesday was a ratings bonanza, as Matt explains, there’s no reason to believe the F.C.C. is going to start pumping the brakes in its crusade against free speech. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoic...
Sep 25, 2025•21 min
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to give a reality check on the F.C.C.’s actual muscle, as Democrats fret that chairman Brendan Carr is trying to throttle political speech on the airwaves and grease the wheels for a conservative-friendly media merger. But how much can he really do to censor broadcasters, other than use his bully pulpit with the backing of Trump? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Sep 24, 2025•20 min
Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to discuss the political impact of Charlie Kirk’s massive memorial service. Did it herald the resurgence of Christian zeal? Will it engage out-of-touch voters? Or was it merely a spectacle that Republicans are hoping voters will recall when the midterms arrive? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 23, 2025•26 min
Jon Kelly and Peter share their notes on the roiling Jimmy Kimmel crisis and its impact on the Disney succession sweepstakes. Then they chew over the latest Paramount-WBD deal heat. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 22, 2025•28 min
In a special live taping of Puck’s Power Breakfast in D.C., Leigh Ann sits down with Republican whip Tom Emmer for a no-holds-barred conversation on all things crypto: regulation, the in-limbo Clarity Act, and more. Emmer also sounds off on the Jimmy Kimmel drama, heaps praise on F.C.C. chair Brendan Carr, and why he thinks Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is being “foolish.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about...
Sep 20, 2025•30 min
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to break down her latest reporting on the Trump administration’s effort to ostensibly root out anti-Christian bias at the State Department. She relays what insiders believe are the motivations behind the push, and why members of other faiths feel as if they've fallen in the crosshairs. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 19, 2025•23 min
Julia Alexander joins Peter to discuss the TikTokification of the NBA, and how commissioner Adam Silver is tiptoeing the line of dominating the algorithm and flatlining on TV. Then they pivot to the G.O.P.’s renewed crusade against social media in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 18, 2025•25 min
Dylan Byers joins Peter to game out what a potential WBD–Paramount Skydance mash-up might look like, as an emboldened David Ellison reportedly readies a multi-billion-dollar cash bid for WBD. They break down the implications for CNN and CBS News—and whether Ellison’s grand design could vault him into the rarefied air of tech giants like Netflix and YouTube. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices...
Sep 17, 2025•24 min
John Heilemann joins Peter to discuss the grotesque state of American politics in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination, as a divisive president canonizes him as a martyr while furious White House aides vow retribution against the left. John and Peter consider whether this is the new political norm—or just a particularly rancid chapter we’ll eventually consign to history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more a...
Sep 16, 2025•30 min
Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to discuss the seismic events from a very busy week in the media industry: the fallout from the Murdoch trust settlement and Ellison’s leaked WBD takeover attempt. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 15, 2025•26 min
Pablo Torre, former ESPN mainstay turned podcast sleuth, joins John to unravel his latest investigations—into Bill Belichick, the NFLPA, and most recently, his bombshell report on the Clippers’ alleged salary cap circumvention. He also weighs in on the tightrope of balancing independence with partnerships like The New York Times and The Athletic—and his aspirations for his podcast’s future, including potential expansion to television. To subscribe to The Varsity, click here To learn more about l...
Sep 13, 2025•53 min
Julia Alexander joins Peter for a check-in on the NFL’s broadcasts so far this season, and whether streamers like Peacock and YouTube are actually showcasing the NFL better than the traditional networks. Julia also breaks down the mounting tensions between A.I. companies and publishers, as search engines stumble in the shadow of chatbots and A.I. tools like Gemini and ChatGPT. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more a...
Sep 12, 2025•32 min
Eriq Gardner joins Peter to break down a handful of blockbuster A.I. lawsuits: WBD, Disney, and NBCUniversal are unloading their legal artillery on Midjourney over claims of copyright infringement, while a group of authors eye a windfall from Anthropic, accused of ripping off millions of books to feed its chatbot. Eriq explains how the outcomes of these cases could rewrite the rulebook for A.I. regulation moving forward. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://...
Sep 11, 2025•22 min
Dylan Byers joins Peter to chronicle the closing act of the Murdoch succession drama, as Rupert’s massive media empire lands squarely in the hands of his staunchly conservative son, Lachlan, while the other three siblings walk away with a hefty payout. They explore what this means for Fox’s future—and just how long the 94-year-old Rupert will continue to wield his power behind the scenes. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy ...
Sep 10, 2025•24 min
