MediaVillage Podcasts: Recent Episodes
MediaVillage
Welcome to the podcast that offers deeper insights on the Media, Marketing and Advertising industry. Listen to interviews with leading CMOs, creatives, ad sales, ad tech and major media executives, all offering thought leadership and interesting takeaways. Read companion stories on https://www.mediavillage.com/
In the inaugural episode of Profiles in Leadership, which transitions from Legends & Leadership to align with my new book, The Tao of Leadership, I welcome my long-time friend, colleague, and mentor, David Verklin. The interview offers an engaging discussion on David’s expansive career, his vision for the future of advertising and media, and the critical role of creativity and data in the AI era. As we reflected on our shared journeys, David’s industry-shaping contributions across advertising, media, technology, and consulting emerged as a rich narrative that underscored his leadership and influence in transforming modern media.
Visit MediaVillage.org for more content just like this!
As the television landscape undergoes a seismic shift with the rise of streaming platforms, cord-cutting, and evolving audience preferences, one figure stands at the crossroads of its rich past and uncertain future: Doug Herzog. In the latest installment of Jack Myers Legends & Leadership series, Herzog - former president of MTV Networks and the executive responsible for launching the careers of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and many more -- shares his candid thoughts on the future of broadcast and cable television. This conversation promises to be a must-watch for anyone invested in the future of media, from executives to creatives and curious viewers alike.
Visit MediaVillage.org for more of our content just like this!
aspireTV launched its Power Players programming hour block earlier this month with the premiere of Style Kings and Cut To It, the former of which follows the daily goings-on of interior designer Justin Q. Williams and custom clothier and stylist Dedrick Thomas, showcasing their entrepreneurial endeavors and “elevate the discourse on Black men's contribution to art and culture”, as the network describes. Joining us for this edition of Behind the Scenes in Hollywood are the series’ stars for a conversation on how the show came together, some of their proudest career achievements, and what they hope viewers take away from the series.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
In an engaging Legends & Leadership conversation, series host Jack Myers and special guest Michael Strober, Chief Revenue Officer of Nexstar Media Group, discussed the transformative journey of the media industry and Strober’s dynamic career and influences. Strober, who joined Nexstar in 2023 after several years of consulting with Nexstar management, provides a wealth of experience from his time at Turner Broadcasting, as an entrepreneur, and as a consultant, making him well-suited to lead advertising sales for Nexstar’s expansive and diverse media assets.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
Mike Law, the CEO of Carat, a dentsu company, has spent nearly 25 years in the media industry, growing alongside Carat and shaping its evolution. In a recent conversation with Jack Myers, Law shared insights into Carat's journey, its relationship with dentsu, and the broader advertising and television industry through the lens of his experience. His story is one of growth, innovation, and a commitment to people -- a narrative that mirrors the trajectory of Carat itself.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
In a riveting conversation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Jack Myers and Screenvision Media CEO John Partilla discussed the transformative power of cinema advertising and how Screenvision is thriving in a tech-dominated world. Their discussion, part of Jack's "Legends and Leadership" series, highlighted the irreplaceable impact of cinema in an evolving media landscape and its unique ability to captivate audiences in ways digital platforms cannot. Their discussion provided deep insights into the enduring value of cinema advertising amidst a landscape increasingly dominated by tech companies.Thanks for watching! 🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In this week's episode of Jack Myers' "Legends & Leadership," I hosted an insightful and controversial conversation with Mike Linton, renowned Chief Marketing Officer, and former agency President Jeff Culliton, now host and Executive Producer of the CMO Confidential podcast. Jack Myers' conversation with Mike Linton, and Jeff Culliton provided a wealth of insights into the current state and future direction of the marketing industry. From the evolving role of CMOs and the impact of AI on agencies to the challenges of education and the growing influence of procurement, the discussion highlighted the complex and dynamic nature of modern marketing. For current and future marketing professionals, this is a must view.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In a Legends & Leadership conversation hosted by Jack Myers, Radha Subramanyam, the Chief Research and Analytics Officer of CBS and President of CBS Vision, shared profound and even surprising insights into the robustness and enduring appeal of network television, specifically highlighting CBS's leadership in primetime programming.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In the digital age where advertisers are vying for consumer attention across various platforms, cinema advertising stands out as a uniquely compelling medium. Christine Martino, Chief Revenue Officer at Screenvision Media, emphasized this during her insightful discussion with WomenAdvancing.org host E.B. Moss. Screenvision leverages the traditional appeal of the big screen while harnessing modern data analytics to deliver impactful advertising messages to a captive audience.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In a recent engaging session of Jack Myers' Legends & Leadership series, Shirli Zelcer, Chief Data and Technology Officer at dentsu, shared her extensive insights into the evolving role of data and technology in advertising. Link above and here to view the video conversation.
With over two decades of experience in analytics, AI, and technology, Zelcer has been a pioneer in adapting and leveraging data to shape marketing strategies. Her journey from the early days of statistics to the advanced realms of artificial intelligence and machine learning reflects the industry's transformative trajectory. "It started out in analytics... and then AI and machine learning came in... So I've sort of been on that path my whole career," Zelcer remarked, highlighting her foundational role in integrating these technologies within dentsu's operations.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In this week's episode of Legends & Leadership, Jack Myers is joined by Angela Cannon, the dynamic Senior Vice President of Multicultural Networks and General Manager of aspireTV. Their conversation covered a range of engaging topics, from the Harlem Globetrotters to the impressive growth and success of aspireTV. Angela shared her diverse responsibilities within the network, her passion for culturally specific content, and her commitment to nonprofit initiatives, providing an in-depth look at her work and vision.
Both Jack and Angela reminisced about their childhood memories of the Harlem Globetrotters, expressing their excitement about a new collaboration that will bring the Globetrotters' international experiences to the screen in aspireTV's new series Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City. This partnership promises unique merchandising and marketing opportunities for brand marketers and advertisers, enhancing the timeless appeal of the Globetrotters.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In a riveting video conversation hosted by Jack Myers for his Legends & Leadership series, Dave Morgan, the founder and CEO of Simulmedia, explores the implications of the continuing transformation across the media and advertising ecosystem. The conversation not only reflects on Dave's career at the forefront of innovation but also explores the pressing challenges and emerging opportunities within the industry, particularly focusing on the need for transparent, data-driven approaches in television and video advertising.
As an outspoken critic of advertisers' shift to procurement and purchasing strategies that have eroded advertising effectiveness, he rhetorically commented, "Marketers have taken the costs out of advertising, but do they still have a growth engine." In our conversation about fraud in the industry, he drew an analogy to the "dirty fuel" pumped into freighters as a procurement-led cost-cutting measure that ultimately caused the MV Dali to crash into the Baltimore Bay Bridge
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
As the Emmy-winning daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless recently celebrated its 50th year on television, and over 12,000 episodes, the series gave starts to many actors’ careers in Hollywood throughout its historic run, including Penn Badgley, Justin Baldoni, Eva Longoria, Shemar Moore, Vivica A. Fox and even Tom Selleck.
One of its newest cast members is Mexican-born actress Zuleyka Silver, who joins us on this episode of Multicultural TV Talk to talk about her experience on the iconic series, transitioning to the fast-paced world of a daytime series, and teases an exciting upcoming storyline for her character Audra Charles.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org 📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg 🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg 👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
FX's Mayans star Carla Baratta has been with the show since the very beginning and reflects on her time on the series, the life changes she experienced during that time, and praised recent breakthroughs for Hispanic and Latin representation in the U.S.
