Briefed: AI Panic, Press Freedom and Merger Mania
Briefed - our weekly round up of TV, audio, journalism, marketing and Hollywood podcasts
This week we’ve had Hollywood in a proper state over OpenAI’s Sora 2 threatening actors’ livelihoods, press freedom under siege from government threats on both sides of the Atlantic, and Australian media playing merger Jenga whilst commercial radio descends into chaos. The British Podcast Awards reminded everyone that audio has properly grown up, Goalhanger revealed they’re now a video company masquerading as podcasters, and effectiveness experts tore strips off media planners for ignoring their own research.
Plus the BBC losing the Boat Race, Prince Harry’s PR going sideways again, Ziff Davis suing OpenAI whilst everyone else takes their money, the return of the spec script, and Benny Safdie on why he and his brother can never work together again (DGA rules, apparently). Taylor Swift continued proving Gen Z remains cinema’s biggest blind spot, Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic faces a steep profitability climb, and Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension saga became a masterclass in how not to handle political pressure.
If you missed Friday’s The Media Club, we were backstage at the British Podcast Awards chatting with winners including Carl Miller about Kill List season two and a potential TV adaptation, and Coco Khan from Pod Save The UK on Crooked Media’s struggles with Trump 2.0. Along the way, I caught up on the changes at Audio Always and met the UK’s first female-founded video podcast network Hera. Have a listen (or watch).
The Media Show (1st Oct)
Ros Atkins examined some of the week’s biggest media stories, kicking off with the BBC losing TV rights to the Boat Race after 60 years. He spoke with Siobhan Cassidy from the Boat Race Company and Pete Andrews from Channel 4, which will now broadcast the annual event. The episode also profiled tech billionaire Larry Ellison’s deeper ventures into media with Telegraph journalist James Warrington, and explored how conspiracy theories spread through the media ecosystem with Dr Robert Topinka from Birkbeck University and broadcaster Dr Matthew Sweet. Ben Doyle from After Party Studios discussed why online content creators teaming up with broadcasters can be a difficult working relationship, whilst Natalie Fahy from the Nottinghamshire Post explained their legal challenge to Reform UK after being frozen out from press releases and events. (Guests: Siobhan Cassidy from the Boat Race Company, Pete Andrews from Channel 4, James Warrington from The Telegraph, Dr Robert Topinka from Birkbeck University, Dr Matthew Sweet, Ben Doyle from After Party Studios, Natalie Fahy from Nottinghamshire Post)
Media Confidential (29th Sept, 2nd Oct)
Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber served up two episodes this week. First, a special live recording at Prospect coinciding with ITV’s new drama The Hack about the phone-hacking scandal. Rusbridger was joined by actor Toby Jones—who plays him in the series—along with Emmy-winning writer Jack Thorne, executive producer Patrick Spence, and journalist Jane Martinson to discuss bringing the story to screen, government support for the arts, and whether a second Leveson inquiry is needed. Their second episode tackled the thorny question of when to offer right of reply, sharing war stories about times it’s backfired spectacularly. They also discussed Fox News, media reports about Trump’s mental state, and the sale of conservative digital outlet The Free Press. (Guests: Toby Jones, Jack Thorne, Patrick Spence, Jane Martinson)
Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch (1st Oct)
Roger Bolton welcomed Stewart Purvis, former Editor in Chief and Chief Executive of ITN and ex-content regulator at Ofcom, for a wide-ranging discussion. They examined Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s intervention in the GB News debate, issues of impartiality in news, and the role of Ofcom and government in media regulation. As ITV celebrated its 70th birthday, Purvis reflected on his long career, the challenges facing ITN, and his so-called “nipple-gate” moment involving Princess Diana. A fascinating insider’s view on how Britain’s commercial news sector has evolved and the current regulatory challenges facing broadcasters. (Guests: Stewart Purvis)
Insiders: The TV Podcast (2nd Oct)
Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville discussed the programmes they love that they didn’t make but rather wish they had. The conversation explored what the popularity of re-watching old shows means for producers and broadcasters—if you can get consistently strong ratings playing familiar things, are you inevitably less likely to commission new stuff? Plus, the margins on drug smuggling, why the original BBC Tinker Tailor looks a bit ropey now, and the unlikely role the TalkBack cafetière played in the history of British comedy.
