Briefed: Weiss, Maduro and Mergers
The latest from all the TV, audio, journalism, advertising and Hollywood podcasts
Happy New Year. Here’s what’s been happing on the media podcasts this week…
We’ve had CBS News in crisis under Bari Weiss’s leadership, the seizing of Venezuela’s Maduro sparking debate about military-media relations, Warner Bros caught in a bidding war between Netflix and Paramount, AI reshaping content discovery, and the ongoing question of who controls our information ecosystem. Plus, streaming platforms doubling down on podcast acquisitions, public service media fighting for survival, and social media politicians taking over democracy one TikTok at a time.
If you missed Friday’s The Media Club, I explored Spotify’s changes to its payments machine and Global’s acquisition of Gary Neville’s network, spoke with Thomas Curry from BBC Studios about the week’s deals, and discussed whether the government should double funding for the World Service with Rebecca Cooney from Broadcast. We also covered Virgin Radio schedule changes and Martin Clunes playing Huw Edwards in a new Channel 5 drama. Listen
The Media Show (7th January)
Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins examined how American media handled advance knowledge of the US military raid on Venezuela, with some outlets choosing not to publish until after the operation. They explored the delicate balance between national security and press freedom, comparing it to the UK’s voluntary D-notice system. The episode also tackled actors fighting back against AI scanning of their images without consent, and the government’s controversial decision to invite more influencers to Westminster press briefings whilst traditional lobby journalists expressed frustration at being treated as “print only” despite creating multi-platform content.
Media Confidential (5th, 8th, 11th January)
Alan and Lionel served up three episodes this week, starting with a Prospect Podcast rerun examining civil liberties in Britain. Their midweek edition analysed media reactions to Trump’s seizure of Maduro, featuring a documentary on investigative journalist Seymour Hersh and Alan’s life hack for escaping information bubbles through free reading. The week concluded with Sir Howard Stringer reflecting on CBS’s golden years and its current turmoil under Bari Weiss, who reportedly pulled a 60 Minutes episode from the air. Stringer discussed journalism during the Reagan administration, the network’s decline, and offered insights on handling Trump whilst lamenting missed opportunities for BBC leadership roles.
Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch (8th January)
Roger spoke to Michael Delahaye, veteran BBC journalist and author of “After the Fall: The Battle to Save Independent Media in the Post-Soviet World.” Delahaye shared firsthand experiences supporting independent journalism across Russia and former Soviet republics, discussing the challenges of building media freedom in countries without that tradition. The conversation explored Putin’s impact, the lack of media markets, Western intervention, the BBC World Service’s significance, and the ongoing struggle for press freedom in increasingly autocratic environments.
The Rest Is Entertainment (6th, 8th January)
Richard Osman and Marina Hyde examined HarperCollins’s decision to stop publishing David Walliams’s books and explored who the UK voted as their all-time National Treasure. They also analysed Netflix’s aggressive move into podcast exclusivity, questioning why the streaming giant is making such big bets on audio content as podcasts increasingly become video-driven. Their Q&A episode tackled everything from the economics of adult entertainment to Jim Carrey’s Oscar chances, plus whether Kylie Minogue genuinely earned her Christmas number one spot.
The Media Odyssey (8th January)
Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet delivered their first 2026 predictions, warning that the media industry faces another brutal year of layoffs, soft advertising markets, and structural change. They predicted the AI bubble will burst whilst generative engine optimisation undermines traditional SEO-based media models, FAST channels become more crowded with lower yields, and success will depend on distribution and discoverability rather than content volume. The duo also forecast the rise of social media politicians, warning that being good at TikTok may become the only qualification for elected office.
Campaign Podcast (6th January)
Editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier spoke to deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis to discuss adland’s new year resolutions for 2026. They explored the need to diversify media spend beyond the big three platforms (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta), citing the creator economy’s projected worth of £2.64 billion by 2030 and gaming’s 3.6 billion global audience. The conversation covered investing in journalism, ensuring craft and originality in creative work, and media agencies’ need to retain relevance as platforms increasingly work directly with advertisers.
The Media Voices Podcast (5th January)
The Publisher Podcast featured a special session from the Definitive AI Forum for Media, with a panel discussion on balancing AI efficiencies with editorial integrity. Chris Duncan moderated as media leaders explored how AI can speed up product development, journalistic research, and content distribution whilst maintaining accuracy and trust. They discussed placing humans firmly in the loop and ensuring quality trumps speed in the tension between efficiency and credibility.
