Strictly Business

Kara Dioguardi is a songwriter, producer, music publisher, former artist, scholar, advocate for creators, two-season “American Idol” judge, label executive and talent scout. Her latest discovery: newcomer Gayle, whose “ABCDEFU” is a No. 1 radio hit. She looks back at her road to success, and ahead to a future where tech is working for creators as opposed to underpaying them. Learn more about your...

The media veteran who took the reins of Mattel in 2018 outlines the toymaker’s recent turnaround strategy and his focus on mining the IP value locked up in Mattel’s “treasure trove” of toy and game brands. Kreiz is drawing on his deep background as a TV and digital entrepreneur (Fox Kids Network, Endemol, Maker Studios) to guide Mattel through new creative partnerships with Margot Robbie, Tom Hank...

Prem Akkaraju is leading the charge to transform Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s Weta Digital visual effects firm into a full-fledged production company delivering original content. Akkaraju explains how the New Zealand-based Weta businesses have evolved during the past two years and where they see opportunity for the company in the increasingly crowded entertainment marketplace.  Learn more about...

After holding top posts at Def Jam and Warner Music and managing Mariah Carey and D'Angelo, Kevin Liles went back into the label world a decade ago as co-founder of 300 Entertainment — which was sold to Warner for a reported $400 million in December, after scoring big hits with Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug and Gunna. He talks about his career, what's next for him and 300, and Mary J. Blige's ne...

A new video-streaming service targeting senior citizens is betting that advertisers will finally wake up to the purchasing power of a demographic Madison Avenue has largely ignored. CEO Jerry Goehring explains how Saltbox TV customizes its product to meet the unique needs of a very big but underserved market.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio....

Rachel Ghiazza, Audible's U.S. head of content, discusses content strategy amid podcast competition on Variety's Strictly Business podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Miele, chief operating officer of Electronic Arts, details how the video game giant is leveraging disruption to expand the reach and appeal of gaming. The 25-year company veteran, who helped launch EA’s long-running partnership with Lucasfilm on “Star Wars” titles, explains how EA works best with Hollywood IP and how gaming fits into the streaming wars. “I love (the) position that games have...

Allison Page, president of Magnolia Network, offers behind-the-scenes details of how HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines returned to TV with the Jan. 5 launch of the Magnolia Network. She explains the business rationale why it makes sense for the lifestyle mavens and Discovery to invest in a linear channel even at this time of streaming transformation. “We gave a lot of people a cozy sweatshirt,” sh...

Even if you’ve never heard of the online music marketplace Splice, you’ve certainly heard its sounds in hit songs by Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Justin Bieber and more. Founder and CEO Steve Martocci talks about his entrepreneurial journey and the DNA of his company, which has paid out more than $55 million to music creators since launching in 2015. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...

Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of audience-research firm Screen Engine/ASI, has written a book, "Audience-ology: How Movie-goers Shape the Films We Love," that looks back on three decades of using test screenings to help studios and other clients fix their films before release.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

The studio chief details the moves he’s made since 2017 to sell or shutter underperforming assets and to bulk up in content production and anime. Vinciquerra explains how the studio has sought to reposition itself for the streaming future and the disruption in Hollywood that he saw coming after decades of experience in television and media.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...

Kelly Edwards, a TV writer-producer and a former executive at UPN, HBO and NBCUniversal, divulges the secrets every aspiring TV writer needs to know to navigate Hollywood in her new book “The Executive Chair: A Writers Guide to TV Series Development.” Edwards offers insights that writers need to know on everything from pitching to production. Here she explains how crafting the book helped her gain...

TaP Music's Ed Millett and Wendy Ong oversee the careers of some of the most popular and powerful female artists in the business, including Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa and Ellie Goulding. They also see first-hand the online abuse female artists receive, which is far worse than it is for male counterparts. Here, they talk about keeping their artists focused and positive — and the decision to release Dua...

Bryan Thoensen, head of content partnerships at TikTok, talks about expanding the popular short-video app’s work with creators and entertainment companies — to capitalize on its recent momentum. TikTok now has 1 billion monthly active users, challenging the likes of YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat for viewing time with its personalized video feed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...

If there's two things Harry Sloan knows, it's special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC) and the media business. He co-founded a record seven SPACs as the co-founder of Eagle Equity Partners, including the most successful such venture to date: sports-betting hub DraftKings, and is also a well-known name in Hollywood, where his highest-profile stints including chairman/CEO of MGM. Learn more abou...

The head of Paramount+ and Pluto TV offers an optimistic update for the growth prospects of his streaming services as the parent company expands its overseas capabilities. Meanwhile, Ryan sticks up for sticking with Amazon Channels and touts the early success of kids programming from "Paw Patrol" to "iCarly." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.c...

Nearly 20 months into the pandemic, how is the music industry doing? The short answer? Finding silver linings everywhere it can. For the Mondo NYC conference last month, Variety assembled four people — rising singer-songwriter Brittney Spencer, WME agent Lucy Dickins, artist manager Binta Niambi Brown and Sony Music Publishing VP Kristina Hedrick — for a far-reaching and inspiring talk about how t...

The longtime CBS executive has reteamed with a handful former colleagues to launch Argus Capital Corp., which has about $300 million in funding so far to acquire media properties. Ianniello explains he’s on the hunt for corporate carve-outs, or assets that media giants may be ready to shed as they plow resources into new streaming platforms. Argus brings an experienced management team that aims to...

Vogue's exclusive Met Gala red carpet live stream in September has set a template for parent company Conde Nast to repeat its success at future events, according to chief revenue officer Pam Drucker Mann. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Los Angeles Clippers chairman Steve Ballmer outlines his vision for his “mecca” of basketball with team’s new arena that is scheduled to open in Inglewood, Calif. in 2024. Ballmer enthusiastically describes the cutting-edge tech touches and focus on sustainability that went into the design. And he weighs in on the future of NBA’s television rights deals at the national and local levels.  Learn mor...

Jason Richman and Keya Khayatian, co-heads of United Talent Agency's media rights group, scour the world for news books, long-form journalism, podcasts and individual life rights to find source material for your next streaming obsession. The industry veterans discuss the growth in demand for life rights, the supreme power of the suburban book club and how media rights sales have help keep talent a...

Attorney Dina LaPolt founded her own firm 20 years ago and went on to represent music stars like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, rappers 21 Savage and Cardi B and the Tupac Shakur estate. As her practice grew, so did LaPolt’s conviction for righting the music ecosystem’s wrongs. She’s tackled songwriters’ rights and access to digital royalties; she campaigned for federal COVID relief to help music creat...

New Line Cinema founder and Hollywood legend Bob Shaye talks about why he joined the board of directors at Brat TV, a producer of scripted series targeting Gen Z on myriad digital platforms, along with Brat co-founder Rob Fishman, who gives an update on his company's progress.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

The Hollywood veteran details the steps that led her to partner with Elisabeth Murdoch and producer Jane Featherstone to form the content banner Sister in 2019. Snider reflects on how her years of experience as head of Universal Pictures, DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox is helping her to build a nimble operation with financing and resources to nurture projects from writers and directors “who have...

Kevin Lee, better known as Coach K, is cofounder of Quality Control, the multifaceted Atlanta-based label and management company that in just eight years has brought the world Migos, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls and more, and also manages many athletes. Coach talks about how old-school “street marketing” and a cosign from his friend Drake helped launch the company, the gunshot injury that ende...