The Powers That Be: Daily

In this special episode from The Varsity archive, Sally Jenkins, perhaps the best sports columnist in the business, joins John for a candid conversation about her decision to leave The Washington Post after 25 years and join The Atlantic. She reflects on her rise through the ranks, Bezos’s generous buyout offer, the uncertain future of The Post, what she hopes to tackle in her next chapter—and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Fashion People archives: Lauren is joined by Gene Pressman, grandson of the founder of Barneys New York and author of They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Store. Gene was co-C.E.O. of Barneys in the 1990s—a golden age for fashion—and he has a lot of opinions on what makes a good store, how fashion moves in and out of popular culture, why Hermès is best in class, and plenty more. To start, Lauren is joined by New York Times reporter Jessica Testa to discuss the passing of Mr. Giorgio Armani and the appointment of Chloe Malle as head of editorial content at American Vogue. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode from The Grill Room archive, Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI’s new video-generation app, Sora 2, and Mark Zuckerberg’s A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry battles going forward. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby share some yuletide warmth and share their impressions of Bari Weiss’s evolving plans at CBS News, which are starting to become clear. Then the duo pivot to Semafor’s surprising manifest destiny in the Middle East. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Orchestra C.E.O. Jonathan Rosen and Jon Kelly join Dylan live from New York to walk through new survey data capturing the media industry’s state of mind. They dig into the rise of subscription-based models, the FAST explosion, the creeping influence of A.I., and much more. Plus, cameo insights from Semafor’s Ben Smith and Feed Me’s Emily Sundberg who offer their own read on where the business is bending—and breaking. Learn more about Starbucks industry-leading benefits at ⁠starbucks.com/partners⁠⁠.⁠ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Alexander joins Peter to break down Barstool’s new multi-year deal with Netflix and the Oscars’ jump to YouTube—and what both moves reveal about two giants in the middle of an identity swap. Julia also serves up her media predictions for 2026, from Substack’s next act to the fate of pay TV and the sneaky upside of connected television. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Belloni joins Peter to break down why the Oscars are ditching ABC for YouTube, which will begin broadcasting the awards in 2029 after years of eroding TV ratings. Matt breaks down why, though it may be a risk for the Academy, the move is a no-brainer in the long run. They also discuss Matt’s interview with Senator Elizabeth Warren, who’s already sharpening her antitrust scrutiny around a potential Netflix–Warner Bros. merger. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abby Livingston joins Peter to assess how the redistricting wars may fizzle into a draw, as Democrats float counter-moves, Indiana Republicans reject Trump’s push to redraw the map, and weary G.O.P. lawmakers admit the whole exercise is chaotic and exhausting. Abby also breaks down Jasmine Crockett’s ambitious jump into the Texas Senate race—her clash-of-styles matchup against James Talarico, and whether her brand of politics can actually win statewide. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Cohan joins Peter with fresh intel on why Warner Bros. Discovery remains skeptical of the Ellisons and Paramount Skydance’s offer, as questions linger over whether they actually have the money they’re offering—and whether foreign financing from the Saudis, Qataris, and beyond could spark a lengthy national security headache. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Kelly and Peter reunite to discuss all the various reasons that Netflix actually needs Warner Bros. and HBO Max. Yes, the company may have definitively won the streaming wars, but it also currently finds itself in the middle of a two-front battle between insurgent F.A.S.T. platforms, like Tubi, and social platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yahoo C.E.O. Jim Lanzone joins Dylan and Julia for a tour of the company’s Apollo era, four years after the private equity behemoth bought the business for just $5 billion—nearly $120 billion shy of its peak valuation. Lanzone breaks down Yahoo’s growth strategy: the metrics that actually matter, how the company monetizes at scale, and what the endgame looks like. They also dig into Yahoo’s A.I. ambitions, and what it takes to run a mass-market consumer business in a media landscape focused on niche and specialized content. Learn more about Starbucks industry-leading benefits at ⁠starbucks.com/partners⁠⁠.⁠ For more great episodes like this, subscribe to The Grill Room here To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to dissect the growing friction between Trump and state regulators over A.I. governance, as Trump pushes for an industry-friendly executive order to slam the brakes on states passing their own rules—just what the A.I. evangelists ordered. They also weigh whether Democrats are missing a huge political opening to harness public anxiety about A.I. and carve out a populist stance against the president. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Cohan joins Peter to break down the latest WBD deal frenzy as Paramount goes hostile and Netflix plays patient opportunist. Bill forecasts how high the Ellisons might go, what this M&A knife fight portends for Warner’s TV assets—and why the assets’ share price may ultimately decide the endgame. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Ourand joins Peter to reveal the sleeper issue in the WBD acquisition wars: the fate of the company’s high-value sports rights. What happens if Paramount wins and absorbs the WBD portfolio—or if Netflix prevails, and the Global Networks division is spun off? The twosome also dig into Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff snub, and why the school’s media-savvy athletic director is now waging a scorched-earth P.R. campaign against the ACC. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down what a sluggish, Republican-controlled Congress might look like next year, as G.O.P. lawmakers grow frustrated with the gridlock and are bracing for midterm losses—while some are already packing up amid promises of retirement. Can Trump breathe new life into the party, or is it too late to rally the troops? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Kelly and Peter chew over Netflix’s shock victory in the WBD bidding war—outmaneuvering Paramount and Comcast to nab WBD’s Studio and Streaming assets. They parse every angle of this $83 billion deal: whether the Trump administration will actually scrutinize the merger, whether David Ellison is ready to give up and walk away, what this all means for the CNNs of the world, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been 20 years since How I Met Your Mother premiered, and just over 10 years since the finale. Josh Radnor, who played “Ted” for nine seasons teams up with series co-creator Craig Thomas for this episode-by-episode rewatch podcast. For the superfans, HWMYM (listen to the trailer to learn how it’s pronounced) will get into all the secrets, theories, and pineapples, but we'll also use HIMYM – and our relationship to it two decades later – to talk about life and love and art and everything in between. How We Made Your Mother… a flashback podcast for a flashback show.  You can listen to all episodes of season 1 now, and join Josh and Craig as they dive into season 2!   To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Varsity favorite Andrew Marchand reunites with John to debate the week’s biggest sports-media plot lines: the NFL’s holiday-week stacked matchups and Amazon Prime’s outsized role in juicing viewership; MLB’s new media-rights math; ESPN’s quiet strategic wins; and whether streamers like YouTube are ready to jump into the next bidding war. Plus: what Netflix poaching ESPN talent like Elle Duncan really signals about the streamer’s accelerating pivot into sports. For more great episodes of The Varsity, subscribe here To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dylan Byers joins Peter to discuss the latest twists in the never-ending Nuzzigate saga, as Olivia Nuzzi and her angry ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza keep trading barbs around this week’s release of Nuzzi’s “tell-nothing” memoir. They also dig into CNN’s new deal with prediction market Kalshi—further gamifying cable news and amplifying the media’s obsession with predicting the future. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to discuss the heartburn inside the Republican Party heading into next year’s midterms: last month’s Democratic dominance, Trump’s plunging approval ratings, the G.O.P.’s messaging problem regarding the country’s enduring affordability crisis, and more. Is an insurmountable blue wave on the horizon? Leigh Ann says the Republicans she's spoken to fear so. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices