The Media Beat

In a week with so much news, it is the Deep Dive which has to be sacrificed. The bumper roundup incudes performance results from Netflix and Meta (with our usual analysis and insights), speculation about how well Apple and Sports broadcasting go together and a detailed look at who is spending what on traditional TV. Maureen has not even bothered to unpack her props for Podmojis BUT fans of our ren...

As we know, Maureen loves a silly name and, by golly, do they come thick and fast in the world of FAST (see what we did there?) - Claire helps us understand this (not so new) entertainment delivery phenomenon and Maureen tells us of some of the key players. Add to that more Disney, more facts and figures, friend of the show Tay Tay and Oliver forgetting to ask for Podmojis and you have a "doozy" o...

We all love TikTok! Or at least our kids do! So, what is it, where did it come from and where is it going? We reveal all! Also we discuss streaming trends, Apple getting into hot water again, Maureen's collection of sunglasses and what keeps Claire up at night.

Who doesn't like getting a little something in the post? We certainly do and this time a piece of mail has flooded in to our great excitement. Keep them coming! We also have good news for the British film industry, bad news for Rooster Teeth and interesting news at Comcast. Maureen displays the most versatile pair of sunglasses in history and Claire ponders on the nature of "real French". Enjoy

This time we simply have too much news, so something has to give. So much is going on in terms deals, joint ventures, results and conflict that we have had to drop our traditional deep dive to make room. We say goodbye to Vice, hello to African American founding mothers and welcome back to Procedural Drama.

Who isn't bewildered by the complexity of content bundling both from the user and commercial perspectives? So who better to explain through both lenses than Claire and Maureen! In other news, we talk Sora, J-Lo / B-Af, the Baftas and ask why oh why is everyone pretending to know about a throwing game called football.

This time Maureen takes us on the deepest of dives to uncover the story behind the numbers at Netflix, Alphabet and Meta and shares some interesting theories with us. Deepfakes, mergers and how to win an Oscar are covered in the news and, in a wide variety of Podmojis, we give love to Europe and Women's Football, get quizzical with Joe Rogan and Spotify and grab the popcorn for the Reddit and Para...

What on earth is happening with this latest round of tech / media layoffs? A correction? A trend? An existential issue? Maureen and Claire give their views on why these stories keep coming and how safe our poor friends affected should feel. Add to that good and bad conferences, good and bad award nominations, good and bad tech, good postmasters and a bad Post Office, plus Oliver getting grumpy, an...

Welcome to 2024 and what is in store for us in this brand new year? If you want to know, then you have come to the right place! In this special episode Maureen and Claire gaze into their crystal balls and tell us what we are in for in the areas of Streaming, Music, Sports, M&A and Activism, Advertising, Content and BAFTA / Oscar predictions

This time we explain why we might all feel we spend an awful lot on TV these days and who's making the big bucks. The news covers more money making in The Premiership, tips for money making in the future and strife at Spotify. We also touch on women who are AI generated, who feature in iconic games and who are about to blast through the $1Bn revenue generation milestone.

Although we have talked a lot about how AI and digital will and has changed the way music is produced, marketed and consumed, we have yet to have an expert in this area on the show... until now! This time we welcome Cliff Fluet who, whilst trained as a lawyer, is passionate about music and digital and the challenges and opportunities presented. Under the careful quizzing of Maureen and Claire, Cli...

Ever wondered how ownership and shareholdings worked in the Media business? Wonder no more as Maureen gets quizzed all about finance, why management lives quarter to quarter and ownership has limits and many other questions you might be afraid to ask. We have good news, fake news, bad news and, in one case, the same bad news all over again. We start to appreciate Reddit, wonder whether Google Sear...

We all know "Netflix" right? Well let's find out more with one of TMB's renowned Deep Dives! This time we also ask the questions everyone is afraid to ask: is the Daily Mail cool? Can you have a streaming service with no content? Has the US finally had its chips? And, has AI made NBA stats more or less fathomable? Add to this Marty, Claude, Antoine, and Lachlan and you have an episode to savour.

This is a bumper episode and this time we dive deeply into Sports Media Rights - the big players, the big sports, the big money required to watch your favourite team these days. Disney, Spotify, Netflix and Meta are in the news, our love affair with Taylor goes on and entertainment is covered by Bono's sweat and a flatulent ogre! That's the real metaverse!

This week, the MB deep dive concerns content providers and comms providers with a particular focus on the Disney / Charter deal in the US. It looks like good news for the writers and advertisers, as spend on the latter looks to past the eye-watering one trillion dollar mark. We also give you and intense round of podmojis covering Alexa talking back to you, All3Media, two remarkable women, a notabl...

Everyone is talking about AI and so are we! Is it all hype or is it going to change the media landscape forever and where is the real money going? Whose jobs are under threat and what are the opportunities? All is covered in this week's deep dive. TikTok, Amazon and Ubisoft are in the news and we ignore Spain's head of football, cross our fingers for Mark Thompson and laugh at burger hangovers. En...

This time we shine a light on Disney: the surprising origins of its name, its ups and downs and the challenges it faces in 2023. We also talk women's sports, Twitter (or is it "X"), advertising on Social Media and the irony of Zoom getting people back in the office with the ferocity of the Bic corporation getting people to start using pencils again. Finally, we are collectively disappointed by one...

Who better to dissect the complex world of digital advertising spend than Maureen and Claire? This time we find out about the "Big 2", trends, surprises, facts, figures and of course, opinions. Bob Iger features again and we unpick the latest in the artists versus producers battles across music and the movies. Claire also finds time for one of her delightful "rants". Finally, we tackle diversity a...

This time we deep dive gaming. Is it all about people sitting in the dark with gigantic headphones, fulfilling death-wish fantasies? It turns out not. The size of this sector is shocking and the innovations truly fascinating. In the news, we try "Threads", look at box office revenues considering the "big three" movies and discuss the writers strike (now including actors too). Claire also tests Mau...

Our deep dive this week is into the world of music and how it has been, and will be, affected by the AI revolution. In the news we have analysis of box office figures, struggles at Spotify, the resurgence of live sports and Cannes Lions. Expect more props, price hikes, pop up restaurants and unpaid bills.

For those of you who have been living in cave on Mars or trapped under something heavy, there is a writers strike on, so Maureen and Claire do one of their famous "deep dives" to explain what is happening, why everyone is angry and why Claire can't watch Ali McBeal any more with her kids. We do have quite a lot of fun too involving VR headsets, dancing babies and ducks in helmets, which is not a n...

And in a packed show... we talk streaming wars, creative spend and ways to squeeze more revenues out of the hapless consumer. The Meta hand slap and a big appointment at Twitter are in the news and Claire excels herself in successfully creating a podmoji to describe a complex and novel new TV business model. All this with an added touch of acquisition approvals, bankruptcies, bans and AI DJs. Enjo...

This time we welcome the extraordinary Christy Tanner who, amongst many many other things is credited with transforming CBS News Digital into the #1 streaming news service in the US. Described as a "streaming visionary". Christy is that wonderful combination of media leader who is both a creative force and truly understands the power of digital. She also owns an awesome log cabin in rural Maine fr...

This time we muse on stalled megadeals and mildly encouraging economic green shoots. In the news we report on Omnicom, the unintended consequences of online safety legislation and anchors away in the US of A! We fail to resist the urge to mention Elon's disappointing erection and a surprise appearance by Roy Orbison and a Ramone bring down the curtain on a bumper anniversary episode.

We are thrilled to meet Siân Doyle, CEO of S4C, the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, launched over 40 years ago. Siân's journey to this position has been via multiple leadership roles in multiple countries and multiple sectors. Her passion as a proud promotor of the Welsh language shines thorough as we discuss strategy, content, lessons learned and ap...