TellyCast (30th Sept)
Justin Crosby chatted with filmmaker Ben Zand and Documentary Campus CEO Donata von Perfall about the next wave of documentaries. Zand discussed the launch of Human, his bold new self-funded YouTube documentary strand that puts storytelling and brand-building ahead of TV commissioning, explaining why he’s betting on a digital-first strategy and how Zandland is creating content with empathy and access. Von Perfall outlined the evolution of Documentary Campus, revealing how their programmes now give equal weight to theatrical release, television projects, and digital-first content—a significant shift in how documentary makers think about distribution. (Guests: Ben Zand from Zandland, Donata von Perfall from Documentary Campus)
The Rest Is Entertainment (29th Sept, 1st Oct)
Richard Osman and Marina Hyde served up two episodes this week. First, they reviewed Gucci’s new absurdist 30-minute movie by creative director Demna, debating whether it’s the worst film of all time and pondering if all culture is heading in this direction. They examined Chicken Shop Date’s 10-year anniversary, unpacking what makes Amelia Dimoldenberg Britain’s greatest influencer, and tackled an AI-generated animation film produced entirely by OpenAI—good or bad news for Hollywood? Their second episode questioned whether Simon Cowell did more for democracy in Afghanistan than the Biden administration, whether Strictly professionals know their pairings in advance, and the eternal mystery of Thomas Pynchon.
The Media Odyssey (2nd Oct)
Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet unpacked the dramatic Jimmy Kimmel suspension and reinstatement saga, highlighting the collision of politics, regulation, and the crumbling power of broadcast TV. Shapiro explained the FCC’s limited authority, why Chair Brendan Carr’s threats crossed constitutional lines, and how Disney’s rapid cave-in to political pressure triggered fierce backlash. The conversation explored late-night’s decline, the chilling precedent for free speech in US broadcasting, and the looming wave of media consolidation involving Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, and possibly Netflix. Marion drew contrasts with Europe’s regulatory environment, where broadcasters face different pressures but free expression is protected in opposite ways.
The Radio Academy Podcast (30th Sept)
Adam Skinn brought the second part of a special Radio Academy Podcast covering all the action from The Radio Academy Festival 2025 in London. Tom Jackson, Ruth Cooper-Dickson and Issy Brand chatted with a range of speakers from the event, including Phil Maguire OBE, Monica Whitlock and Penny Murphy. They also went full Eurovision, hearing from Will Wilkin and Remember Monday. A celebration of radio’s craft and the power of sound across multiple platforms. (Guests: Phil Maguire OBE, Monica Whitlock, Penny Murphy, Will Wilkin, Remember Monday)
Campaign Podcast (30th Sept)
Gideon Spanier interviewed Ndidi Oteh, the new global chief executive of Accenture Song, on stage at Campaign Live in her first UK interview. Just 24 days into the new job, Oteh discussed navigating change and scale, plans to expand in media buying, and how the agency arm of consulting giant Accenture compares to the big holding companies. She divulged Song’s acquisition strategy, focusing on talent and partnerships, and revealed how the creative shop is actually changing the consultancy giant. A fascinating look at how the lines between consulting, creative, and media buying continue to blur. (Guests: Ndidi Oteh from Accenture Song)
The Media Leader Podcast (29th Sept)
Jack Benjamin recorded a special live edition from The Media Leader’s Future of Media Manchester event with effectiveness expert Peter Field, Newsworks insights director Heather Dansie, and Lumen CEO Mike Follett. They presented new research showing that investing in high-attention media channels—TV, cinema, radio, news brands and magazine brands—is more profitable than investing in low-attention ones. Yet over the past decade, ad-spend has flowed to social media and pure-play internet. The trio criticised media planners for failing to responsibly invest clients’ money, with Follett declaring: “My suggestion to media planners is: do your fucking job.” (Guests: Peter Field, Heather Dansie from Newsworks, Mike Follett from Lumen)
The Future of Media, Explained (1st Oct)