New episodes of Mayans air Wednesdays at 10pm ET on FX, available to stream next day on Hulu
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org 📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg 🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg 👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
One of last year’s most pleasant surprises of new series came from the freshman comedy series The Bear, centering on an award-winning young chef, played by Critics’ Choice winner Jeremy Allen White, who returns to his hometown of Chicago to revamp his family’s crumbling sandwich shop. Among the boisterous gallery of characters that help keep the restaurant running is Tina, played by this week’s guest Liza Colón-Zayas, a line cook with no filter who she describes as part “mama bear” and part “general”.
The veteran actress of stage and screen looks back at her varied career, what she looks forward to most in season two of The Bear, and makes a call to action for restaurant and hospitality workers to earn the salaries and benefits they deserve.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.org 📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillageorg 🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillageorg 👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillageorg
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we are thrilled to be joined by a delightful group from across the entertainment industry and the LGBTQ+ community: Damian Terriquez, Netflix’s Glamorous; Mrs. Kasha Davis, RuPaul’s Drag Race and All Stars; Tyler DiChiara, The CW’s Gotham Knights; and former child actor-turned-country music star Brian Falduto.
The group discusses the figures and performances they saw growing up that made them feel represented, how some of their current work is helping push for meaningful representation and authentic storytelling, the impact of recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation throughout the country, as well as sharing words of wisdom and courage for anyone in the community who may be fearful of celebrating this month.
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.com 📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillagecom 🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillagecom 👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillagecom
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
When an injury ended his dreams of playing soccer on a professional level, Cristo Fernández decided to tackle his other dream: filmmaking and acting. Little did he know that the perfect opportunity would come along in which he could combine all of his talents in a single role, Ted Lasso fan favorite Dani Rojas. “I never imagined when I dreamed of being a soccer player that it would come back to me in this way, but I was always open thanks to my friends and family who pushed me to study and find something else. I learned discipline and hard work from the sport, being an athlete, and using it in my new dreams as an actor and filmmaker. Now here I am doing the two things I love the most in my life.”
You can stream seasons one through three of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+
🖥 Read more from MediaVillage - www.mediavillage.com📸 Follow us on Instagram - www.instagram.com/mediavillagecom🐦 Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/mediavillagecom👍 Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mediavillagecom
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by a panel of three actors from the AAPI community to discuss what performances made them feel represented growing up, the current state of AAPI representation in entertainment and media and what changes need to take place in order for progress to continue in a meaningful and positive way. Joining us for this roundtable are actress, model and advocate Julia Lee; star of Paramount+ series School Spirits Kristian Flores; and star of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth Aliza Vellani.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!
Visit MediaVillage.com for more of our reviews, interviews, podcasts and more!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
Rising star of stage and screen, and a former fellow classmate of mine, Jhulenty Delossantos joins us to talk all about his time working on multiple CBS series, including a role that went from a co-star to recurring guest starring role with action-packed scenes on “The Equalizer”. You can see Jhulenty Delossantos back on The Equalizer on Sunday, April 23rd at 8pm ET on CBS
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!
Visit MediaVillage.com for more of our reviews, interviews, podcasts and more!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
Continuing the legacy of the 1978 film Grease, and the 1971 musical it was based on, comes the new musical dramedy Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a prequel series set in 1954 which focuses on the misfit students at Rydell high school who create the iconic Pink Ladies clique.
In his television debut, triple-threat Alexis Sides talks with us about his early love of acting that began when he was growing up in Mexico, what it felt like working with such a diverse cast in a typically white-centered time period, and how he is similar and differs from his character Pedro aka Potato.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
As we approach the final season of the Emmy-winning comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, we spoke with two of the newest cast members on the series, Reid Scott and Jason Ralph, who respectively play late-night talk show host Gordon Ford and his talent booker Gordon Ford. The two stars share their experience tackling their larger roles, from recurring in season four to main cast members for the final season, as well as some of the biggest lessons they’ve learned while in production and how the show has championed breaking the glass ceiling and telling powerful, female-driven stories.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
As one of the most critically-acclaimed and awarded comedies of the last decade bids farewell, we are pleased to have had the chance to speak with some of the cast of Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ahead of its fifth and final season. Tony Shahloub, Kevin Pollak, and Michael Zegen play the titular stand-up comedian Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s father, father-in-law and ex-husband, and look back at the last five seasons, how they’ve changed as individuals in that time, and what they hope audiences take away from the show.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
While he may play a mild-mannered accountant on NBC’s hangout comedy Grand Crew, Aaron Jennings has practically been in the industry his entire life with Brent Jennings (The CW’s All American) and Juanita Jennings (FOX’s STAR) as his parents. “The art world is something I was very familiar with growing up but I didn’t see myself making a career out of it until I was in about 10th grade and I dove right in,” he explained. “They didn’t want me to do it as a child. They wanted me to know what it was like to be a normal teen, but I was always around sets and backstage. I’d go to auditions with them and help them run lines. It was an interesting childhood.”
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
Award-winning journalist, Chief Investigative Correspondent of Inside Edition and now author Lisa Guerrero joins us to talk all about her new memoir Warrior: The Path To Being Brave, a tell-all about her most vulnerable moments and how she overcame them. Though Lisa is nowhere near the end of her career, the usual point in time for memoirs to be written, she says that this was the perfect time for Warrior to come out.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mediavillage/message
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are thrilled to be joined by the leading ladies of The CW’s Kung Fu: series star Olivia Liang, her onscreen sister Shannon Dang, her mentor Vanessa Kai, and their villain Yvonne Chapman. Fresh off their season 3 finale earlier this month, the four actresses reflect on the past three years they’ve worked together, sharing the most significant lessons they’ve learned, the women in their lives they used as inspiration for their roles, and the improvements they hope to see in the entertainment industry regarding representation.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
Emmy-winning star of stage and screen Loretta Devine joins us to talk about her upcoming film, A Snowy Day Oakland, where she plays the hilarious local gossip Jeanette, with an all-star cast including Nicole Ari Parker, Michael Jai White, Kimberly Elise, Tony Plana, Keith David, and Jackée Harry.
A Snowy Day In Oakland is in theatres March 17th.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
Underdog stories and sports have crossed over for decades. Rocky, The Little Giants, The Waterboy, Bend It Like Beckham, The Blind Side, even Kung Fu Panda, these stories follow the unassuming protagonist who is dismissed by their peers as they go on a journey of self-discovery and to come out on top, proving themselves to their doubters. Tackling the classic genre is writer and director Jingyi Shao, making his feature film directorial debut, and rising star Bloom Li in the hilarious, poignant and heartfelt semi-autobiographical sports comedy film Chang Can Dunk, coming to Disney+ March 10th.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
Just in time for tonight’s season finale, we are joined by two of the stars of The Winchesters, Jojo Fleites and Nida Khurshid, for a look back on the year since the series pilot was filmed, how they’ve grown as actors and individuals throughout production, and the impact of being part of The CW’s mission to increase diversity and representation. The series takes place in the post-Vietnam War 1970s, creating a perfect backdrop for a more diverse cast during this decade of social change and progression.
Visit MediaVillage.com for more of our reviews, interviews, podcasts, and more!
