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Just as Marilyn Monroe's handprints are preserved at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd, so does this podcast preserve entertainment PR legend Warren Cowan, who shares about walking the red carpet at the Oscars, working with A listers and the history of the motion picture premier.  

After a stint with public relations company Alan Gordon and Associates and service in the Air Force during WWII, Cowan teamed with veteran publicist Henry Rogers to form Rogers and Cowan in 1949.

The company prospered as the Hollywood studio system broke down in the 1950s and the in-house studio publicity staffs no longer routinely fed competitive gossip columnists news of the studio's contract stars.

Public relations companies filled the void and Rogers and Cowan grew into one of the largest Hollywood firms in the field, with nearly 200 employees and a client roster that has included Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Cybill Shepherd, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood and Michael Keaton. I got my start in PR there.

In the 1980s, it expanded into serving corporate accounts. Rogers and Cowan was sold in 1991 and Cowan left the business the following year.

After a two year hiatus, he opened a new firm, Cowan and Associates.   Warren passed away at the age of 81 in 2008. This episode is dedicated to his memory.

SHOW NOTES:

04:16 - Warren Cowan reveals what it is like to be on the red carpet at the Academy Awards.

06:06 - Cowan shares the challenges of moving a major celebrity down the red carpet and what role the publicity escort plays there.

08:51 - Cowan on why a major star would not want to walk down the red carpet and what makes them actually put forth the effort to go.

09:52 - Cowan reveals how he successfully handles stars if they do not want to make the public appearance of walking down the red carpet.

11:14 - Cowan discusses when people start arriving at the red carpet and when people should arrive to get an interview from the press.

12:33 - Cowan shares the origins of the red carpet and the movie premier event.

15:07 - Cowan describes the amount of demands for a major star’s time and the difficulty a personality PR agent has with managing all the media requests.

18:51 - End.

Warren Cowan goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal what a night on the red carpet at the Oscars is like, the challenges of working with major stars and the history of the movie premier event.

After a stint with public relations company Alan Gordon and Associates and service in the Air Force during WWII, Cowan teamed with veteran publicist Henry Rogers to form Rogers and Cowan in 1949. The company prospered as the Hollywood studio system broke down in the 1950s and the in-house studio publicity staffs no longer routinely fed competitive gossip columnists news of the studio's contract stars. Public relations companies filled the void and Rogers and Cowan grew into one of the largest Hollywood firms in the field, with nearly 200 employees and a client roster that has included Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Cybill Shepherd, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood and Michael Keaton. In the 1980s, it expanded into serving corporate accounts. Rogers and Cowan was sold in 1991 and Cowan left the business the following year. After a two year hiatus, he opened a new firm, Cowan and Associates.

SHOW NOTES:

04:16 - Warren Cowan reveals what it is like to be on the red carpet at the Academy Awards.

06:06 - Cowan shares the challenges of moving a major celebrity down the red carpet and what role the publicity escort plays there.

08:51 - Cowan on why a major star would not want to walk down the red carpet and what makes them actually put forth the effort to go.

09:52 - Cowan reveals how he successfully handles stars if they do not want to make the public appearance of walking down the red carpet.

11:14 - Cowan discusses when people start arriving at the red carpet and when people should arrive to get an interview from the press.

12:33 - Cowan shares the origins of the red carpet and the movie premier event.

15:07 - Cowan describes the amount of demands for a major star’s time and the difficulty a personality PR agent has with managing all the media requests.

18:51 - End.

Eric Schwartzman presents an excerpt from his New Media PR Boot Camp at the Strategic Media Relations Conference & Workshop in Singapore. Schwartzman shares podcasting case studies with government officials of Singapore, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and other influentials in the region. Schwartzman discusses the podcasts of Disneyland, Ecast, JupiterResearch, IBM, Simon & Schuster and the LA Opera, amongst others, and reveals their strategies, objectives, drawbacks and the tactics they utilize to attract listeners and establish a loyal audience base

SHOW NOTES:

05:28 - Schwartzman talks about companies that utilize podcasts to fulfill their marketing and communications goals.

06:27 - Schwartzman describes IBM’s podcasting efforts.