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media (9th January)
Max and Ben interviewed media veteran Ryan Lizza for a raw conversation about his eight-part Substack series responding to the most personal crisis of his career. Lizza reflected on leaving Politico, burning bridges with legacy outlets, and why Substack provided the only viable platform to tell his story. He discussed the cost of going public, RFK Jr.’s involvement in what he considers the real scandal, and how this episode taught him about our changing media landscape where traditional outlets increasingly shy away from complex personal stories.
Channels with Peter Kafka (7th January)
Peter Kafka explored how Bari Weiss rose to become head of CBS News with New York magazine’s Charlotte Klein. Klein tracked Weiss’s ascent over five years from her Times resignation to David Ellison’s acquisition of The Free Press, revealing her LA exile and the mogul network that embraced her. The conversation examined why media titans across the industry love Weiss, her networking skills in Hollywood, and how timing, talent, and strategic relationship-building led to her controversial appointment atop one of America’s most prominent news operations.
On the Media (7th, 9th January)
Brooke Gladstone and Michael Loewinger presented two episodes examining media under pressure. They looked at the forgotten history of Gertrude Berg, creator of the first sitcom, in the context of today’s media precarity, then analysed a deadly ICE shooting in Minnesota alongside Trump’s threats of global expansion. The show featured Rafael Ocio Cabrisas discussing Venezuela’s media ecosystem, where independent digital outlets face blocking whilst legacy media has been wiped out, creating perfect conditions for misinformation as a weapon against democratic organisation.
When It Hits the Fan (7th January)
David Yelland and Simon Lewis explored the third golden rule of PR: don’t break the fourth wall. Using the Heathrow Airport crisis as an example, they examined how transparency can backfire when too much is revealed, such as the CEO being asleep when the airport shut down. The hosts discussed the importance of maintaining illusions in PR, comparing it to the Wizard of Oz—once the curtain is pulled back and artifice crumbles, it could mean game over for campaigns and reputations alike.
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino (9th January)
Oliver and Jon dissected Tony Dokoupil’s disastrous debut as CBS Evening News anchor, cataloguing embarrassing flubs, cringeworthy social media posts, and his “both sides” approach to January 6th coverage. They examined MAGA media’s response to an ICE shooting whilst blindly parroting government talking points, Fox News cheering Trump’s Venezuela intervention, and Elon Musk’s Grok bot going off the rails by undressing women and children whilst Apple and Google remained silent. The episode concluded with Dan Bongino’s return to podcasting after his brief FBI stint, immediately attacking Matt Gaetz.
The Grill Room (6th, 9th January)
Dylan and Julia surveyed a volatile media week with help from Matt Belloni, charting Warner Bros Discovery’s bidding war between Netflix and Paramount whilst exploring what each side stands to gain. They covered Hollywood’s AI anxiety following Disney’s Sora 2 pact, YouTube’s Oscars rights deal, and the 2026 film slate. Their second episode examined Tony Dokoupil’s rocky CBS debut under Bari Weiss’s leadership, Semafor’s eyebrow-raising $330 million valuation, and the flood of AI-generated content overtaking Instagram and X. (Guests: Matt Belloni)
The Town with Matthew Belloni (5th, 7th, 10th January)
Matt delivered three episodes exploring Hollywood’s future with different perspectives. Lucas Shaw joined for burning questions about potential strikes, NFL rights negotiations affecting streaming content, and David Ellison’s movie taste as he prepares to run a major studio. Box office guru Scott Mendelson provided a comprehensive 2025 year-in-review, examining Sydney Sweeney and Timothée Chalamet’s star power, superhero fatigue versus horror’s resilience, and studio power rankings. Jeff Sagansky offered an investor’s view of 2026, predicting active M&A markets driven by cheaper debt and plentiful equity, whilst making the case for Warner Bros surviving independently.
The Business (9th January)
Kim Masters sat down with Tim Blake Nelson to discuss his wide-ranging entertainment career and his second novel “Superhero,” a black comedy about making big-budget comic book films. Nelson shared insights into Warner Bros’ ongoing sale negotiations, favouring Netflix over Paramount whilst acknowledging concerns about fewer theatrical releases. They examined how his fascination with entertainment industry machinations informed the book, whilst Matt Belloni provided updates on the latest developments in the battle for Warner Bros, including theatrical exhibitors’ protests to Congress about Netflix’s potential acquisition.
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.