Panorama Controversy, Affinity Economy and Hollywood Consolidation
Your weekly round-up of all the media podcasts
Well, all of these podcasts were recorded before the BBC announced that its Director General, Tim Davie and the CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness, are stepping down. I’m sure many of these shows, plus, of course, us on The Media Club, will be looking into the impact in the coming week.
The editorial storm over its Panorama programme’s Trump coverage was certainly well covered, alongside celebrities proving remarkably rubbish at spotting traitors in their midst, streaming services battling for content supremacy, and media insiders questioning whether traditional newsbrands still matter to advertisers. Plus, a fascinating look at how the affinity economy is reshaping everything we know about audience engagement, whilst the industry grapples with AI’s growing influence on content creation.
If you missed Friday’s The Media Club, I was joined by broadcast consultant Paul Robinson and Guardian columnist Jane Martinson to ask whether the BBC can change course after the Sidemen’s manager likened the corporation to the Titanic (well, they’ll probably have to now!). We also explored how The Times got fooled twice in a month by hoaxers and discussed Canada accidentally leaking The Traitors finale. Plus, in our Audio Network Media Quiz, we gave three more media stories the glow-up treatment.
The Media Show (5th November)
Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall spoke to Mishal Husain about her Bloomberg show and departure from the BBC after 26 years. Andy Wilman, the creative mastermind behind Top Gear and Clarkson’s Farm, shared candid insights from his new book about decades collaborating with Jeremy Clarkson. Executive producer Mike Cotton revealed how Celebrity Traitors became this year’s biggest hit ahead of Thursday’s nail-biting finale. The programme also unpacked the BBC’s latest controversy over Panorama’s editing of Donald Trump’s Capitol riot speech and its implications for public trust in journalism. (Guests: Mishal Husain, Andy Wilman, Mike Cotton from Studio Lambert)
Media Confidential (3rd & 6th November)
Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber delivered two episodes this week. First, they hosted Goalhanger co-founder Tony Pastor to explore the drama behind The Rest is Politics and the secrets to the podcast’s success. Pastor explained how each host gets ‘chemistry tested’ before new series launches and discussed how the video renaissance is changing everything. Their second episode saw guest host Janine Gibson from FT Weekend joining Alan to discuss media responses to the Huntingdon train stabbing incident, The Telegraph’s attacks on the BBC amid the Panorama controversy, and scrutiny on BBC Arabic’s coverage. They also covered Celebrity Traitors and whether bias goes to the top of the BBC, especially regarding Robbie Gibb’s role on the editorial standards committee. (Guests: Tony Pastor from Goalhanger, Janine Gibson from Financial Times)
Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch (6th November)
Roger Bolton spoke to former BBC Chief Creative Officer Pat Younge for a robust discussion about BBC bias allegations, broadcasting reform proposals, and media consolidation by wealthy figures in the US and UK. Younge responded to Panorama bias claims whilst outlining proposals from the British Broadcasting Challenge for renewing the BBC’s charter and ensuring long-term independence. The conversation covered broadcast funding models, governance reforms, the importance of universality and trust, plus the role of citizen assemblies in shaping broadcasting’s future. They also examined how media consolidation affects Channel 5 and the broader UK landscape. (Guests: Pat Younge)
Insiders: The TV Podcast (7th November)
Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville unpacked the row over Panorama’s “misleading” Trump edit and speculated whether resignations might follow. They discussed Kim Kardashian’s appallingly reviewed Disney+ drama “All’s Fair” and whether negative press coverage actually puts streaming audiences off or simply piques their interest. The duo also explored the fascinating and fast-growing world of micro drama, with American media giants like Fox taking equity stakes in platforms behind the $7 billion boom.
TellyCast (5th November)
Justin Crosby chatted with Strong Watch Studios co-founder Thom Gulseven about building one of the UK’s most exciting digital-first production companies. Gulseven revealed how lessons learned at LADbible shaped the launch of Strong Watch with Ben Powell-Jones, discussed their award-winning social video channel People Are Deep, and explained why Channel 4 trusted them to run comedy channel A Comedy Thing. The conversation covered the next phase of the creator economy, the rise of streamer-led distribution, and how traditional media companies are moving into digital-first spaces. (Guests: Thom Gulseven from Strong Watch Studios)
The Rest Is Entertainment (4th, 6th & 7th November)
Richard Osman and Marina Hyde explored whether David Harbour can survive the searing infidelity allegations in Lily Allen’s brilliant new pop album, debated who will replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly on Strictly Come Dancing, and examined whether Disney’s Doctor Who deal with the BBC fell through. Their Q&A episode answered burning questions about worldwide bestsellers and getting rich off picture books. Finally, they provided a spoiler-heavy reaction to the Celebrity Traitors finale, breaking down the gobsmacking conclusion to this year’s biggest TV sensation.