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
Closing out this Black History month we are joined by a delightful panel of actors, from rising stars to industry veterans, including Chad L. Coleman (The CW’s Superman & Lois), Ayesha Harris (Netflix’s upcoming Glamorous), Angela Lewis (FX’s Snowfall) and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Star Trek: Picard, Paramount+), for a conversation on diversity, inclusion, and representation in entertainment.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
For her first lead role in a romantic comedy, star Isabella Gomez was whisked away to Ireland for a fast-paced, 15-day shoot and was able to unleash her inner chef for the E! Original Movie Royal Rendezvous. Gomez stars as Cat, a talented young chef from East LA who is picked by a royal family to prepare a banquet. Romances blossom, chaos ensues and Gomez returns to Multicultural TV Talk to chat all about her role in the upcoming TV movie.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
In honor of Black History Month, we are thrilled to present this special roundtable interview with a trio of talent, executives, and industry professionals to discuss the current state of diversity and representation in the industry and what the next steps are for continued progress, brought to by Ampersand.
Joining us for this discussion: Karrington Symonds, VP of Content and Programming, HBCUGo; J. Bernard Calloway, actor, The Ms. Pat Show, BET+; and Aaron Finklestein, Head of Recruitment, Ampersand
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
After just wrapping up season two of their hit Hulu series How I Met Your Father, stars Tien Tran and Suraj Sharma chat with us about what fans can expect to see in the double size second season, how the cast chemistry and trust is stronger than ever, and what it was like filming in front of a live studio audience for the first time for their season two finale.
Visit MediaVillage.com for all of our reviews, interviews, podcasts and more!
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
Rising star Germain Arroyo joins us this week and talks about his early days coming up as an actor, reflects on what it was like pursuing an acting career in a pre-pandemic Hollywood, and discusses some of his biggest television roles, including a recent episode of ABC’s The Rookie, Netflix’s Ratched where they worked closely with Brandon Flynn and Sharon Stone, and his latest appearance in CBS series SWAT which airs tonight.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
With the increased diversity and representation across Disney’s properties, from animation to Marvel and Star Wars titles, their next hero to tackle the small screen is Moon Girl in the upcoming animated series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Joining us to talk all about the energetic, loveable and genius titular hero is her voice actor, actress and singer Diamond White.
“One girl can make a difference. One person can make a difference,” Diamond explained of what she hopes audiences take away from the series. “Lunella’s superpower is her brain. So use your brain, don’t let things get you down, and don’t let people be the villains of your story because you can make a difference in your community and environment.”
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
After a hit debut season in 2021, Netflix’s Bling Empire has expanded to the East Coast as it follows original cast member Dorothy Wang for a New York City adventure in Bling Empire: New York. Described by many as Crazy Rich Asians meets Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the series follows affluent Asian American families and individuals, from designers to billionaire CEOs and mega-influencers. To tell us all about the new season, we are joined by series cast member, fashion editor and actor Blake Abbie.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mediavillage/message
After a hit debut season in 2021, Netflix’s Bling Empire has expanded to the East Coast as it follows original cast member Dorothy Wang for a New York City adventure in Bling Empire: New York. To tell us all about the new season, we are joined by series cast member, fashion editor and actor Blake Abbie. Described by many as “Crazy Rich Asians meets Keeping Up With The Kardashians”, the series follows affluent Asian American families and individuals, from designers to billionaire CEOs and mega influencers.
With an eclectic background that includes being a classically trained singer, fashion editor, and television actor, an unscripted reality series felt the most “out there” for Blake. “I started filming the show with a bit of reticence. I enjoy watching reality shows but had a certain perception of what they could be so I was afraid of getting in the drama. What was really important for me to remember was being as authentic to myself as I could be. Without being authentic, you can guise that I’m faking something so I tried to lay it out as honestly as possible.”
“I hope that people can understand the cultural nuances of our lives. There are certain criticisms of the show and how it portrays rich people. I think my presence on the show, while I am an upper-middle class person, I don’t come from a family of billionaires, I’m not an heiress to anything. I didn’t grow up going to luxury resorts every two weeks as a kid. It’s important to me to be a little bit more real. Sure I have a higher income than some, I still take the subway. I’m a New Yorker. I’m frugal!” he laughed. “I hope it gives more nuance to the Asian American experience.”
For our final episode of the year, we are delighted to be joined by actress, singer and producer Analisa Velez, star of Paramount+ series The Game to talk all about season two of the revival series. As this was Velez’s first series regular role, she harkens back to her audition for the role, remembering that she made it a goal to have fun with it. “It was one of the first auditions where I just dove in. I gave it everything I had and didn’t care to be right, I wanted to make her this person I’m really excited to be and they’re gonna have a good time watching it! As artists, you have to come back to that [inner] child.”
She also reflected on how equally excited and nervous she was when first arriving to set and meeting the stars of the series whom she had watched in the original run in 2006. “I remember my makeup artist had to constantly help me reapply because I kept crying, I kept thinking to myself, ‘I made it.’ I remember seeing Wendy [Raquel Robinson] and Hosea [Chanchez] thinking ‘oh my god, that’s Tasha, that’s Malik’ and having these inner freak-out moments. I was just so excited!”
New episodes of The Game are available to stream Thursdays on Paramount+
Television and film star Constance Marie joins us just before the holidays to talk all about her guest-starring role in the upcoming Christmas episode of NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez, where she plays a member of George’s ex-wife’s extended family visiting for noche buena (Christmas Eve). Constance originally starred alongside George Lopez in his self-titled sitcom for six seasons before it was abruptly canceled in 2007 and during our conversation, she reflects on how far Hispanic and Latine representation has come since her early career days, what it was like reuniting with George and several other co-stars from their previous show, and
“Brownface isn’t happening as much,” she said. “They used to slap a little bronzer on Catherine Zeta-Jones or George Hamilton and all of a sudden they’re Latino! Glenn Close played a Latina, Anjelica Houston, and Marisa Tomei. Now we actually get to be in our own storylines. Before they’d write this great [script] and not even see Latinos for it. You can’t do that with any other ethnicity, but it doesn’t happen as much. The time for that is over.”
Having been part of so many trailblazing projects for Latinx representation, from PBS’ American Family or The George Lopez Show to 1997’s Selena, we asked Constance who made her feel represented growing up, and the actress had this to say. “There wasn’t any really, except for one and it was profound. It was Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman, because I found out she was half Mexican-American and I was like “yes! Some representation that I love!” Once I found that out, it made me feel like I had a place. I don’t think people realize that if you don’t see yourself reflected, you don’t feel include or a part of this wonderful melting pot of America.”
Lopez vs Lopez airs Fridays at 8pm ET on NBC, available to stream next day on Peacock.
We are thrilled to be joined by the CEO of Agua Media, an Emmy-winning journalist, author, and podcast host, Rick Sanchez, whose career spans nearly 30 years as an anchor on CNN, FOX News, NBC, Univision, and iHeartRadio. Our conversation with Rick ranges from Hispanic representation in entertainment to the current state of news and media, and the many changes that have to be made to improve how Hispanics are perceived.
“We’re 20% of the population and are cast less than 4% of the time in movies,” he shared, citing USC Annenberg’s Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind The Camera. “It’s not representative of who we are in the country. And when they do cast as us, 37-40% of the time we’re cast as a criminal. Another 20-30% of the time… it’s as a domestic worker. If that’s how they paint us, that’s what all people are going to think we are.”