Dominic Ponsford welcomed Goalhanger co-founder Jack Davenport to discuss the race to video, joined by consultant Connie Krarup from Q5 Partners. Davenport revealed how the producer of hit shows like The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Politics now sees itself as a video production company more than an audio producer, and explained why “podcast” is now a term eschewed by the high-ups at Goalhanger. He also spoke about Goalhanger’s commercial model, which includes strong incentives for hosts, and shared tips for other publishers who want to succeed in an increasingly video-dominated media age. (Guests: Jack Davenport from Goalhanger, Connie Krarup from Q5 Partners)
MediaLand (3rd Oct)
Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly examined the major merger proposal between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo, which would make them a major broadcast and print player on both sides of Australia. They also discussed media regulator ACMA throwing a whole book of tickets at the Kyle and Jackie O show, finding another seven breaches of the Commercial Radio Code in 2024, whilst ARN CEO Ciaran Davis announced he’ll be stepping aside after sixteen years at the helm of the commercial radio juggernaut. Craig Bruce joined to discuss what’s next for Australia’s big talk and music radio stations. (Guests: Craig Bruce from Game Changers Radio)
Podnews Weekly Review (3rd Oct)
James Cridland and Sam Sethi broke down AI-generated podcast “slop,” Spotify’s leadership shift, and why attention—not downloads—should be the metric brands care about. Neil Cowling from Fresh Air joined to explain how branded podcasts create real value and where video fits in. The conversation covered reactions to Jeanine Wright’s interview and AI content quality, the risk to advertisers from bots and low retention, International Podcast Day and the case for open RSS, Spotify’s co-CEOs move and DDEX-based AI disclosures, plus YouTube AI features. (Guests: Neil Cowling from Fresh Air)
When It Hits the Fan (1st Oct)
David Yelland and Simon Lewis examined the timing of a leak about a private meeting between Prince Harry and his father, questioning whether classic PR diversionary tactics were employed to take the heat away from other damaging royal stories, or if the whole thing was more of a coincidence than a conspiracy. Just weeks ago it looked like genuine reconciliation was on the cards, but a blizzard of headlines has led to yet another breakdown of trust. On the extended edition on BBC Sounds, they explored cyber attacks and why they pose such a huge PR threat to businesses, plus the rather fabulous reaction of members of the Guinness family to the new Netflix show about the brewing dynasty.
On the Media (1st Oct, 3rd Oct)
Brooke Gladstone and Michael Loewinger produced two episodes this week. The first featured New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie discussing why fear of Trump isn’t helping, plus lessons from Casablanca including Humphrey Bogart’s betrayal. The midweek podcast explored the continued fight for democracy in Uganda, with pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine discussing his manifesto for the 2026 presidential election and the challenges of building democratic institutions under absolute state capture. (Guests: Jamelle Bouie from The New York Times, Bobi Wine)
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media (3rd Oct)
Ben Smith and Max Tani welcomed Jonah Weiner, co-author of Blackbird Spyplane, the style and culture newsletter that launched in 2020 as one of Substack’s early success stories. Weiner, a longtime magazine journalist, discussed how the newsletter has evolved, how it changed his marriage, and why he’s “grossed out” by affiliate links. The conversation explored whether he wants to expand the business further and why Obama epitomises the state of the art of dad pants. A fascinating look at building an independent media business without selling out. (Guests: Jonah Weiner from Blackbird Spyplane)
Channels with Peter Kafka (1st Oct)
Peter Kafka sat down with Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah to explore why his company is one of only two big publishers suing OpenAI (the other being the New York Times). Shah explained his portfolio of sites would like more traffic from Google but remains confident things will work out. Kafka and Shah discussed the digital publishing landscape, AI’s threat to publishers, and why Ziff Davis never got the attention some of their digital peers did a decade ago—but crucially, they’re still standing in 2025. A POV worth paying attention to from a publisher taking the opposite approach to those making licensing deals with OpenAI. (Guests: Vivek Shah from Ziff Davis)