The Media Odyssey (6th November)
Evan Shapiro delivered a speech on the affinity economy in a special live episode. Using his signature “media cartographer” maps and data-driven storytelling, Shapiro unpacked how Big Tech overtook traditional media, examined generational shifts transforming consumption habits, and explained why the creator economy is now the true centre of cultural power. From the “churn apocalypse” in streaming to YouTube’s dominance on TV screens, he demonstrated why brands must abandon vanity metrics and embrace fandom, engagement and community as real measures of success. The conversation featured voices from Angel Studios and BBC Studios about measuring passion rather than just performance.
When It Hits the Fan (5th November)
David Yelland and Simon Lewis analysed the dramatic way Buckingham Palace responded to the growing Prince Andrew crisis, examining the gulf between an initial statement that seemed to get everything wrong and a second that went further than expected. They explored what powers were at play behind the scenes for the Royal communications team and how challenging it is to react quickly when working for such an unwieldy institution. The episode provided fascinating insight into crisis management at the highest levels of establishment communications.
Campaign Podcast (4th November)
Lucy Shelley hosted a timely discussion about whether newsbrands matter to advertisers, featuring insights from Dentsu iProspect’s UK CEO James Bailey and Bountiful Cow CEO Adam Foley. The episode examined declining ad-spend for national and regional newsbrands alongside magazines, whilst tech platforms claim growing market share. However, this year’s Media Week Awards success for many newsbrands, including The Telegraph winning Sales Team of the Year, suggests a potential fightback. They explored whether advertisers are abandoning trusted journalism or if newsbrands are seeing a resurgence through the News Alliance’s cross-industry coalition. (Guests: James Bailey from Dentsu iProspect, Adam Foley from Bountiful Cow)
The Media Leader Podcast (3rd November)
Jack Benjamin sat down with Roku’s content distribution director Tom Price to discuss the latest developments at the streaming platform. Price revealed how Roku launched 40 FAST channels on its UK platform, explained their new low-cost subscription service Howdy in the US, and outlined how they’ve emerged as a key partner for entertainment companies seeking increased reach in a fragmented TV landscape. The conversation covered what makes the UK TV market unique, how Roku developed a toolkit of advertising opportunities for content partners, and their strategy for cutting through the noise of a crowded streaming market. (Guests: Tom Price from Roku)
The Radio Academy Podcast (5th November)
Georgie Jameson spoke to Juliette Nicholls, Audiotrain Programme manager, to discuss the relaunched BBC and Audio UK training programme. Nicholls explained how the free resource provides modules for audio and podcast skills training, revealed some of the amazing names sharing their knowledge, and detailed how listeners can sign up. The conversation covered everything from social media for podcasts to production management, with sessions on AI, developing ideas, and monetising podcasts proving particularly popular. (Guests: Juliette Nicholls from Audio UK)
The Future of Media, Explained (6th November)
Dominic Ponsford and Charlotte Tobitt tackled the latest Telegraph ownership battle, fake interviews appearing in The Times, and the threat from social media misinformation following the Huntingdon train stabbing. They examined how mainstream media should respond to inflammatory social media posts from figures like Matt Goodwin and Ben Leo, discussing the duty to challenge statements that could whip up dangerous sentiment. The episode highlighted the two-tier system where GB News presenters face fewer consequences than BBC counterparts for controversial comments.
