Strictly Business

Instead of the usual guest interview, this episode features co-host Andrew Wallenstein offering his no-holds-barred assessment of everyone who competed in streaming video in 2020, from the stratospheric rise of Disney+ to the ignominious end of Quibi. 

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Jessica Lessin, founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, discusses the growth of the eight-year-old outlet that has distinguished itself through deep-dive reporting, analysis and scoops in the tech and media worlds. Lessin also offers her perspective on trends for the coming year at Facebook, Google, TikTok, and she weighs in on the prospect of some Silicon Valley stalwarts facing regulatory action next year, at home and abroad.

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Thomas Dey, president and CEO of ACF Investment Bank, discusses the dealmaking landscape in media and entertainment, predicting that networks and services stuck between those with massive scale and those with niche audiences will get "washed away."

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The veteran unscripted TV producer and entrepreneur behind Wheelhouse discusses the building blocks of his three-year-old venture. Montgomery, the producer behind “Pawn Stars” and other cable hits, explains why Wheelhouse has expanded beyond TV production to investing in tech startups, digital media, marketing and merchandising efforts for promising talent talent such as TikTok phenoms Hype House. 

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The veteran unscripted TV producer and entrepreneur behind Wheelhouse discusses the building blocks of his three-year-old venture. Montgomery, the producer behind “Pawn Stars” and other cable hits, explains why Wheelhouse has expanded beyond TV production to investing in tech startups, digital media, marketing and merchandising efforts for promising talent talent such as TikTok phenoms Hype House. 

For just $20 a month, Philo offers consumers more than 60 cable channels. It's a simple value proposition that has helped this venture stand out in a crowded marketplace of so-called virtual MVPDs. And as Philo CEO Andrew McCollum explains, he's not about to make the mistake that has the prices of many of his competitors soaring. 

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Sinclair Broadcast Group has taken the streaming wars to local markets. The TV station giant is expanding its ad-supported STIRR platform designed to help its nearly 200 stations better monetize digital viewing of newscasts and syndicated programming. Adam Ware, Sinclair's VP and general manager of national networks and platforms, talks about the growth of the streaming service and why local TV is poised to prosper in the free streaming arena. 

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Michael Moses and Dwight Caines reflect on how they rewrote the theatrical promotional playbook over the course of the global pandemic as the first studio to bypass theaters, strike the only deals with major exhibitors to shorten the theatrical window, and introduce a new hybrid window.

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Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, explains why she’s bullish on the media sector at a time of great transition for traditional TV and film giants. The respected investor and former DreamWorks Animation board chair asserts that the most important way for media giants to pursue diversity and inclusion goals is to start by counting. "If it matters, it’s counted," she says of establishing an honest benchmark for measuring workforce diversity goals.

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