Channels with Peter Kafka

Susan Wojcicki talks to Peter Kafka at Code Conference, defending YouTube’s controversial decision not to ban Steven Crowder for slurs against journalist Carlos Maza. She talks about YouTube's use of humans, software and rules to police the videos its 2 billion users upload, and says the company is improving its ability to remove objectionable content. After a 30 minute on-stage interview, Wojcick...

Analyst/writer/investor-to-be Matthew Ball gives his predictions on how Disney, Netflix, Apple and Amazon are faring in the ‘battle royale’ - the streaming wars. He gives Peter Kafka his insight on Amazon Video from his time there, and talks about why he's bullish on Disney but skeptical about WarnerMedia. He also explains how he used the internet to transform himself from anonymous consultant to...

Jimmy Pitaro is president of one of the most powerful programming networks on TV - but how does ESPN stay competitive in the streaming era? He talks to Peter Kafka about how he got the job at ESPN, and how he’s reshaping the network. Also: building relationships with the NFL and NBA, and sports journalism at ESPN: where sports and politics intersect.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer at YouTube talks to Peter Kafka about how YouTube deals with problematic content: how it enforces the site’s community guidelines, and deploys machines to detect, and humans to evaluate this content. YouTube users upload 500 hours of content every minute, and YouTube has no plans to slow that down, so the job won't get an easier; the site takes down 8-9 million vi...

Amazon and Hulu veteran Eugene Wei has a really smart take on how status determines our use - and the success - of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. He talks to Peter Kafka about why we’re all status monkeys on social media, how young influencers use it differently than the rest of us, and how our mental models of these networks are changing. Also: his thoughts on work...

Author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy) talks to Peter Kafka about his newest project: Sundance’s “State of the Union” a 10-part series that unfolds in 10 minute episodes. Hornby, who became famous writing about obsessive fans, also talks about trading vinyl for Spotify, and why that’s not a bad thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two conversations in this episode: Vanity Fair writer, podcast host, and Game of Thrones expert Joanna Robinson talks to Peter Kafka about the end of GOT, and what that means for HBO, and the media ecosystem that has built up around the show — and what it says about the state of TV. Plus, Hulu CEO Randy Freer, talks about the fast-growing subscription service, which has become a key part of Disney...

Jason Hirschhorn, digital media pioneer and CEO of news aggregator REDEF, comes back for this third visit with Peter Kafka. They talk about streaming and ‘direct-to-customer’: what this means for Disney and Netflix. Also: how tech is changing movie-making, and the evolution of Hulu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kickstarter is now synonymous with crowdfunding, but for years it was just an idea in founder Perry Chen’s mind: “This is something that should exist.” Chen talks to Peter Kafka about building and funding the site, the challenges of running a for-profit, mission-driven business — and why he hates ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Haskell, New York Magazine's new editor-in-chief, talks to Peter Kafka about following in the footsteps of star editor Adam Moss. Also: New York Magazine’s digital strategy, working with Amazon and Apple, and how to solve the cover problem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessi Hempel spent years covering tech giants for Fortune, BusinessWeek and Wired. Now she’s working for a tech giant herself. Hempel explains why she’s writing, and podcasting, for Microsoft’s LinkedIn, and what she’s learned about the pros and cons of tech, from both sides of the divide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Adalian, west coast editor of Vulture, from New York Magazine, talks to Peter Kafka about the Disney+ launch event, and what it could mean for streaming, Netflix and Apple.  Later on the show, Josh Sapan, CEO of AMC Networks (Killing Eve, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead) has a lively and an-depth conversation about the business of TV, and figuring out how to compete against giants like Disney a...

Journalist Jessica Yellin talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about her new satirical novel about TV journalism, Savage News. In this episode: Yellin's Instagram project, News Not Noise; the lie, "nobody wants news without a panic attack"; where News Not Noise could go next; embracing a bias of being against conflict and outrage; Yellin's political background; being a "one-man band" in local TV news;...

If you like Recode Media, we think you'll also like this episode of The Vergecast! Peter Kafka sits down with Nilay Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, to talk about Apple's “Show Time” event and whether it's prepared to battle Netflix and Disney in the streaming wars. If you like what you hear, subscribe to The Vergecast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brat co-founder Rob Fishman talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about his LA-based digital video studio, which is making shows aimed at young women who might have once watched the CW or MTV. In this episode: What sets Brat apart from other online video startups; how the company makes money; how it pays the stars of it shows; Fishman's second startup, Niche, and the influencer economy; selling Niche to...

Bethany McLean and Jacob Weisberg from Pushkin Industries and Marshall Williams from Ad Results Media talk with Recode's Peter Kafka in front of a live audience at South by Southwest. In this episode: How podcast advertising works; why Weisberg is interested in experimenting with podcasts you have to pay to hear; why McLean got into podcasting after 25 years in print; why are direct response ads s...

Brian Stelter, CNN's chief media correspondent and the host of Reliable Sources, talks with Recode's Peter Kafka in front of a live audience at South by Southwest. In this episode: How Stelter figures out what to focus on in his coverage; President Trump’s tweets; covering more issues and fewer insults in the 2020 race; the Democrats’ breakup with Fox News; name-calling among journalists; Stelter’...

Documentary director Alex Gibney talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley, a new film about the fall of Theranos and its CEO Elizabeth Holmes. In this episode: Why making the documentary wasn't as straightforward as you might think; John Carreyrou and the other journalists in the documentary; the outsized power of corporations; the prevalence of fraud and...

Mark Cuban talks with Recode's Peter Kafka in this live interview recorded at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. In this episode: Who can beat Trump in 2020?; why Cuban was spotted talking with Steve Bannon in 2016; behind the scenes of Shark Tank; how the TV business has changed and what happens now that tech is getting into TV; the moats protecting legacy TV studios and Time Warner's new owner...

The New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about her recent investigation into the links between the Trump administration and Fox News, The Making of the Fox News White House. She says Congress should investigate one of the things her reporting uncovered, an alleged attempt by Trump to use the Justice Department to sabotage the AT&T-Time Warner merger. Learn more about...

Overtime CEO Dan Porter talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about how his company is turning non-professional athletes into stars — and some common mistakes media founders make. In this episode: Porter's background; why it's not accurate to say Overtime covers "high school sports"; what it is focusing on and how it's reaching a young audience; how it helps non-professional athletes build a following o...

J2 Global CEO Vivek Shah talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about running the company that owns a portfolio of digital brands, including Mashable, PCMag and Speedtest. In this episode: What J2 Global is; the importance of having multiple revenue streams in media; how Shah turned Ziff Davis around; why much of J2's business is built around performance marketing and affiliate commerce; buying Mashable...

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about the potential of 5G internet, AT&T's 2018 acquisition of Time Warner and how the company is thinking about sports gambling in the U.S. In this episode: What does 5G internet actually mean for consumers?; when will 5G be ubiquitous in major cities?; why it will eventually replace home broadband; the rise of professional sports gambli...

Bryce Roberts, the "recovering venture capitalist" who founded Indie.vc, talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about why more entrepreneurs should be asking if venture capital is right for them. In this episode: Roberts' past investments; how VCs have controlled the definition of "entrepreneur" and why that's a problem; how Indie.vc works and what it looks for in applicants; is venture capital really th...

Gimlet co-founders Alex Blumberg and Matt Lieber talk with Recode's Peter Kafka about selling their company to Spotify. Then later in the show, Fortune Media Group CEO Alan Murray sits down with Peter to talk about selling Fortune to a Thai billionaire and navigating its transition into new digital challenges. In the Gimlet interview: "We didn't leak the story, I don't know who did"; Blumberg and...