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino (3rd Oct)
Oliver Darcy welcomed Status’ new media correspondent Natalie Korach to discuss the relentless attacks on the free press. They covered Oliver’s role in a Senate “spotlight hearing” on threats to journalism, the chilling effect of pressure applied by Brendan Carr and Pete Hegseth, and the alarming, unprovoked assaults on reporters by masked ICE agents. The conversation also tackled the controversy surrounding the Riyadh Comedy Festival, where A-list comedians like Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Bill Burr are taking huge paycheques despite Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human rights record, plus the misleading messaging from MAGA media outlets like Fox News on the government shutdown and the disturbing celebration of potential mass firings of federal workers. (Guests: Natalie Korach from Status)
The Grill Room (30th Sept, 3rd Oct)
Dylan and Julia delivered two episodes this week. First, Dylan chatted with Rafat Ali, founder of Skift, charting the rise of his B2B media empire—dubbed “the Bloomberg of travel.” Ali broke down how Skift has evolved to generate upwards of $25 million in revenue with 20% profit margins, the secret sauce of hyper-targeted B2B media, and the broader challenges within a media industry still chasing scale at all costs. A great listen. Their second episode dived into the launch of OpenAI’s new video-generation app Sora 2 and Mark Zuckerberg’s AI social media platform Vibes, explaining why these releases have sent Hollywood into not-so-mild panic and how they might reshape the media industry. They also turned to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute and what it portends for future battles. (Guests: Rafat Ali from Skift)
The Town with Matthew Belloni (29th Sept, 1st Oct, 2nd Oct)
Matt Belloni produced three episodes covering Hollywood’s latest dramas. He spoke with SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland about OpenAI’s Sora 2 and the problems it presents for Hollywood, including threats to image and likeness rights and intellectual property infringement. Entertainment 360’s Geoff Shaevitz discussed why spec-script sales have taken off over the past year, exploring what kick-started the trend, why buyers are moving away from fully packaged deals, and whether the original-script boom is here to stay. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw joined to dissect the weekend box office performance of ‘One Battle After Another’ and what it means for Warner Bros chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy amid a potential sale to David Ellison, plus Trump’s renewed threats of tariffs on films made outside the US. (Guests: Duncan Crabtree-Ireland from SAG-AFTRA, Geoff Shaevitz from Entertainment 360, Lucas Shaw from Bloomberg)
The Ankler Podcast (2nd Oct)
Host Elaine Low, Sean McNulty, and Natalie Jarvey parsed Trump’s floated “100% tariff” on foreign-made films and what a “Made in America” movie even is anymore. Gen Z correspondent Matthew Frank unpacked how under-25s are actually discovering shows in the fast-twitch age of clips and feeds. The conversation covered Trump targeting entertainment, from YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with him to the alarming attacks on the industry, plus Taylor Swift taking on Leonardo DiCaprio and Dwayne Johnson at the box office, exposing Hollywood’s Gen Z blind spot in real time. (Guests: Matthew Frank from The Ankler, Sean McNulty from The Ankler, Natalie Jarvey from The Ankler)
The Business (3rd Oct)
Kim Masters sat down with Benny Safdie about The Smashing Machine, his first solo feature since parting ways with his brother and longtime creative partner Josh. Safdie recalled the immediate spark he felt when Dwayne Johnson approached him to play UFC fighter Mark Kerr, explaining why the story fits his ongoing fascination with characters who don’t quite win. He also reflected on his biggest lessons gleaned whilst working as an actor for luminary filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan. In her segment with Matt Belloni, Masters examined Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which scored a career-high opening weekend but faces a steep climb to profitability with its reported $140-160 million budget. After a run of surprise hits at Warner Bros, they debated whether the film carries more value as an awards contender and an “auteur-friendly” statement piece for CEO David Zaslav. (Guests: Benny Safdie, Matt Belloni from Puck)
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