Speaking on the contributions that Hispanics and Latinx make in the US and the skewed perception depicted in the news and media, Rick shared, “We are the 5th largest GDP in the world and the 3rd fastest-growing GDP, behind only China and India, and ahead of the United States. 80% of Latinos are U.S. citizens and 95% of Latinos under the age of 41 speak English. These are facts and nobody knows them. Instead, they think we’re just a bunch of guys jumping a fence or swimming in a river who got here last week and are just sitting around watching Telemundo. It’s really weird.”
Watch our full interview with Rick Sanchez above, and tune in to The Rick Sanchez Podcast at AguaMedia.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Critics Choice Award nominee Alex Rich joins us to talk all about his physically and emotionally taxing role on the chilling FX on Hulu series The Patient where he worked alongside Steve Carrell, Domhnall Gleeson, and Linda Emond (you can see our interview with Linda here) as Elias, who falls victim to Gleeson’s psychotic, homicidal character Sam.
Despite the heavy subject material, Alex describes his experience as “high stakes with a small cast, and the episodes read as a play. You’re in one set and staying in the emotional peaks and valleys of these people in a confined area.”
As his character Elias is captured, tied and blindfolded by Sam, Alex explained that he did all he could between takes and off set to keep a calm demeanor to not exhaust himself from the long days of shooting as his character is almost constantly under duress. “Staying in that space for days on end can be taxing. It was a really dynamic place to try to stay in. That experience, every actor should have the good fortune to sit in because it was a challenge but in the right ways.”
“Domhnall is such a great guy and that made it easier,” he said of working with the actor in a very intense role. “I can’t see what’s happening because of [the blindfold] but Domhnall would come in and authentically scare me. He’d do something unexpected and it was really intimidating. He’s scary! But we’re able to separate the person from the character and he’s lovely.”
The Patient is now streaming on Hulu.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we are thrilled to be joined by a wonderful panel of actors from the Indigenous community for a special roundtable discussion. Joining us are actors Sarah Podemski (Reservation Dogs, Resident Alien), Jeremiah Bitsui (Better Call Saul, Dark Winds), and Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs, Ghosts). The three stage and screen stars share their perspectives on the recent strides in regards to Indigenous representation, the changes that need to be made in entertainment, and the work there is still left to do.
“I definitely feel that for Indigenous narratives it’s been a long time coming,” Podemski shared. “This slow burn has finally led to a push that has been able to be received in the last few years because of a new awareness about our stories, and our creatives who have been given a chance to write and direct. We were ready for this moment and it happened at a moment when audiences were ready to hear our stories told by us.”
When asked about an early memory of feeling represented, Jeremiah Bitsui shared that he first saw himself reflected in rodeos as a form of entertainment, but a pretty big obstacle led to that dream coming to a quick end: a severe allergy to horses and hay. “Rodeos a huge sport in all of our communities but I grew up with allergies so I wasn’t cut out for it. Allergies and ninjas are what brought me into this business.” he laughed, adding that 80s martial arts movies are what drew him into acting. “If I ever got a ninja role, I’d be like a dog who actually caught the car.”
Actor and writer Dallas Goldtooth shared that he was “fangirling” over Jeremiah because of his performance in Breaking Bad and later in the spin-off Better Call Saul, which he describes as “a contemporary example of a Native person in a role that isn’t explicitly Native, it’s just a role. That character wasn’t designed around being Native, and that was really empowering to see. It’s rare to see Indigenous people as how we are today, or skewed to play into these myths.”
“Yes, we want to still tell our community’s stories,” Podemski added. “but we also want those moments where a kid might watch and say ‘oh that’s like my auntie who works at the hospital!’, those roles that are non-specific to our heritage. Look at us aside from our ethnicity and see our potential to being able to tell stories in any context.”
You can see our guests in multiple projects, including:
Sarah Podemski in Reservation Dogs on Hulu and Resident Alien on Peacock
Jeremiah Bitsui in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul on Netflix, and Dark Winds on AMC+
and Dallas Goldtooth on Reservation Dogs on Hulu and Rutherford Falls on Peacock
Jimmy Smits of CBS’ “East New York”
We are honored and delighted to be joined by Emmy Award-winning actor of stage and screen Jimmy Smits who after decades of work on long-running series like LA Law and NYPD Blue, is back on primetime in CBS’ latest procedural East New York. Jimmy reflects on his career and early inspirations, how it feels seeing a part of Brooklyn where he grew up reflected on television, and admits he didn’t expect to be back on a procedural at this point in his career.
“I didn’t really see it in the cards that I would be doing a police procedural. A lot of had to do with what we have been through in the last couple of years with the pandemic, the empowerment of the woman’s voice and disenfranchised communities, and the insight we’ve had into law enforcement transgressions,” the actor revealed. “When I found out creatives that I knew were doing a show that mined this landscape, I was interested because I knew where their hearts were and that it was a different kind of take.”
When speaking on recent strides for diversity and representation in entertainment, Smits had this to say, “We’ve made a lot of progress but we’ve got a ways to go. Our population numbers are increasing and you’re seeing in the Latinx space that it’s not just one specific look or story. The moves that we have to make is to be more in control of the content. Not just Jimmy in front of the camera, but Jimmy and Juan getting together and talking about stories that interest them, writing those, pitching those, and getting them on the air, or in film or onstage. That’s where we need to make a leap to the next level, and it’s happening but I want it to happen quicker!”
New episodes of East New York on Sundays at 9pm ET on CBS, available to stream next day on Paramount+
Many soccer or “football” fans across the globe associate the sport’s most famous tournament with summertime. But for the first time, the men’s World Cup is going to take place towards the end of the calendar year, as it kicks off November 20 in Qatar. New York Interconnect’s (NYI), Colin Langan, forecasts that viewership may be even higher than four years ago and beyond as soccer kicks off this week. He joins Justin Paura on the View from the Grandstand podcast to discuss the impact of the United States being in the World Cup, how NYI reaches viewers, and what will make this year’s tournament so unique.
From the Academy Award-winning writer and director of Spotlight comes ABC’s latest drama, Alaska Daily, starring Hilary Swank as Eileen Fitzgerald, an award-winning journalist whose career suffers a nearly fatal blow. Desperate to keep her career alive, she relocates to Anchorage, Alaska to help a local outlet with a number of unresolved cases related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), a very real issue among the indigenous community across North America.
Series star Grace Dove joins us on Multicultural TV Talk to talk about her role in the series as the headstrong young journalist Rosalind “Roz” Friendly who is assigned to open MMIW cold cases alongside Eileen and the two have different investigative tactics and don’t exactly see eye-to-eye. Grace talks about the importance of showcasing these storylines in mainstream media, how she relates to her character, and working alongside one of her childhood heroes, actress Irene Bedard who recurs on the series as Sylvia Nanmac, the mother of a recently deceased young Indigenous woman whose case is being reopened.
“This has been something that is very prevalent, sadly, in my life, my family and community,” she shared. “This isn’t just in one area. It’s just Alaska, or Northern British Columbia. This is across all of North America and Indigenous territories. We’ve been, unfortunately, living this our whole lives so, it’s not shocking, it’s not new or anything I haven’t heard of. But to be able to showcase it on a network television show and be on the TVs of people who have never heard of this? It matters. It matters that non-Indigenous folks will have an opportunity to educate themselves and to show compassion.”