08:46 - Schwartzman discusses featured guest interviewees on Simon & Schuster’s podcast, SimonSays.

09:57 - Schwartzman reveals why Virgin Atlantic’s podcast was subject to so much criticism.

10:41 - Schwartzman shares how Purina builds a loyal audience base for their podcast.

11:08 - Schwartzman discusses the challenges TV Guide’s podcast will have to overcome.

11:38 - Schwartzman on the Whirlpool podcast and the direction it took.

12:41 - Schwartzman reveals the secret behind the success of Disneyland’s podcast.

16:20 - Schwartzman discusses the effectiveness of the LA Opera’s podcast in fulfilling the Opera’s PR and marketing goals.

22:50 - Schwartzman talks about Ecast’s podcast and the company’s objectives and success using the podcast.

29:45 - Schwartzman shares how Trend Micro used their podcast to reach a niche audience and humanize their brand.

32:32 - Schwartzman discusses Associated Production Muisc’s Film & TV Music Podcast and the direction the podcast has taken.

38:17 - Schwartzman on the importance of having a podcast host with a likable personality.

39:22 - Schwartzman reveals how to generate community involvement with a podcast.

39:59 - Schwartzman shares the importance of psychographics as opposed to demographics for the subscribers of a podcast.

41:54 - Schwartzman on the rising importance of electronic media for print publications.

43:19 - Schwartzman discusses how to select subject matter for a podcast and the development and creative process for making a podcast.

47:20 - End.

Anne Thompson share how studios campaign for Oscar nominations and how online buzz influences the nominations.   In my entertainment PR days, I walked many red carpets during awards season.

In this interview, deputy film editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Anne Thompson, who writes the weekly film industry column "Risky Business," which is globally syndicated by Reuters, talks all about the inner working of the entertainment PR awards campaigning process.

She also contributes to Premiere, Wired, Filmmaker, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The London Observer.

She headed Premiere's Los Angeles bureau as West Coast Editor. Before joining Premiere, she tracked behind-the-scenes Hollywood as a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly and as West Coast Editor at Film Comment Magazine.

A graduate of the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, Thompson teaches the fall semester of Sneak Previews at UCLA Extension.  

SHOW NOTES:

04:59 - Go inside the news room with Anne Thompson to see what goes on in a day of the life of a deputy film editor.

05:38 - Thompson reveals the changes she has seen covering the movie business for more than two decades.

06:57 - Thompson on whether or not the Academy Awards recognize best movies or best PR.

08:11 - Thompson shares why so many Oscar pundits thought Dream Girls would win an Academy Award for Best Motion Picture or Oscar for Best Director.

09:50 - Thompson on the secret behind timing a motion picture marketing campaign for Best Motion Picture.

11:35 - Thompson on the implications of online buzz. Does online buzz or online chatter campaigns impact Academy Award nominations?

15:12 - Thompson on the globalization of Hollywood and the Academy Awards.

16:25 - Thompson shares an insiders perspective on a day at the Oscars, including the red carpet arrivals, the telecast and the Hollywood Oscar party scene.

21:09 - Thompson on the impact new media in the digital age. A prediction of the future of online PR and the impact it will have on movies and their marketing campaigns.

27:04 - End.

Anne Thompson goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal how movies secure Oscar nominations, how films win Oscar campaigns and whether or not online buzz influences which movies get nominated.

The deputy film editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Anne Thompson writes the weekly film industry column "Risky Business," which is globally syndicated by Reuters. She also contributes to Premiere, Wired, Filmmaker, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The London Observer. From 1996 to 2002, she headed Premiere's Los Angeles bureau as West Coast Editor. Before joining Premiere, she tracked behind-the-scenes Hollywood as a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly and as West Coast Editor at Film Comment Magazine. From 1985 to 1993, she wrote the first iteration of "Risky Business" for L.A. Weekly and The Los Angeles Times Syndicate. A graduate of the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, Thompson teaches the fall semester of Sneak Previews at UCLA Extension.

SHOW NOTES:

04:59 - Go inside the news room with Anne Thompson to see what goes on in a day of the life of a deputy film editor.

05:38 - Thompson reveals the changes she has seen covering the movie business for more than two decades.

