Strictly Business

The music biz legend discusses how he teamed with “Bohemian Rhapsody” screenwriter Anthony McCarten to develop a biopic of Whitney Houston, the singer whose career Davis shepherded to great heights before her tragic death in 2012. Davis details how they shaped the script, raised the financing and then held a vigorous auction for the property with Hollywood’s major studios. Davis also offers his thoughts on the state of the pandemic-rocked music industry and his advice for aspiring music moguls. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the political conventions set for next week, the presidential campaign is ready to take yet another unpredictable turn. 'Good Luck America' host Peter Hamby gives his POV on what to expect next on the road to the election and his own role translating politics for Snapchat's Gen Z audience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, discusses how New York City plans to gradually get TV and film production back in action amid the pandemic. “It’s been very hard to see these industries that are really so definitive of New York City just (struggling) to find a way forward,” del Castillo says. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dealmaking required to get studios, networks and guilds on the same page has gotten more complex than ever amid COVID-19, but that's what it will take to ensure the creation of more TV shows and movies. Ken Basin, head of business affairs at Paramount TV, gives an inside look at the issues people like him are confronting now to make things happen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CW chairman-CEO Mark Pedowitz discusses how the network has revamped its fall launch plans amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The executive who moved CW into the ad-supported streaming area nearly a decade ago also weighs in on the fate of linear TV, the growth of on-demand competition and why the end of CW’s output deal with Netflix has been a good thing for the network. And he gets a little sentimental about the final bows of stalwart CW series "Arrow" and  "Supernatural." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Hall and Jessica Lane Alexander, co-founders of the newly launched multicultural marketing firm Pop’N Creative, discuss their Atlanta-based startup. The entertainment veterans who worked together at Turner Broadcasting and at TV One talk about the tone-deaf and “offensive” marketing pitches that inspired them to go into business for themselves with the goal of helping to guide big brands through unfamiliar waters and uncomfortable conversations about race in America. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO Greg Laemmle describes what it has been like to keep his chain of seven arthouse theaters afloat as they remain dark for a fourth month amid a COVID-induced shutdown. Having already laid off nearly 200 employees, he has begun to explore selling some of his properties to keep the 82-year-old family business going. Regardless, Laemmle believes moviegoing will return post-COVID and he is also hopeful his budding foray into virtual cinema will be there for the long term. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the coronavirus lockdwon began in march, WME partner Richard Weitz was like any father looking to find a way to celebrate his daughter Demi’s 17th birthday amid the pandemic. From that humble start, the two have built the Quarantunes franchise that has raised $6.7 million for coronavirus-related relief efforts around the country. Here the Weitzes discuss the spark for the fundraising effort, the hurdles they overcame and how they recruited partners such as Goldman Sachs and Alliance Bernstein to help drive big-dollar donations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One key trend to emerge during the pandemic era is "watch parties," enabling socially distanced users to share a viewing experience. To explore this phenomenon, we spoke with Joe Braidwood, COO of Scener, which has differentiated itself from the many players in this space with an HBO partnership. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Moore, managing partner and CEO of Vine Alternative Investments, discusses the asset management firm’s approach to building a diversified portfolio of content, production and IP holdings. The parent company of Village Roadshow has been slowly amassing a library through acquisitions. As Moore explains, Vine hopes to help fill the void for global TV buyers as Hollywood’s largest studios focus on funnelling content into vertically integrated streaming platforms.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.