Briefed: BBC Crisis Analysis, Tubi's Creator Expansion and Epstein Impact
The latest from the TV, audio, journalism, advertising and Hollywood podcasts
The topics on the lips of all the UK shows (and many of the international ones) were the departures of BBC DG Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness and Donald Trump’s threatened billion-dollar lawsuits.
We also found about Tubi’s investment in the creator economy as its GM and CEO interviewed on different shows. Plus AI actresses appearing at Web Summit, Christmas adverts arriving early, and the ongoing Disney-YouTube carriage dispute.
If you missed Thursday’s The Media Club, our guests were former BBC Chief Creative Officer Patrick Younge and Telegraph media editor James Warrington, whose paper broke the DG-toppling story, who dissected Tim Davie’s departure and what it meant for the corporation. We also looked at ITV’s potential sale to Comcast/Sky, the Disney-YouTube dispute frustrating American football fans, and why TikTok now has its own radio network. Listen
The Media Show (12th November)
Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins delivered an episode examining how the BBC lost its Director General and CEO of News on the same day – a first in the corporation’s history. Guests included John Shield from Teneo, former BBC World Service director Jamie Angus, journalist Tim Montgomery, Guardian’s Jane Martinson, and from New York, Tina Brown. The panel dissected everything from the botched Panorama edit of Trump’s speech to the board dynamics that led to this unprecedented double resignation. Brown’s assessment was particularly sharp: the BBC needs a “war room” for nimble crisis response, whilst Shield argued the corporation should have owned its mistakes immediately rather than letting others define them.
Media Confidential (10th & 13th November)
Alan Rusbridger and Janine Gibson delivered two episodes this week. First, they interviewed Carole Cadwalladr and Sarah Donaldson to discuss their new independent media platform The Nerve. The all-female founding team explained how they felt squeezed out of the Observer under new management and are now building something with “a bit of F-you energy on the side.” Their second episode brought Pat Younge into the studio to reveal what really happened at that disastrous BBC board meeting. Younge’s insider analysis was devastating: losing a Director General and head of news over “a dossier you can fundamentally rebut” sounds like something from W1A. His prediction for the next DG? Former RTE head Kevin Bakhurst.
Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch (11th November)
Roger Bolton interviewed former senior BBC executive Richard Ayre for a forensic examination of the corporation’s crisis. Ayre, who spent considerable time with previous BBC boards, didn’t hold back about the current governance failures. His assessment was withering: the system of political appointments is “corrupt” and “invites corruption,” whilst the part-time chairman structure simply isn’t fit for purpose. Ayre called for all public appointments to be taken out of political hands and questioned whether the current structure can deliver what the BBC needs for charter renewal.
Insiders: The TV Podcast (14th November)
Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham, broadcasting live from Belfast Media Festival, unpacked the extraordinary week at the BBC whilst asking whether there’s still unconscious bias in nations and regions commissioning. Their analysis of Tim Davie’s resignation noted how the Director General’s use of the word “weaponising” in his leaving letter wasn’t typical vocabulary for him. They also examined whether the consolidation fears around companies like All3Media are overblown, arguing the indie sector has weathered similar predictions for decades.
TellyCast (13th November)
Justin Crosby podcast live from Web Summit Lisbon with three conversations from the creator economy frontline. YouTube icon Colin Furze discussed two decades of building one of the world’s biggest creator channels and his legendary underground tunnel project. Ahmed Fayed from Dose of Society shared insights into authentic news content for younger audiences who’ve largely disengaged from traditional media. Eline van der Velden demonstrated how AI is blurring the lines between real and artificial content creation, though the conversation revealed just how early-stage these technologies remain.
The Rest Is Entertainment (11th & 13th November)
Richard Osman and Marina Hyde tackled two major topics this week. First, they examined why Tim Davie resigned as BBC Director General and what it means for UK broadcasting’s future, cutting through the noise to focus on fundamental power struggles and political pressures whilst questioning whether Trump will actually follow through on his billion-dollar lawsuit threats. Their second episode covered a Q&A session exploring whether ITV could poach The Traitors from the BBC like they did with Bake Off, how book serialisations work following Mary Earps defending her memoir, and how Paddington has been brought to life on the London stage.
The Media Odyssey (13th November)
Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet welcomed Rich Bloom from Tubi to explore how the Fox-owned streaming service is redefining the creator economy. A good interview somewhat distracted by Evan plugging his own film for Tubi. Bloom revealed Tubi’s remarkable growth to 100 million monthly users and 55% Gen Z/millennial audience, driven by a creator-first ecosystem that values experimentation over legacy production cycles. The conversation explored how Tubi moves from greenlight to launch in just three months while allowing creators to retain IP ownership – a stark contrast to Hollywood’s notorious development hell.
The Radio Academy Podcast (12th November)
Georgie Jameson explored the world of sonic branding with Chris Stevens from TMStudios, diving into their new sonic branding work for Bauer’s Magic Radio brand. The super-enthusiastic Stevens explained how they work with clients to create the right sound and feel across a range of audio content, helping stations stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. The discussion revealed how sonic branding helps listeners instantly recognise brands in our attention-deficit media landscape.