06:57 - Thompson on whether or not the Academy Awards recognize best movies or best PR.

08:11 - Thompson shares why so many Oscar pundits thought Dream Girls would win an Academy Award for Best Motion Picture or Oscar for Best Director.

09:50 - Thompson on the secret behind timing a motion picture marketing campaign for Best Motion Picture.

11:35 - Thompson on the implications of online buzz. Does online buzz or online chatter campaigns impact Academy Award nominations?

15:12 - Thompson on the globalization of Hollywood and the Academy Awards.

16:25 - Thompson shares an insiders perspective on a day at the Oscars, including the red carpet arrivals, the telecast and the Hollywood Oscar party scene.

21:09 - Thompson on the impact new media in the digital age. A prediction of the future of online PR and the impact it will have on movies and their marketing campaigns.

27:04 - End.

Award season is fun when you're young and single. I represented the Pussycat Dolls back in the day, escorting them on many a red carpet.

But award campaigning has changed quite a bit since then, my guest Steven Gaydos explains in this exclusive interview about how entertainment PR people launch campaigns to improve their client's prospects of getting nominated and winning.

Photo by sookie

What hasn't changed is the awards season is an source of advertising revenue to Variety.  

Variety executive editor/international managing director Steven Gaydos was the newspaper's first managing editor of special issues. He was named executive editor of Variety/Daily Variety and in that capacity he helps oversee the work of the largest entertainment news staff in the world.

Gaydos took on the additional role of international managing director of Variety, overseeing the global business operations from the London office. Gaydos is author of the Variety/Putnam book, The Variety Guide to Film Festivals, and is also coauthor of Movie Talk from the Frontlines (McFarland) and Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex and Celluloid (Miramax/Hyperion). 

Gaydos has been the regular feature presenter of the "Loose Talk" segment on BBC London's Saturday Morning Breakfast Show. He is also a regularly featured guest on CNN, BBC's Liquid News, World Service, Five Live, among others.  

SHOW NOTES:

08:13 - How Oscar campaigns are changing as a result of the internet and its interactive nature.

09:15 - How online chatter in blogs are affecting advertising decisions and how much people inside the business pay attention to these blogs.

09:48 - How surprising the copyright infringement action taken by the Academy Awards.

10:32 - How realistic he believes the online copyright actions by the Oscars are.

11:51 - How major sites like YouTube and MySpace help show how the internet is growing as a platform for entertainment and information.

13:13 - What traditional media outlets are in major trouble due to the onset of new media.

14:17 - Whether or not he believes the new LA Times section called The Envelope infringes on Variety’s territory.

15:25 - How important a source of revenue the advertising leading up to the Oscars are, compared to all the other areas.

16:33 - What trends he has seen in Oscar ads since the onset of new media and how this year is performing compared to the expectations.

17:31 - How big of an impact the huge numbers of awards shows have had on advertising for the Oscars.

19:49 - Whether or not he thinks there will be any interactivity like there was with Justin Timberlake at the Grammys.

20:53 - Impact that social media has on his job and how strongly he feels about that change.

22:35 - How digital has impacted the way Variety reporters cover Hollywood.

23:48 - LA Times and what the paper needs to do to save itself.

25:15 - Gaydos on whether or not the IRS crackdown on gift bags at the Golden Globes or the Oscars has truly had an effect on the amount of swag celebrities are given.

26:30 - End.

Steven Gaydos goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal the changes in Oscar campaigns due to the internet, his real opinion on the quality of the LA Times and how important the Oscars are as an advertising revenue source.

Variety executive editor/international managing director Steven Gaydos joined Variety in 1993, serving as the newspaper's first managing editor of special issues. In 1999 Gaydos was named executive editor of Variety/Daily Variety and in that capacity he helps oversee the work of the largest entertainment news staff in the world. In August 2000, Gaydos took on the additional role of international managing director of Variety, overseeing the global business operations from the London office. Gaydos is author of the Variety/Putnam book, "The Variety Guide to Film Festivals," and is also coauthor of Movie Talk from the Frontlines (McFarland) and Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex and Celluloid (Miramax/Hyperion). Since March, 2002, Gaydos has been the regular feature presenter of the "Loose Talk" segment on BBC London's Saturday Morning Breakfast Show. He is also a regularly featured guest on CNN, BBC's Liquid News, World Service, Five Live, among others.

