We'll be back in a bit, but in the meantime, we wanted to share Episode 1 of Hi Barr's newest podcast: Media Moguls with Web Barr.

Listen here!

To get new episodes, just follow Media Moguls with Web Barr on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

--------

They’re risk-takers, rule-breakers, and empire builders. These are the stories of the visionaries who transformed media forever.

In the debut season of Media Moguls, longtime media operator Web Barr takes you inside the rise of one of the most daring and unconventional figures in media history—Ted Turner.

Media Moguls: The Ted Turner Saga is live on all podcast apps NOW!

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Season 1 begins with Ted Turner, the media maverick who revolutionized cable television, news, and sports. But before Turner built his media empire, he was just a young man shaped by ambition, discipline, and tragedy—driven by a relentless need to succeed.

In this debut episode, longtime media operator and host Web Barr unpacks the pivotal moments that set Ted Turner on his path—from a chaotic childhood to selling advertising for his father’s billboard company, and beyond. We also break down the broadcast TV revolution—how the birth of television changed everything, the slow rise of network news, and how a personal tragedy set Turner on his journey to transform media forever.

Media empires aren’t built overnight. They’re forged through ambition, unorthodox thinking, and relentless drive. This is Media Moguls with Web Barr: The Ted Turner Saga.

Follow us on  X + Instagram + YouTube + Linkedin

Sign up for our newsletter

Email us: [email protected] 

Listen to Hi Barr’s You Had To Be There

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected]

Writing, research, and production by Web Barr.

Artwork by Dylan Lathrop.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Books used in Episode 1. Get em here!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, June 1st, 1980, Ted Turner pressed a button—and CNN went live, beaming 24/7 news into homes across America and changing the media landscape forever, while shrinking time and space forever.

In this episode, we sent Julia Thompson to track down and interview people who were at CNN’s Atlanta headquarters on day one. What follows is the story of a visionary who dared to build a 24-hour news network on a tight budget—in a world dominated by 30-minute broadcasts and networks spending over $100 million a year on their news.

With his own money and a vow to stay on the air “until the world ends,” Ted Turner took on the giants. It’s a modern-day David and Goliath tale—driven by technology, entertainment, risk, and pure tenacity. This is how CNN was born.

This episode features interviews with:

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'CNN Launches the 24/7 News Cycle' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 1997, the world watched as Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess player of all time, faced off against IBM’s supercomputer, Deep Blue. It was man vs. machine—a defining moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence and a turning point for chess.

To revisit this historic showdown, we’ve given producer and director Julia Thompson a 48-hour challenge: track down and interview someone who was there when technology changed the game forever.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'Garry Kasparov vs. Deep Blue' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of Team USA’s stunning ice hockey upset over the Soviet Union, better known as the ‘Miracle on Ice,’ we’ve given producer and director Julia Thompson a 48-hour challenge: find and interview someone who was at that historic game in Lake Placid on February 22, 1980.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'Miracle on Ice' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws, we've given producer and director Julia Thompson a 48-hour challenge: track down and interview someone who was on set during the famously chaotic production of Spielberg’s groundbreaking film on Martha’s Vineyard between May and October 1974.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'JAWS' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and director Julia Thompson takes on a 48-hour challenge to track down and interview someone who witnessed the iconic September 19, 1985 Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing where Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Frank Zappa, and John Denver defended their lyrics before Congress and the PMRC.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'Parental Advisory: Frank Zappa, John Denver, & Dee Snider vs. the PMRC' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and director Julia Thompson sets out on a 48-hour mission to track down and interview someone who attended Fleetwood Mac’s iconic reunion concert, The Dance, on May 23, 1997—the show where Stevie Nicks’ unforgettable Silver Springs performance became a meme for the ages.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance" and The Birth of a Meme' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and director Julia Thompson embarks on a 48-hour mission to track down and interview someone who was on the field for the historic 1999 Women’s World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl, where the United States defeated China in a dramatic penalty shootout, capped by Brandi Chastain’s iconic game-winning shot.

This episode features interviews with:

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final: Brandi Chastain’s Iconic Moment' was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to Margaret Nicoll and Jon Wertheim.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and director Julia Thompson goes on a 48-hour journey to find and interview someone who was at DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell's Back to School Jam at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx on August 11, 1973—a moment that is commonly known as the birth of hip-hop.

This episode features interviews with:

CREDITS

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'DJ Kool Herc and the Birth of Hip Hop’ was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to Carey Clark, BG183, Chris Carr, and Dan Runcie.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer and director Julia Thompson embarks on a 48-hour journey to find and interview someone who attended the midnight premiere of The Blair Witch Project at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 1999.

This episode features interviews with:

CREDITS

'You Had To Be There' is a Hi Barr production.

Created by Hi Barr.

'The Blair Witch Project Premieres at Sundance Film Festival in 1999’ was written and hosted by Julia Thompson.

Produced by Julia Thompson and Web Barr.

Edited by Julia Thompson.

Edit, Sound Mix, and engineering by Vishal Nayak.

Original score by Teeny Lieberson.  

Artwork created by Dylan Lathrop.

Special thanks to our parents, friends and chosen family. And most importantly, thank you to the artists who’ve inspired us because they had to do it.

Listen to Hi Barr's newest podcast, Media Moguls with Web Barr on your favorite podcast app now.

Sign up to receive our newsletter.

Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

For business inquiries, please email: [email protected].

Were you at one of the events covered on the show? If so, we'd love to talk! Please get in touch via email and/or social media channels like Instagram or X.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices