Trump, Twitter, and the Death of Television

Should CNN have hosted a town hall with Donald Trump last week?  Everybody has an opinion, I’m sure you do.  Inside CNN this question has prompted an existential crisis.  According to numerous reports the atmosphere resembles a toxic cauldron of confusion, anger, bitterness, and embarrassment.  Only those close to CNN head Chris Licht and his … Continue reading Trump, Twitter, and the Death of Television

“The Answer to All Your Questions Is Money”

Why are world class athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Dustin Johnson playing in clearly inferior leagues when they can still compete at the highest level? Why is the college football playoff expanding to 12 teams? Why is the NFL considering hosting the conference championship games in neutral venues? Why is it becoming increasingly necessary to … Continue reading “The Answer to All Your Questions Is Money”

Let’s Put An End to the “Streaming Wars”

Everywhere you turn in the media business people are talking about the “streaming wars.”  It’s the catch-all label for journalists, bloggers (including yours truly) and analysts when writing about the latest developments with Netflix, Disney, or any of the other players in the space. As someone who is actively engaged daily in this so-called “war,” … Continue reading Let’s Put An End to the “Streaming Wars”

“Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Drinking”

Steve McCroskey, a somewhat legendary air traffic control director at LAX in the 1970s, is never referenced in conversations about leadership and crisis management by MBA academics and executive coaches.  There are very good reasons why this is so.    First, in times of crisis, McCroskey allowed his personal demons to get the better of … Continue reading “Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week to Quit Drinking”

How Netflix Made the 2022 Upfront Completely Irrelevant

You probably saw the press announcements:  Disney booked a record $9 billion.  NBC Universal took home “its largest ever” upfront haul at $7 billion.  WarnerMedia Discovery made a splash coming together as a combined company for the first time.  They all boasted of record CPM increases and, most importantly, a massive shift of money to … Continue reading How Netflix Made the 2022 Upfront Completely Irrelevant

Reed Hastings – The Ultimate “Mad Man”

The headlines last week were head-spinning.  Elon Musk is buying Twitter, CNN+ shuttered barely a month into its existence, and Netflix took a pounding after announcing its first loss of subscribers in more than a decade.  Consuming media is our national pastime so it uniquely captures the attention of millions of consumers in ways no … Continue reading Reed Hastings – The Ultimate “Mad Man”

How Phil and Professional Golf Forgot About the Fan

Phil Mickelson has taken a beating the past month for his reckless and foolish comments about the Saudi-backed “Super Golf League.”  The responses from other players, sponsors and the media are understandable – you can’t ignore or whitewash the things he said. The PGA Tour also came down hard on Phil.  The officials at the … Continue reading How Phil and Professional Golf Forgot About the Fan