SHOW NOTES:

08:13 - Gaydos on how Oscar campaigns are changing as a result of the internet and its interactive nature.

09:15 - Gaydos shares how online chatter in blogs are affecting advertising decisions and how much people inside the business pay attention to these blogs.

09:48 - Gaydos talks about how surprising the copyright infringement action taken by the Academy Awards on the website www.oscarwatch.com was.

10:32 - Gaydos describes how realistic he believes the online copyright actions by the Oscars are.

11:51 - Gaydos reveals how major sites like YouTube and MySpace help show how the internet is growing as a platform for entertainment and information.

13:13 - Gaydos shares what traditional media outlets are in major trouble due to the onset of new media.

14:17 - Gaydos discusses whether or not he believes the new LA Times section called The Envelope infringes on Variety’s territory.

15:25 - Gaydos reveals how important a source of revenue the advertising leading up to the Oscars are, compared to all the other areas.

16:33 - Gaydos shares what trends he has seen in Oscar ads since the onset of new media and how this year is performing compared to the expectations.

17:31 - Gaydos on how big of an impact the huge numbers of awards shows have had on advertising for the Oscars.

18:40 - Gaydos describes how a movie such as Norbert will affect Eddie Murphy’s chances of winning an Oscar.

19:49 - Gaydos shares whether or not he thinks there will be any interactivity like there was with Justin Timberlake at the Grammys.

20:53 - Gaydos talks about the impact that new media has on his job and how strongly he feels about that change.

22:35 - Gaydos describes how the web has impacted the way Variety reporters cover Hollywood.

23:48 - Gaydos reveals his true opinions on the LA Times quality and what the paper needs to do to save its masthead.

25:15 - Gaydos on whether or not the IRS crackdown on gift bags at the Golden Globes or the Oscars has truly had an effect on the amount of swag celebrities are given.

26:30 - End.

Nikki Finke goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman on this years Ocsar race, the Weinstein's impact on the Oscar campaign process and to discuss how she manages to write her brash, in-your-face style of journalism without losing access to inside sources.

Journalist Nikki Finke has been the "Deadline Hollywood" columnist for LA Weekly since June 2002, writing about the business, politics and culture of the infotainment industry. She recently won first place in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' 2006 AltWeekly Awards for media criticism/reporting. Los Angeles Magazine has praised her LA Weekly column as "essential reading for those who follow the Industry..." Dow Jones' MarketWatch headlined a recent profile on her. In March 2006, she began DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com which she writes, edits and owns. Her career in journalism has included years as an AP foreign correspondent in Moscow and London, Newsweek correspondent in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Times staff writer covering entertainment and features. From 1995 through 2000, she was West Coast Editor and Hollywood columnist first for the New York Observer and then for New York Magazine. She also has written for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Glamour, Premiere, Washington Post, Newsweek, Salon, Premiere and Los Angeles Magazine. She has appeared often on radio and TV talking about the entertainment business.

SHOW NOTES:

03:11 - Nikki Finke talks about the essence of an Oscar campaign, how they are normally mounted, how Harvey Weinstein broke the mold of a traditional Oscar campaign and the impact the Weinstein's have had on the Oscars.

05:34 - Finke reveals why Hollywood is jealous of David Geffen and Clint Eastwood, why the Oscars really are not a true contest for the best director, best picture, or best motion picture, and why she feels last year's Academy Awards proved the Academy is homophobic.

08:26 - Finke explains why outlets such as Us Weekly and Entertainment Tonight can have such a devastating effect on an actor's or actress's career, why she initially believed Ryan Gosling didn't deserve his Academy Award nomination and how he got nominated.

12:18 - Finke on the role of the coterie of "geriatric publicists" play on word of mouth campaigns for the Academy Awards.

13:48 - Finke talks about why Endeavor is so extraordinary and successful compared to the Creative Artists Agency.

16:22 - Finke gives her opinion on whether or not the internet and new media is causing a shift in power in the entertainment industry.

17:53 - Finke explains why her honest style of journalism gets her more access to sources than other reporters and why she views herself as the friend of the shareholders.

20:51 - End.

This is an exclusive interview with Deadline Hollywood founder Nikki Finke about Academy Awards PR campaigns, Weinstein's Oscar campaigning strategy and how she manages to write her brash, in-your-face style of journalism without losing access to inside sources. 

She used to be known as the "most feared, despised, and uncompromising journalist in Hollywood." But Ronan Farrell has her beat on the first and third of those qualifications.

Journalist Nikki Finke was the "Deadline Hollywood" columnist for LA Weekly, writing about the business, politics and culture of the infotainment industry. 

Los Angeles Magazine has praised her LA Weekly column as "essential reading for those who follow the Industry..." Dow Jones' MarketWatch headlined a recent profile on her.

In March 2006, she launched Deadline Hollywood which she writes, edits and owns.

Her career in journalism has included years as an AP foreign correspondent in Moscow and London, Newsweek correspondent in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Times staff writer covering entertainment and features.

SHOW NOTES:

03:11 - Nikki Finke talks about the essence of an Oscar campaign, how they are normally mounted, how Harvey Weinstein broke the mold of a traditional Oscar campaign and the impact the Weinstein's have had on the Oscars.

05:34 - Finke reveals why Hollywood is jealous of David Geffen and Clint Eastwood, why the Oscars really are not a true contest for the best director, best picture, or best motion picture, and why she feels last year's Academy Awards proved the Academy is homophobic.  

08:26 - Finke explains why outlets such as Us Weekly and Entertainment Tonight can have such a devastating effect on an actor's or actress's career, why she initially believed Ryan Gosling didn't deserve his Academy Award nomination and how he got nominated.

12:18 - Finke on the role of the coterie of "geriatric publicists" play on word of mouth campaigns for the Academy Awards.

13:48 - Finke talks about why Endeavor is so extraordinary and successful compared to the Creative Artists Agency.

16:22 - Finke gives her opinion on whether or not the internet and new media is causing a shift in power in the entertainment industry.

17:53 - Finke explains why her honest style of journalism gets her more access to sources than other reporters and why she views herself as the friend of the shareholders.

20:51 - End.

Photo by achangeinscenery

This is an exclusive interview I recorded with Billboard Editor Antony Bruno about the magazine's digital transformation, what makes a successful PR pitch and what media outlets influence him.  

Antony Bruno joined Billboard in 2005 to cover the emerging field of digital entertainment, including music downloads, MP3 players, ringtones, wireless downloading, P2P, video games and interactive technologies for the weekly print editions.

He also oversees the programming activities for Billboard's MECCA mobile entertainment conferences. Before joining Billboard, Bruno was assistant vice president of wireless Internet development at CTIA, the The Wireless Association.

He is a frequent guest speaker and has been quoted in the Boston Herald and USA Today and appeared on National Public Radio.  

SHOW NOTES:

05:10 - Antony Bruno gives a description about and insight to his role as the editor of Billboard Digital/Mobile.

05:53 - Bruno talks about how many people at Billboard work with digital media and their level of involvement.

06:15 - Bruno shares his level of involvement with digital media and why that level has changed over time.

06:55 - Bruno discusses his weekly involvement with news stories for Billboard, both online and offline.

07:30 - Bruno explains how long-time Billboard employees regard him and his position and the differences in background between them.

09:06 - Bruno shares how many PR pitches he receives in a day.

09:59 - Bruno reveals his idea of the prefect pitch.

10:40 - Bruno talks about what draws him to read through a pitch and what he wants from a pitch.

11:32 - Bruno describes how long he thinks a pitch should be and in what format.

12:09 - Bruno talks about how many people to copy on an e-mail to in an organization when pitching.

13:27 - Bruno describes the best way to format and send him a press release.

14:49 - Bruno discusses how important electronic aspects are in increasing the appeal of an online story.

16:41 - Bruno shares what sort of media outlets influence him as an editor at Billboard.

18:20 - Bruno talks about how the growth of citizen journalism impacts his decision on what to cover for Billboard.

19:47 - End.

Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash