For nearly 50 years, HBO has kept us riveted with movies and TV shows. But its behind-the-scenes stories are equally compelling.

James Andrew Miller is the author of definitive oral histories of media institutions like Saturday Night Live, ESPN and, most recently, HBO. He explains how the company ascended to power; why attempts to combine the company with Apple and other suitors never happened; what really happened when AT&T decided to buy and then sell HBO’s parent company; and what happens to HBO in a world where it competes with deep-pocketed rivals like Netflix and Disney.

Featuring: Jim Miller (@jimmiller), Journalist and Author ofTinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.

Host of Recode Media: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode

More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape.

Support Recode Media and Recode Daily  by making a financial contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices