The Grill Room

Julia and Dylan dive into this week’s media firestorm: Zohran Mamdani’s social media-fueled campaign to become New York’s next mayor, the prolonged YouTube TV-Disney carriage standoff, ESPN’s latest play with DraftKings, MSNBC’s rebrand as MS NOW, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choi...

Lightshed’s Rich Greenfield joins Dylan and Julia to take stock of the WBD bidding war, as Paramount and Comcast circle the prize while Netflix and Amazon lurk on the sidelines. They game out who needs it the most, what each is willing to pay, how they might integrate their assets, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-p...

Julia and Dylan reunite to chew over Comcast- NBCUniversal’s lukewarm earnings, Peacock’s perpetual stagnation, and what it all portends for the company’s broader media ambitions—especially with WBD sitting pretty waiting for a buyer. Plus, CNN’s way too little, too late launch of its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, Elon Musk’s Grokipedia sideshow, and much, much more. To learn...

YouTube C.E.O. Neal Mohan and creator Michelle Khare join Dylan at the Paley Summit to discuss YouTube’s sprawling empire: the burgeoning creator economy, the evolving toolkit at creators’ disposal, how the A.I. revolution is quietly reshaping the platform and the media industry writ large, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/...

Julia and Dylan debrief this week’s most pressing headlines and trends in the media business: the chatter swirling around David Zaslav’s potential sale of WBD, the New York Times’ plunge into short-form video as it takes aim at TikTok and Instagram, YouTube’s next big pivot, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy L...

Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, joins Dylan for a wide-ranging conversation on the media landscape and the evolution of their seven-year-old, never-Trump media company. Sarah discusses how they’re navigating this transitional moment for the industry, what Bari Weiss’ $150 million sale of The Free Press portends for their own exit options, how they’re trying to reach and resonate with new...

Julia and Dylan chew over the week’s media mayhem: Netflix’s watershed podcast deal with Spotify, the booming industry of athlete-owned media, Gerry Cardinale’s unexpected foray into traditional media, the ominous layoffs looming over NBC and CBS News, and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about y...

John Coogan and Jordi Hays, co-hosts of The Technology Business Programming Network, join Dylan to discuss how they scaled their podcast from a one-hour weekly show to a five-day live juggernaut pulling in roughly $5 million in ad revenue. They explain how they’ve managed to captivate both Silicon Valley and, increasingly, Wall Street—not to mention the CNBCs and Bloombergs of the world marveling...

Julia and Dylan dig into the uproar over Bari Weiss’s grand arrival at CBS News—seen by some as a journalistic awakening, and by others as a credibility crisis in the making. The duo dive deep into how her appointment fits into David Ellison’s broader media ambitions and debate whether Weiss can lure younger, more affluent viewers without blowing up the network’s buttoned-down D.N.A. To learn more...

Chris Balfe, C.E.O. of Red Seat Ventures, joins Dylan for a deep dive into the booming independent creator economy—what creators need, how they can scale, the smartest ways to unlock new revenue streams, and more. Balfe also breaks down Red Seat’s growing portfolio of conservative voices, from Tucker Carlson to Megyn Kelly, and its recent acquisition by Fox, which has emerged as the most aggressiv...

Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI’s new video-generation app, Sora 2, and Mark Zuckerberg’s A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry...

Rafat Ali, founder of Skift, joins Dylan to chart the rise of his B2B media empire—which he’s dubbed “the Bloomberg of travel.” Ali breaks down how Skift has evolved to generate upwards of $25 million in revenue with 20 percent profit margins, the secret sauce of hyper-targeted B2B media, the broader challenges and opportunities within a media industry still chasing scale at all costs, and much mo...

Simpsons fans —THE VAULT IS OPEN!  I’m Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson for 35+ years, and I’m finally taking you inside Springfield. Simpsons Declassified is your all-access pass to the world’s most iconic, animated  series.   Each week, we crack open wild predictions, eerie coincidences and fan conspiracies and stories  from 36 seasons (that’s 800+ episodes!) behind-the-scenes with wr...

Julia Alexander and Dylan Byers dive into the week’s media maelstrom, courtesy of the Disney-Kimmel-F.C.C.-Trump kerfuffle. They explore the paradox of an administration trying to strong-arm broadcast TV—which is on its way out—and speculate on how Trump and Co. might attempt to flex on independent creators on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. They also weigh the stakes for Disney and Bob Iger...

Kim Masters joins Dylan to address the existential questions surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC: Will Nexstar and Sinclair actually air the show? How does the creative community in Hollywood feel about this? Is the pressure from the F.C.C. going to subside? Are people going to forgive Bob Iger? Plus, Kim shares the latest updates regarding David Ellison’s WBD fantasy. The Grill Room Podcast...

Julia and Dylan scrutinize Disney’s perplexing decision to sideline Jimmy Kimmel under pressure from the F.C.C.—a move that raises thorny questions about media freedom, corporate backbone, and whether Disney actually just created more headaches for itself. They also dig into The New York Times’ evolving strategy and why the paper has emerged as one of the last news institutions standing up to Trum...

Meredith Kopit Levien, C.E.O. of The New York Times, joins Dylan and Julia for a deep dive into the paper’s metamorphosis from a traditional news company to a full-spectrum lifestyle brand. Levien breaks down how they’re harnessing A.I. tools, tinkering with audio and video, and sharpening its advertising playbook—all while building a diverse revenue stream anchored in subscriptions. She also weig...

Julia and Dylan chew over the latest machinations along media's waterfront: Rupert Murdoch’s succession denouement and the future of Fox and News Corp, how ‘The Atlantic’ is faring in the new media landscape, the latest angst percolating through Hudson Yards, and  much more. The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in America: https://www.bp.com/InvestingInAmeric...

On this special crossover episode, Peter Hamby and Dylan chronicle the closing act of the Murdoch succession drama, as Rupert’s massive media empire lands squarely in the hands of his staunchly conservative son, Lachlan, while the other three siblings walk away with a hefty payout. They explore what this means for Fox’s future—and just how long the 94-year-old Rupert will continue to wield his pow...

Rick Berke, former Politico executive editor and founder of STAT News, joins Dylan to reflect on his 10-year journey from startup to building one of the most authoritative voices in the life sciences industry. Berke explains how he turned STAT into a profitable media venture, the hurdles facing subscription-based models, and why it’s so difficult for legacy giants like the Washington Post or LA Ti...

Julia and Dylan break down David Ellison’s imminent acquisition of Bari Weiss’s The Free Press—and how her anti-establishment worldview could reverberate through the editorial D.N.A. of CBS News. They also explore how the likely nine-figure deal could spark a fresh cycle of digital media M&A, and what it augurs for the Substack economy and creator economy writ large. Then Dylan and Julia decode th...

Andrew Rosen, the former Paramount executive and founder of PARQOR, joins Dylan to break down the divergent digital strategies of The New York Times and ESPN. While the Times is precise and leans into product design tailored to specific consumer habits, ESPN continues to chase mass scale and broad reach. Rosen argues that ESPN’s model risks leaving engagement on the table—and makes the case for a...

Julia Alexander and Dylan reunite to hash out the week’s biggest media stories: The New York Times’ increasing investment in A.I.; how technology is undermining Disney magic—and what this portends for Bob Iger’s media strategy; the spectacle of the U.S. Open; the brewing Portnoy-McAfee rivalry, and much, much more.  The Grill Room Podcast is presented by bp. See all the ways we’re investing in Ame...

Andy Lack, former chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, joins Dylan to pore over the myriad existential crises rattling television news, from CBS’s messy Trump settlement to the Versant spin that leaves MSNBC in the wilderness—and more. He also discusses his new act as a purveyor of local news startups across the Deep South, and his bid to build sustainable outlets at a time when local journalism is fac...

Julia Alexander reunites with Dylan to break down ESPN’s long-awaited “super app,” which launched yesterday as the network’s boldest bid yet to remain the central hub for sports fans in an increasingly crowded rights landscape. They also touch on Fox’s new streaming gambit, Fox One—a leaner, no-frills play for cord-cutters—and what these parallel moves reveal about the shifting future of sports me...