“I really hope that audiences can take it upon themselves to be curious and to start educating themselves on the true history of the territories that they now live on.”
Alaska Daily airs new episodes at 10pm ET on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu
Actor of stage and screen Mason Alexander Park joins us to talk about their role in NBC’s action-packed revival of Quantum Leap where they play Ian, the series’ resident tech expert and the mastermind that rebuilt Ziggy, the AI unit that gives Ben (Raymond Lee) information on his leaps.
Mason talks about as a “very strange kid” he delved into science and tech at an early age, some of their early inspirations in entertainment, including John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Tim Curry in Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as the increasing representation for members of the trans and non-binary communities in leading and supporting roles in entertainment, and the importance they get to play ‘real’ people.
“Often non-binary characters and trans people are not seen in ‘normal’ jobs very often. I play a real individual, a real person who has a very important job that a lot of non-binary people and trans people work in,” Mason said. “It’s been really exciting to make contact with a bunch of people that otherwise hadn’t been represented in that way on television before.”
“It’s so much more meaningful to represent marginalized people in the most normalized context because it’s the Trojan horse. It’s the way to get people used to having these conversations in the day-to-day. Everybody meets trans and non-binary people all the time and half the time they don’t even know it. It’s amazing how integrated we are in society now but are still such a ‘strange’, hot button topic. To just let me breathe and exist and be present in the story is very radical and very cool. I look forward to what that does for future generations of non-binary characters.”
New episodes of Quantum Leap air Mondays at 10pm on NBC.
Summer may be over but it’s time to head back to Las Colinas resort as the cast of Acapulco tease some of the new storylines, relationships and changes in the second season of the beloved Apple TV+ comedy series. Paired together are Enrique Arrizon and Fernando Carsa as best friends Maximo and Memo; Chord Overstreet and Camila Perez as the newly engaged Chad and Julia; and Jessica Collins and Rafael Cebrián as two of the show’s biggest personalities, resort owner Diane and head poolboy Hector.
“It’s a new year and a new Maximo and he wants to succeed but things don’t always go the way he wants,” Arrizon shared. “There is a lot of growth in all of the characters so people are going to relate to us more.”
“There’s a lot of healing,” Carsa added. “It’s definitely a loaded season with more drama, but with all the drama, comes a lot of healing. A good laugh, a good cry and leaving every episode with a heart full of love and hope.”
When talking about the differences between seasons one and two, Overstreet had this to say. “You don’t really know what to expect. You haven’t seen anything yet, you don’t know the tone, but with season two you hit the ground running. You know the characters, you know the world. It’s like with pre-season football. You can go in full speed.”
Speaking on the family dynamic both on and off-screen, Collins revealed that the cast and crew stay and live on the resort where they film during the three months they film each season. “We work together, we eat together, we see each other at the gym, we can’t get away from each other!” she laughed. “We really are a family for those three months. There’s no acting. We are a family at this point.”
“This is my first comedy,” Cebrian shared. So trusting myself and disregarding my insecurities, and trusting my peers, the fact that we are all so close makes that easier. I know who they are, I know they’ve got my back and that makes my job as an actor easy.”
Season two of Acapulco premieres October 21st on Apple TV+
The conversation around name, image and likeness (NIL) has been going on throughout the 21st Century. The NCAA reached a point in 2021 where student athletes across the country became allowed to monetize off NIL and since then it’s taken over the division-1 college sports landscape. Today, top talent such as University of Alabama quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young is making millions of dollars thanks to endorsement deals, but it is a lot to be able to manage while also being a student athlete.
UCLA redshirt-junior quarterback Chase Griffin is a student athlete executive in residence with UniWorld Group. Chase has credited UWG with helping set him up for his future as he is learning more about the media agency business and preparing for a career post-football.
Chase sat down with Justin Paura on the View From The Grandstand podcast to discuss how and why he decided to team up with UWG and explain what NIL has done for him and will do for other student athletes like him. Be sure to watch or listen to View From The Grandstand on MediaVillage.com or wherever you get your podcasts. The full interview will also air during MediaVillage’s Advancing Diversity Week stream, from October 17-20 on MediaVillage.com.
Rising star Justin Johnson Cortez joins us to talk about his role of Calian in The CW’s Walker Independence, a young Apache tracker who helps Abigail Walker on her quest for justice against her husband’s killer. As this is Justin’s first series regular role, he talks about some of the surprising technical aspects behind working on a series that takes place over 100 years ago, how much it means to him as Latino Indigenous actor to take on an Indigenous role, and how his mixed heritage allowed him to connect with his character.
“With Calian I felt like when I read the character I connected with [him] being caught in two worlds with the changing landscape of the West, his interest in the town, I felt like I could really do that justice,” he shared. “I think for a long time I fought certain parts of myself and put myself in a box that people might have liked more. I spent a lot of time not going in the sun when I first got into acting because I wanted to be able to play white if I could. Coming in with the name ‘Justin Johnson’, people didn’t really see me for what I was, fully. They looked at one little aspect and I tried to fit into that little box.”
“I was nervous going into [Walker Independence] because you never know,” he said of the uncertainty behind the authenticity of his character and Calian’s culture. “It’s different if you’re on Reservation Dogs where you have Native producers, Native showrunners so you don’t know what to expect. But the team behind this show really made it clear early on that they want to do something different here and do something right. It feels amazing to finally get to work and represent the culture and be part of a project that welcomes that.”
Walker Independence airs Thursdays at 9pm ET on The CW, available to stream next day on The CW app.
This marks the first episode of a new series on MFMInsites, “Office Hours,” which features top thought leaders who are guiding and shaping the media industry. It’s hosted by Cal Mostella, a member of the Media Financial Management Association’s Board Advisory Committee.
In this episode, Mostella interviews Dave Bestler, who is Executive Vice President and CFO of Hubbard Radio. He’s also chairman of MFM’s Board. During the conversation, Bestler explains how his career has managed to span both sales and finance—a rare combination—and how Hubbard has responded to disruptions, setting it on a path to reach the (amazing) 100-year anniversary milestone next year. He also gives some thoughts about the future of audio in the upcoming era of driverless automobiles.
While Dr. Kryss raps along to, "I Wish," Vevo's Julie Duhen and Greg Osborne are singing different tunes! Who reigns supreme: Skee-Lo or Lil Nas X... or perhaps you prefer Wham! No matter your favorite, join Dr. Kryss and Vevo to discuss the very best of what this incredible platform has to offer. Plus, be the first to learn all about Out Loud, Vevo's exclusive advertising solution for brands to target consumers enjoying official music video content from LGBTQ+ artists. With this year-round offering, brands can buy bundles of LGBTQ+ music videos and connect with a vibrant audience who seeks out and watches LGBTQ+ content on the world's leading music video network. In addition to these insights, Greg clues us in to his favorite shot-for-shot video and Julie shares her favorite up-and-coming artist... how will these choices compare to some of Dr. Kryss' tried-and-true favorites? How will they compare with YOUR favorite videos? Luckily, Julie and Greg teach Dr. Kryss (and you) that Vevo never makes you choose- you can have it all! Tune in now to find out how, then tweet to tell us who you are singing along with and what video is your can't miss favorite!
