Podcast · 70 episodes
Channels with Peter Kafka, page 3
by Vox Media Podcast Network · English
Media and tech aren’t just intersecting — they’re fully intertwined. And to understand how those worlds work, and what they mean for you, veteran journalist Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers - and gets them to spell it out in plain, BS-free English. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
All episodes, page 3
What Happens To Media When The Web Goes Away, with Tony HaileHow media changes when the web becomes “agentic” (AI/bots), entertainment platforms dominate, and high-trust conversation moves to private networks; plus Tony Hale’s media-adjacent startup Filament…26 Nov 2025 · 39 min · 10 chapters
Kevin Reilly got to the top of the TV heap. Now he's in AI.Kevin Reilly, former TV executive, discusses how AI will reshape media and brand marketing, drawing parallels to the TV industry’s shift from linear to streaming and the difficulty of retooling…19 Nov 2025 · 40 min · 12 chapters
What the Disney–YouTube Battle Tells Us About the End of CableThe Disney–YouTube TV carriage dispute (blackout of ESPN/ABC) as a sign of cable’s end, plus media M&A—especially David Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery after buying Paramount.12 Nov 2025 · 53 min · 11 chapters
The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell on Why Republicans Won the Attention WarHow The Bulwark (anti-Trump, mission-driven for-profit) won the “attention war” by evolving from a conservative Never-Trump audio/newsletter brand into a multi-platform media operation, especially…5 Nov 2025 · 45 min · 11 chapters
The Man Who Fixed The New York Times Wants to Fix CNNMark Thompson, CEO of CNN, explains CNN’s new $6.99–$7/month direct-to-consumer streaming subscription (“CNN,” with Basic and “All Access” tiers) and how CNN plans to transition from cable to…28 Oct 2025 · 52 min · 11 chapters
The End of Mass Media—and What Comes NextThe end of mass media and the shift to a “small media” ecosystem dominated by platform gatekeepers (Google, potentially OpenAI).22 Oct 2025 · 57 min · 28 chapters
The PR Guy Who Says the AI Boom Is a BustWhether the “AI boom” is a bubble, and whether anyone can profit by arguing it’s overhyped.15 Oct 2025 · 55 min · 20 chapters
Why the Guardian Doesn't Need a Billionaire to ThriveHow The Guardian (a nonprofit, reader-supported global news site) sustains itself without billionaire ownership, using a reader revenue model plus advertising and licensing; also discusses editorial…8 Oct 2025 · 39 min · 16 chapters
Almost Everyone is Taking Money from OpenAI. Why is Ziff Davis suing them?Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis, explains how AI and “zero-click” search affect publishers and why Ziff Davis sued OpenAI instead of taking licensing deals.1 Oct 2025 · 34 min · 8 chapters
The Future of Late Night TV, Jimmy Kimmel, and The First AmendmentContext for Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after a suspension tied to U.S.24 Sep 2025 · 27 min · 8 chapters
How TBPN Made a Tech News SplashTBPN (Technology Business Programming Network) is a weekday live tech/business show that aims to “make a splash” in a competitive media market by focusing on private markets, reacting to social posts…15 Sep 2025 · 39 min · 22 chapters
Patch’s AI Experiment: Thousands of Newsletters, Zero HumansPatch CEO Warren St. John explains Patch AM, an AI-curated local-news newsletter that can be generated for thousands of U.S.10 Sep 2025 · 39 min · 16 chapters
Oliver Darcy Thinks the Media Doesn’t Get It. So He Built StatusOliver Darcy explains how U.S. news media is failing in the Trump era, arguing that power is increasingly driven by right-wing media plus big-tech platforms, and that mainstream outlets soften…3 Sep 2025 · 54 min · 23 chapters
Why Henry Blodget is Building Another Media CompanyHenry Blodgett explains why he’s launching a new media venture (Regenerator on Substack and the “Solutions with Henry Blodgett” podcast) and uses that to argue for optimism about innovation,…27 Aug 2025 · 58 min · 21 chapters
ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro on streaming, the NFL and sports bettingESPN CEO Jimmy Pitaro explains ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer standalone streaming launch (ESPN + enhanced ESPN app) and how it fits with cable partners, plus ESPN’s NFL rights strategy, sports…20 Aug 2025 · 48 min · 15 chapters
A Busy - and Expensive - Summer for AI, with NYT's Mike IsaacThe 2025 AI “arms race” and its marketing, costs, talent wars, and policy implications, framed by OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT release and broader Silicon Valley competition.13 Aug 2025 · 52 min · 17 chapters
Why the Algorithm is Making Comedy Boom, AgainHow the “comedy boom” has returned and evolved, driven less by Netflix and more by TikTok, video podcasts, and algorithmic discovery—while also changing what audiences expect (especially crowd work)…6 Aug 2025 · 59 min · 21 chapters
What is TV’s endgame?The collapse of the old “cable bundle” TV model and what major media companies are doing next—Paramount’s future under David Ellison, ESPN and Fox’s new direct-to-consumer streaming launches,…30 Jul 2025 · 47 min · 15 chapters
Why Trump is defunding NPR and PBS - and suing Rupert MurdochThe episode discusses (1) Donald Trump’s congressionally approved plan to rescind about $500 million per year in federal funding for NPR and PBS via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, effective…23 Jul 2025 · 36 min · 12 chapters
Inside the Rise and Fall of Condé Nast with Michael GrynbaumA reported history of Condé Nast’s rise to cultural dominance (1980s-early 2000s) and its decline in the digital era, including how it shaped American “high-low” culture and elite mystique, and why…16 Jul 2025 · 48 min · 16 chapters
Inside the NYT - and Everywhere Else - with Semafor's Max TaniMax Tani (Semafor) discusses how the New York Times handled a controversial scoop about NYC mayoral candidate Zoran Mandani’s Columbia admissions application, and uses it to explore broader shifts in…9 Jul 2025 · 48 min · 17 chapters
Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker on the problem with tech - and peopleCharlie Brooker discusses how Black Mirror evolved beyond “tech dystopia,” why people use the show as shorthand for tech gone wrong, and what he thinks about AI and other technologies—arguing the…2 Jul 2025 · 44 min · 17 chapters