Campaign Podcast (11th November)
Lucy Shelley hosted the editorial team to break down the first wave of Christmas advertising, with creativity editor Gurjit Degun, deputy editor Charlotte Rawlings, and editor Maisie McCabe. Their analysis covered John Lewis’s nostalgic track approach, Sainsbury’s BFG collaboration, and M&S’s split strategy between food and fashion. The conversation revealed how this year’s festive ads are balancing emotional storytelling with practical messaging, whilst brands continue fighting for attention in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
The Media Leader Podcast (10th November)
Jack Benjamin sat down with Niel Bornman, CEO of Publicis Media Connected UK, to discuss the agency’s landmark year and data-driven growth strategy. Bornman explained how Publicis’s post-pandemic positioning around data and technology has given them significant competitive advantage, though he acknowledged concerns about over-investing in performance marketing at the expense of brand building. The conversation covered everything from principal media debates to the agency model’s AI-powered future.
TV Makers (11th November)
The podcast interviewed Channel 4’s Senior Commissioning Editor Laura Marks to reveal the insider rules behind digital commissioning. Marks broke down everything from the “minus 10 seconds” rule for thumbnails to balancing data with gut instinct when commissioning for YouTube and social platforms.
MediaLand (14th November)
Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly were joined by Hannah Ferguson from Cheek Media to explore how independent media can flourish even in tough economic times. Ferguson, who set up Cheek Media in 2020 without outside investment, discussed building an independent powerhouse through Instagram, podcasting with Big Small Talk, and long-form magazine content. Her approach challenges the conventional wisdom that media companies must scale up to survive, demonstrating how smaller operations can fill gaps between big media and their audiences.
Podnews Weekly Review (14th November)
James Cridland and Sam Sethi tackled TikTok’s podcast network with iHeart, Netflix’s audio push, and whether video podcasts are worth the production costs. They were joined by Sari Azout from Podcast Magic to discuss how a screenshot becomes a shareable clip and useful attention data. The conversation explored the tension between platforms wanting podcast content and creators maintaining independence, with particular focus on how TikTok’s entry might reshape podcasting’s economics.
On the Media (12th & 14th November)
Brooke Gladstone and the team presented two episodes this week. They examined “The Republican Party’s Civil War,” focusing on how fights over antisemitism have rocked the GOP and are playing out across media platforms. Their second episode featured “The Harvard Plan,” a collaborative series with the Boston Globe exploring Trump’s pressure campaign on higher education and the fight over academic freedom’s future. Both episodes highlighted ongoing tensions between free speech principles and institutional survival in an increasingly polarised environment.
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media (14th November)
Ben Smith and Max Tani interviewed Derek Thompson from The Atlantic to discuss why everything is becoming television and whether democracy can survive it. Thompson’s analysis of how podcasts and journalism are adapting to passive video consumption was particularly insightful, arguing that Meta’s own regulatory filings now admit social media has essentially become television. The conversation explored what this means for democratic discourse and quality journalism.
Channels with Peter Kafka (12th November)
Peter Kafka examined the ongoing Disney-YouTube dispute with CNBC’s Alex Sherman, exploring why this carriage fight has stretched out longer than usual and what it reveals about tech companies’ leverage over traditional media. Sherman’s analysis of the Warner Bros Discovery sale process provided insights into how David Ellison’s multiple offers for media companies reflect broader industry consolidation trends.
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino (14th November)
Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino delivered comprehensive coverage of newly uncovered Epstein emails revealing troubling ties between Jeffrey Epstein, Michael Wolff, and Donald Trump. Their analysis of why Trump is threatening BBC lawsuits now, combined with examination of South Park’s unhinged Trump-Vance content and Tucker Carlson’s chemtrail conspiracies, painted a picture of American media’s continued descent into chaos.
The Grill Room (11th & 14th November)
Dylan hosted two episodes examining media’s AI transformation and the week’s biggest flashpoints. First, Ian Krietzberg joined to examine AI’s takeover of the media business, exploring how it’s rewiring audiences while destabilising trust and threatening to drown news in algorithmic sludge. Then Julia and Dylan broke down prediction markets muscling into politics with £420 million frenzy over New York’s mayoral election, the BBC’s legal standoff with Trump, and Jim Bankoff’s plan to spin off the Vox Media Podcast Network.
The Town with Matthew Belloni (10th, 12th & 14th November)
Matt Belloni served up three episodes this week. He and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to dissected the ongoing YouTube-Disney dispute that removed ESPN from YouTube TV, exploring how this fight differs from previous carriage disputes. Tubi CEO Anjali Sud then joined to discuss how the streaming service reached profitability whilst everyone competes with YouTube for ad-supported attention. Finally, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini explored the anime boom’s global impact, revealing that 82% of new fans discover content through social media as anime becomes undeniably significant in Hollywood’s strategy.
Ankler Agenda (13th & 16th November)
The team delivered two episodes this week. First, they explored AI warning signs from Web Summit Lisbon, where Wild Sheep Content CEO Erik Barmack warned about Hollywood’s vulnerability to Big Tech’s ambitions whilst the town fixates on AI actresses. Then Richard Rushfield delivered a special bonus lunch with Warner Bros Motion Picture Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, discussing their record-breaking box office year despite relentless negative headlines. With 70 years of combined moviemaking experience, they retained hope for Hollywood’s future even as their studio officially goes up for sale.
Oh, and another good look at the BBC crisis was from the previous BBC News employees who host The Newsagents and spoke to 30 corporation insiders. Listen here.
Spot any media podcasts we’ve missed? Reply and let us know! And if you haven’t already, subscribe to The Media Club on your favourite podcast app or catch us on YouTube.
This was perfectly timed. Love your takes, Matt.