FT News Briefing

Have we hit peak TV? Plus, our debt to bees

Sep 3, 2022

Chris Grimes, Los Angeles bureau chief for the Financial Times and expert on Hollywood, discusses the future of streaming wars. He reveals how pandemic-era spending on content is unsustainable. As theater audiences return, streaming platforms face challenges. Jonathan Guthrie then highlights the $160 billion debt we owe to bees for their pollination services, emphasizing their vital role in our ecosystem. He warns about the dire consequences if bee populations continue to decline, calling for immediate action to protect these essential pollinators.

28:49

Creator website

Episode guests

Chris Grimes

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Shifts in Entertainment and Environmental Awareness

6min

Streaming Wars: Building Franchises and Facing Challenges

9min

Buzzing Economics: The Value of Bees

9min

The Futility of Artificial Pollination and the Quest for Natural Capital

2min

The Buzz on Bees and Local Beekeeping

2min

This week, guest host Topher Forhecz is joined by Los Angeles bureau chief Chris Grimes to hear about the future of TV's streaming wars. Since the pandemic, streaming services have poured huge amounts of money into new content, but it's unclear how long this boom will last. Then, we talk to Nature Therapy columnist Jonathan Guthrie about bees. He's estimated that we owe bees nearly $160bn for their pollination services. What's at stake if we can't repay that debt?

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Chris Grimes’ piece on the peak of TV streaming: https://www.ft.com/content/0e95cf55-dda1-4f63-bb6b-bf475f974f30

– Jonathan Guthrie’s Nature Therapy column, ‘Our £135 bn debt to the humble bee’: https://www.ft.com/content/286dff35-9634-4fd7-9497-3d2de3a555a4

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Clip from Prime Video.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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