Three-time Tony Award nominated actress Linda Emond joins us to talk about her role in the chilling new series, FX on Hulu’s The Patient where she stars alongside Steve Carrell and Domhnall Gleeson. The Joel Fields and Joseph Weisman-helmed series, who previously collaborated on FX’s hit series The Americans, follows a psychotherapist (Carrell), who is imprisoned by his client Sam (Gleeson) who reveals himself to be a serial killer. Emond plays Sam’s mother Candace who while not completely supportive of her son’s behavior, certainly isn’t discouraging of it either.
“I felt lucky every single day. It was great writing, great acting,” Emond said of working on the series. “Most of my stuff was with Steve Carrell, so how bad can that be? And Domhnall was a doll, even though he’s not playing a doll. It was a weird joy to go into such a dark show.”
Emond talks with us about the challenges in tackling the dark subject material and finding levity in between scenes when not filming, especially with her two co-stars Carrell and Gleeson whose roles were very emotional and physical. “We had to work to stay sane, especially Steve. I don’t know how he did that. Domhnall, too, but doing hours and hours in that basement? It was a great experience from top to bottom.”
New episodes of The Patient are available to stream Tuesdays on Hulu
ALISA REYES ON RETURN TO “THE PROUD FAMILY: LOUDER AND PROUDER”
Alisa Reyes is no stranger to the voiceover world, and even moreso to returning to beloved franchises after years since they wrapped: Nickelodeon’s All That and Disney Channel’s The Proud Family. Alisa shares her experiences working on both series’ original runs, how emotional and fulfilling it felt to return nearly two decades later, and the impact the show has had for young audiences of color who grew up watching them, as well as the first time she felt represented in entertainment when growing up.
Reyes’ big break was in 1994 when she joined the premiere cast of Nickelodeon’s All That, an SNL-style sketch comedy show for kids, by kids, that also launched the careers of Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell and Amanda Bynes, to name a few. The series made a grand return in 2019 and welcomed back some of its original cast members to kick things off, including Reyes.
Similarly, the entire voice cast of the 2001 Disney Channel animated series The Proud Family, returned to voice their characters for the Disney+ revival The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, which also featured a star-studded slate of guest stars from Keke Palmer, Billy Porter, Tiffany Haddish and Bretman Rock to pop icons Lizzo, Lil Nas X and CeeLo Green.
“We have an amazing outpour of guest stars!” Reyes said. “What’s amazing is that we have celebrities wanting to be on our show. Instead of us going to them, they came to us. For me, that’s been the blessing, that people want to be part of this frequency.”
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is streaming now on Disney+, with season 2 set to premiere in February 2023.
Katherine McNamara, star of The CW’s Walker Independence joins us to talk all about her leading role in the highly anticipated prequel series to the hit series Walker. Katherine shares her experience working on the series, which turns the classic Western genre on its head, with instead of the “traditional” leading male and hero, instead the series is led by McNamara and shows the reversal of the hero’s quest for justice and revenge as her character Abby Walker seeks her husband’s killer with the help of townspeople and fellow outsiders.
Walker Independence premieres Thursday, October 6th at 9pm ET on The CW
Instead of agreeing on an extension in the winter, Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees decided that they would figure of their future at the end of the 2022 season. Judge has taken full advantage of the situation to the tune of 60 homeruns, on pace to break the American League record set by fellow Yankee Roger Maris in 1961. But with only a week left in the regular season and the pressure building to greater heights with each passing day, when should we expect the Yankees slugger to break the record, or will he even break it at all? Justin Paura welcomes guest Justin DeVellis, sports anchor on News12 Connecticut, on the podcast again to talk about Judge’s season, the HR record, and more.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month we are joined by a delightful panel of professionals from the stage, screen and behind the scenes for a special roundtable discussion. Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Phillip Garcia, currently starring in Freevee series Sprung; television and film director Gabriela Tagliavini, whose latest project Christmas With You stars Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr.; and stage and screen actor Eric Anthony Lopez, currently starring in Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera and the upcoming Disney+ film Chang Can Dunk.
The group shared the individuals who made them feel the most represented in entertainment, from actor-comedians George Lopez and Cheech Marin, to Academy Award-winning directors Guillermo Del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro Iñárritu.
When the trio was asked “is now the best time to be a Hispanic in entertainment?” to which Tagliavini quickly responded “Yes! I see a change in front of the camera, there are more actors that are Latinos, there are more Latinos directing television. The female directors in film are still low but I think finally the Latino population is growing in the US and the numbers don’t lie so it’s a great time to create products for our community.”
Garcia, who has made guest appearances in Criminal Minds, Scandal, and Mayans MC, has also appeared in national commercials for major brands like State Farm, McDonalds, and Walmart and spoke on the increase in diversity and representation beyond just television and film, but also in commercials and advertising. “It was tough for me at first, in 2011 I booked maybe two commercials. But then [over the years] all of my Latin friends, my Asian friends and Indian friends started booking a lot. It’s a wonderful time to be an actor of color. I’m very happy to be on that wave.”
Lopez chimed in, noting that representation has not just increased for performers but for all positions behind the scenes as well, particularly on Broadway, from assistants to dressers and makeup artists. “You’re getting a really diverse group of people and it’s really something. It’s a nice time and we obviously still have work to do but it’s nice to see things shifting behind the camera, behind the stage and onstage.”
Watch the full conversation above, or choose your favorite podcast platform below to tune in.
After seven months that seemed like an eternity, the number one sports league in North America is finally back. The National Football League kicked off its regular season last Thursday night before an electric Sunday slate, followed by the debut of a new-look Monday Night Football on ESPN featuring Joe Buck and Troy Aikman with Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle.
There are so many different things to unpack from week 1, so Justin Paura is joined once again by Justin DeVellis, sports anchor at News12 Connecticut. The two discuss their key takeaways from the beginning of the football season and share who they see as the clear-cut Super Bowl favorites.
With the Consumer Tech Association projecting TV sales (as of July 2022) of 39mm in 2022 and 38mm in 2023, there is no legitimate viewpoint that television is dying. It remains the predominant aperture for well-produced, premium video content viewing. Yet we all know that the TV continues to evolve.
Over the past few years, we’ve heard quite a bit about the codification and integration of ATSC (Advanced Television Standards Committee) 3.0 standards: or its consumer-friendly brand name “NextGenTV”. NextGenTV sets have started to hit the market, in addition to the prototype convertors for older ATSC 2.0 sets. The era of ubiquitous two way, enhanced, interactive programing and advertising has arrived; and it won’t be dependent on any one particular OS or manufacturer.
Please join Pearl TV’s Managing Director, Anne Schelle and host of Media Metaverse, Jeff Minsky, as we discuss the roll-out and functionality of NextGenTV and what doors it will open to advertisers for enhanced advertising and when brands should begin thinking about testing those offerings.
Joining us from Oklahoma City are brothers, rappers and actors known as Lil Mike and Funny Bone, who received national recognition after their viral performance on America’s Got Talent in 2013 where they showcased their Indigenous heritage through their original rap song “Do The Rain Dance” that wowed the judges and audiences alike.