MediaLand (7th November)
Tim Burrowes and Vivienne Kelly marked the 50th anniversary of the Gough Whitlam government dismissal, examining what it was like in the press gallery that day and its impact on Australian political journalism. Tom McIlroy joined from The Guardian Australia to discuss his research for Meanjin about weathering that historic storm. They also covered new legislation mandating streaming services with over 1 million Australian subscribers to produce local content, and provided updates on Australia’s impending social media ban for children under sixteen. (Guests: Tom McIlroy from The Guardian Australia)
Podnews Weekly Review (7th November)
James Cridland and Sam Sethi spoke about Netflix’s “video podcast” land grab whilst examining Apple’s AI chapters and Timed Links as practical upgrades creators needed. DAX’s Brian Conlan joined to explain why audio’s problem is ROAS rather than downloads, and how better measurement unlocks bigger budgets. The conversation covered Netflix licensing moves, YouTube exclusivity trade-offs, and why this represents cheap TV rather than podcasting. They also discussed Australia’s social media ban including the addition of platforms like Reddit and Kick to the prohibited list. (Guests: Brian Conlan from DAX US)
Mixed Signals from Semafor Media (7th November)
Ben Smith and Max Tani interviewed GQ’s global editorial director Will Welch about addressing men amid the prominence of the manosphere, covering niche subcultures, and how magazine parties operate as content creation mechanisms. Welch discussed working with celebrities like Robert Pattinson as creative collaborators and navigating the complex job of creating media for men that isn’t “horrible stuff.” The conversation explored pivoting away from social media scale models whilst print remains challenging, and how GQ maintains relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. (Guests: Will Welch from GQ)
Channels with Peter Kafka (5th November)
Peter Kafka interviewed The Bulwark CEO Sarah Longwell about the company’s evolution from non-profit Republican organisation to for-profit media success story. Longwell explained how they’re on pace for $12 million annually from Substack subscriptions and found success by embracing YouTube after “turning the cameras on.” The conversation covered the tension between running a mission-driven company and one seeking profit, plus Longwell’s insights on why Republicans are better at political media than Democrats, exploring the state of art in political media consumption. (Guests: Sarah Longwell from The Bulwark)
On the Media (5th November)
Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examined whether moderate Democrats actually win more elections, challenging the discourse around ‘moderate vs. progressive’ politics that’s gotten out of hand. They explored how factors like media coverage and party perception affect electoral success more than specific issue positions, whilst discussing the decline of local media’s role in distinguishing party identities across geographies. The episode highlighted creative solutions for Democrats to maintain rural identity despite reduced local newspaper coverage. (Guests: David Shor)
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino (7th November)
Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino broke down Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral race win, from predictable Fox News outrage to surprising CNN pushback, examining what his rise means for the Democratic establishment as right-wing media weaponises his every move. They covered the MAGA civil war heating up with Ben Shapiro publicly torching Tucker Carlson for platforming white nationalist Nick Fuentes, plus Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts caught in crossfire. They also discussed Jon Stewart’s Comedy Central return and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s apparent political maturation.
The Grill Room (4th & 7th November)
Dylan and Julia examined two major media stories across their episodes. First, they welcomed LightShed’s Rich Greenfield to dissect the WBD bidding war as Paramount and Comcast circle the prize whilst Netflix and Amazon lurk on the sidelines. They explored who needs the acquisition most, potential integration strategies, and whether legacy media companies can transform into tech competitors. Their second episode covered Zohran Mamdani’s social media-fuelled mayoral campaign, the prolonged YouTube TV-Disney carriage standoff, ESPN’s DraftKings play, and MSNBC’s rebrand as MS NOW. (Guests: Rich Greenfield from LightShed)
The Town with Matthew Belloni (3rd November)
Matt Belloni joined Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for a franchise draft, selecting which movie properties they’d most want to start a movie studio with in 2025. Each selected five movie franchises plus one TV franchise, making cases for why their choices are best suited to succeed over the next 10-20 years. The conversation provided fascinating insight into Hollywood’s franchise economy and what intellectual property holds the most value for building sustainable entertainment businesses in today’s market. They promised to let listeners vote on social media to determine the winner. (Guests: Lucas Shaw from Bloomberg)
The Business (7th November)
Kim Masters interviewed documentarians Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman about their film “The Alabama Solution” exposing America’s prison crisis. The filmmakers revealed how an invitation from an unwitting warden to film a religious revival opened the door to their investigation, where they met desperate prisoners sharing allegations of abuse and murder. The film includes evidence captured on prisoners’ smuggled cell phones, which were sold to them by prison guards. Masters also discussed Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav’s latest moves amid the ongoing bidding war, with Christmas announcements promised. (Guests: Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman, Lucas Shaw from Bloomberg)
Ankler Agenda (6th November)
Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey examined the rising tide of “newsfluencers” trumping old-school cable news as viewers age dramatically (average age: 70-72), MSNBC rebrands as MS Now, and trust in media plummets. They explored who was actually watching TV on election night as Gen Z celebrated Zohran Mamdani’s crushing victory over Andrew Cuomo in New York’s mayoral race. Lachlan Cartwright from media newsletter Breaker joined to share scoops about new CBS News chief Bari Weiss, including her security detail, The Free Press’s buzzy NYC election night party, and what’s happening inside CBS News. Plus, Richard Rushfield examined the dire state of diversity in Hollywood’s film director ranks. (Guests: Lachlan Cartwright from Breaker)
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.