As of last fall, the pair have recurred as the equally hilarious and talented brothers Mose and Mekko on the hit FX on Hulu comedy series Reservation Dogs which, while snubbed at the Emmys, won the AFI Award, Independent Spirit Award, Peabody Award and Gotham Award for its premiere season. The two chat with us about their initial rejection for America’s Got Talent, and the eventual straight offer to appear on the show nearly a decade ago, as well as their experience working on Reservation Dogs and the series’ immense impact for Indigenous representation in entertainment.
It was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that the two first received word about the upcoming series pilot casting from their managers after their concert tour dates were canceled and they were on the lookout for their next booking. They shared that after looking at the script, the characters were not what they initially expected, “They were eleven-year old kids!” Lil Mike shared. “Their lines had cuss words in them, so we asked ‘can we change this up a little? And these jokes aren’t really funny enough.’ And [casting] said ‘make it your own!’” And they did exactly that, asking their brother to read the other lines and send in their audition tape to casting, and quickly received an offer.
To find out more of their journey with Reservation Dogs, watch the full interview above, or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
Reservation Dogs streams new episodes Tuesdays on Hulu under the FX on Hulu content hub.
Justin DeVellis, sports anchor at News12 Connecticut, joined Justin Paura on View From The Grandstand to compare and contrast all things Yankees and Mets.
Coming off a two-game series between baseball's two NY teams, the state is preparing itself for the possibility that the Subway Series may come back in October if both teams keep up their play. Yankees fan Justin Paura and Mets fan Justin DeVellis talk about what makes their teams exciting, how the other team may be better in some ways, and more in their candid conversation.
This week we are joined by three of the stars of HBO Max’s House of Ho, siblings Judy and Washington Ho and his wife Lesley Ho, to discuss the upcoming second season of the hit reality series. The Kardashians meets Crazy Rich Asians, the series has joined the likes of Bling Empire in featuring affluent Asian American families in the reality TV space. While the first season dealt with sibling rivalry, marital problems and a divorce, the second season sheds some light on Washington’s recovery and sobriety, as well as the family’s growth since its inaugural season in 2020.
“I saw the success of the Kardashians and thought ‘my family’s pretty interesting, too!’” Washington shared, speaking on the origins of the series. “I had a few friends in Hollywood that were producers, made a few phone calls and they said ‘you might have something here’. Then Crazy Rich Asians came out and showed me that there was a market for this.”
“I didn’t believe him until the cameras actually showed up!” Judy chimed in with a laugh. “And even after we filmed, I didn’t believe it until I saw the marketing for it on HBO Max. Not all of Washington’s ideas work, but when they work they’re home runs.”
When speaking on the biggest lesson learn, Washington delved into the varying generational and cultural depictions of masculinity and how “vulnerability is courage. Being an Asian male, I thought vulnerability was weakness, but having to be on-camera, being honest, and being your authentic self has really changed my life for the better.”
Season two of House of Ho premieres August 25th with new episodes weekly.
Join us for this edition of LGBT+ Advancing's podcast when our own Dr. Kryss sits down with WMX's Sr. Director of Global Advertising Revenue Strategy, Hugo Marquez. As they discuss Hugo's work, they can't help but reminisce about the good ole days of music as well as sharing what they are currently listening to. Plus, Hugo sheds light on the differences between the LGBT+ artists and musicians of the past and the LGBT+ artists of the present. They talk Hailey to Lizzo, 2Pac to Garth! What do they all have to do with inclusion? Plus, where does Hugo think inclusion in music is headed? He'll share those thoughts too. As a bonus, you'll hear both Hugo and Dr. Kryss talk about the songs they can't get out of their heads, the songs that have ruled their playlists for 20+ years, and the impact of different artists they've loved for a lifetime. Audiences are also asked to share their own favorite songs, artists, and memories. (You can join the conversation by using the hashtag _________ and tagging @itskryss and @mediavillage) What songs heal YOU? What artists do YOU play while going through a breakup? How do the identities of these musicians and singers impact listeners? Find out now by tuning in!
This week are joined by New York City actor Amr Elsheikh who chats with us about his latest role, a recurring arc on Showtime series City On A Hill, where he portrays Moustafa Mody, a new character in the show’s second season, opposite star Kevin Bacon.
Amr talks with us about his upbringing in Egypt and initial dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, a feat he nearly achieved until an untimely injury delayed the opportunity, as well as what sparked his interest in acting, and how there are very few Egyptian and Arabic actors he feels represented by. One he does have as a mentor is El Sayed Badreya, an Egyptian actor and filmmaker who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Iron Man and the popular video game series Uncharted.
“Badreya made a name for himself and he’s like my mentor now. I look up to him and ask him any questions I might have,” he said of the veteran actor. He went on to share how there are no Egyptian actors in his age group that he can confidently say make him feel represented, but that some friends back home have told him how proud they are to feel seen on television. “They now messaging me saying ‘I saw you on City on a Hill, you’re making us Arabs proud!’”
He also reflected on his career’s progress, and how his 13-year-old self never would have imagined a career in acting. “What are the chances of you booking a TV show with Kevin Bacon? It’s slim-to-none. An Egyptian boy at 13 years old? It’s impossible.” Yet here he is with a 4-episode recurring arc opposite a movie and TV star!
City on a Hill airs Fridays at 10pm ET on Showtime
This week are joined by New York City actor Amr Elsheikh who chats with us about his latest role, a recurring arc on Showtime series City On A Hill, where he portrays Moustafa Mody, a new character in the show’s second season, opposite star Kevin Bacon.
Amr talks with us about his upbringing in Egypt and initial dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, a feat he nearly achieved until an untimely injury delayed the opportunity, as well as what sparked his interest in acting, and how there are very few Egyptian and Arabic actors he feels represented by. One he does have as a mentor is El Sayed Badreya, an Egyptian actor and filmmaker who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Iron Man and the popular video game series Uncharted.
“Badreya made a name for himself and he’s like my mentor now. I look up to him and ask him any questions I might have,” he said of the veteran actor. He went on to share how there are no Egyptian actors in his age group that he can confidently say make him feel represented, but that some friends back home have told him how proud they are to feel seen on television. “They now messaging me saying ‘I saw you on City on a Hill, you’re making us Arabs proud!’”
He also reflected on his career’s progress, and how his 13-year-old self never would have imagined a career in acting. “What are the chances of you booking a TV show with Kevin Bacon? It’s slim-to-none. An Egyptian boy at 13 years old? It’s impossible.” Yet here he is with a 4-episode recurring arc opposite a movie and TV star!
City on a Hill airs Fridays at 10pm ET on Showtime
On August 3rd, Dan Abrams, host of the NewsNation program Dan Abrams Live, joined Erich Prince for a wide-ranging conversation on media bias, how cable news has changed over the past two decades, and how NewsNation has bet its positioning on the belief that there is a large untapped middle of Americans looking for an alternative to the partisan and acrimonious norm when it comes to cable news.
The entire sports media world is ready for football season in the coming weeks and Audacy is preparing for a big year with all its NFL programming.
Spike Eskin, Sports Format VP at Audacy, joins Justin Paura on the podcast to talk about all the things the radio juggernaut has to offer for NFL season and gets into what it’s like to work with WFAN in New York. Spike also talks about his working relationship with former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and why he feels he is so successful in the talk radio space.
The entire sports media world is ready for football season in the coming weeks and Audacy is preparing for a big year with all its NFL programming.
Spike Eskin, Sports Format VP at Audacy, joins Justin Paura on the podcast to talk about all the things the radio juggernaut has to offer for NFL season and gets into what it’s like to work with WFAN in New York. Spike also talks about his working relationship with former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and why he feels he is so successful in the talk radio space.
On August 3rd, Dan Abrams, host of the NewsNation program Dan Abrams Live, joined Erich Prince for a wide-ranging conversation on media bias, how cable news has changed over the past two decades, and how NewsNation has bet its positioning on the belief that there is a large untapped middle of Americans looking for an alternative to the partisan and acrimonious norm when it comes to cable news.
Television, film and Broadway actor Brian D’Arcy James joins us to talk about two of his latest projects: a starring role in the Sondheim musical Into The Woods, currently on Broadway; and a major recurring role on Paramount+ series EVIL.
“I love the show, I love how bold it is, I love what it does with genre” James said of the series. “It really takes you places that are surprising which is hard to do these days. The appetite for this thing is pretty voracious and I think it’s because of how bold and imaginative that the Kings are with their storytelling. It’s great to be part of something that has such mystery behind it and really can go to extreme places.
“To play Victor LeConte as this mysterious cloak-and-dagger figure is a dream come true for me. I’m a big fan of spy shows and novels and to scratch the surface of that genre with this character is really, really fun.”
James first appeared in the series’ during the second season and worked with the late Peter Scolari who was a recurring character throughout the first two seasons before his untimely death. “That scene [in season two] that I did to set my character on its course was with Peter and I think very fondly of that,” he said of working with the Emmy-winning actor. “He was such a fixture on the show.”
You can see Brian D’Arcy James in the season finale of EVIL, available to stream on Paramount+. Into the Woods is currently in performances on Broadway at the St. James Theatre.
This week, the sports world lost two icons in very different respects. 11-time NBA Champion and five-time MVP Bill Russell passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on Sunday, then arguably the greatest play-by-play broadcaster of all time Vin Scully did the same at the age of 94 Wednesday morning. These two will forever be remembered as legends who were at the top of their profession who inspired so many people to be chase their dreams and not be afraid to go down in the history books. Russell is known off the court as one of the premier civil rights activists in sports while also having one of the best laughs ever heard, and Scully was invited into sports fans homes for years with his soothing voice and comforting ambiance. Justin Paura reflects on what both icons meant to the sports world and beyond.
The NFL season is right around the corner as all 32 teams have reported to training camp over the past week, including the San Francisco 49ers. At the start of camp, the team announced that veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will not be the team's starter going forward, with all signs pointing to him not being with the team by the time September rolls around. The 31-year old just brought San Francisco to its second NFC Championship performance in three years, but the team hopes to upgrade by handing second-year QB Trey Lance the keys to the franchise. Justin Paura breaks down why the 49ers have to make this change and where he sees Jimmy G winding up before the season officially starts.
Actress of stage and screen Julia Lester joins us on the podcast this week to chat about the latest season of Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Julia shares what she looks forward to for audiences to see in season three, some of the biggest changes from previous seasons including a production move from Utah to Los Angeles, and also talks about her recent Broadway debut in Into the Woods as Little Red, starring opposite Sara Bareilles, Patina Miller and Gavin Creel.
The series and preceding Disney Channel films of the same name were filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah. Season three, however, takes place at a musical theater summer camp and production moved from the wintery city to Los Angeles, a change welcomed by the cast and crew. “We shot in Utah during the winter, which is beautiful in its own right, but we had to stay inside and bunker up during the snow storms. So to go to a summer season where 80% of our show is outside was really exciting!”
Julia also talks about her unexpected Broadway debut in Into the Woods, what was meant to be a two-week run as part of New York City Center’s Encores! season which earned rave reviews and a sold-out run. “I don’t think I could have ever imagined it having a Broadway run. Everyone says we had a lighting-in-the-bottle cast and show and this underlying understanding that this was very different than anything we’ve ever experienced before.” Coincidentally, Walt Disney Pictures was the studio behind the Oscar-nominated 2014 film of the same name.
When asked what advice she’d give to actors who want to be where she is as a performer, she said “Keep performing! No matter what capacity it is. If you’re out there performing, that’s a huge accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself.”
Season 3 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series premieres July 27th on Disney+
Justin Paura have become increasingly frustrated year after year about how Major League Baseball seemingly does everything in its power to not appeal to the younger generation. The latest piece of evidence supporting this is that the highly anticipated seven-part Derek Jeter documentary “The Captain” is being stretched out over a four-week time span. The reason this is so egregious is because there is nothing relevant happening in the sports world during the month of July and, just like how “The Last Dance” captured the attention of sports fans with an episode for 10 consecutive week nights, this series would be the most talked about sports content of the month. Instead, it will bleed into NFL preseason which will always take precedent over baseball. Justin airs out my qualms with MLB and explain why it’s missing out on a huge opportunity to maximize exposure to a younger audience in this week’s View From The Grandstand.
Television and film actor David Del Rio joins us this week to chat all about the new Hulu comedy series “Maggie”, which follows a young psychic who, for the first time, sees herself in a glimpse of the future when she meets David’s character Ben. David shares how he and his co-star Rebecca Rittenhouse prioritized their on-screen chemistry as they developed their characters, his experience filming yet another series during the pandemic, and how Latin TV legends like John Leguizamo made him feel represented growing up
Speaking on working with his co-star Rebecca, he shared, “When you’re working with someone like Rebecca it’s really easy. It’s all about having fun and understanding the balance between how much you lean into each other, and how you back away from each other so you can give the audience a good, healthy ‘will they, won’t they’ scenario.”
He also spoke on how fortunate he feels to have been part of so many feel-good projects like ABC’s Baker and the Beauty, Netflix’s A California Christmas and now with Maggie during the past two years that were particularly challenging for the entertainment industry. “We all realized how lucky we are to do this and how lucky we are that we’re all still safe to do this,” he said. “We thought ‘well, we don’t know if we’ll be back next year, so let’s just have fun!’ There was a big cloud of gratefulness over our set.”
Season one of "Maggie" is now streaming on Hulu.
Almost a year ago, Ainsley Andrade wrote what was probably the most glowing review he'd ever given to show made by Black creators on network that primarily marketed to Black people. Shows made "for us, by us" have to be held to higher standards if they're meant to be taken seriously in what is still mostly a predominantly white media landscape. The recipient of said praise was none other than Bounce TV's Johnson, created, written and executive produced by Atlanta native Deji LaRay, who also stars.
In this interview with LaRay and executive producer Eric Rhone, they get down to brass tacks about how their partnership works, why Johnson strikes a chord and the importance of depicting Black men with emotional intelligence. This is especially important because, as Rhone puts it, "As African American males, we are like everyone else in that we're unlike anyone else."
Last week, the college sports world was rocked by the news that USC and UCLA have reached an agreement to join the Big Ten conference as early as 2024. The two California schools, currently in the PAC-12, join a conference with schools primarily located in the mid-west as the seismic change in the NCAA is now in full swing. This comes off the heels of the University of Oklahoma and University of Texas announcing they were moving from the Big 12 to the SEC last year as the money to be made for these schools is too much to ignore. Justin Paura breaks down why these moves make sense for these universities and how the college sports landscape could look in the next few years.
Global consulting Goliath, McKinsey & Company has a history of being a primary source of intelligence and guidance for some of the top companies and business leaders in the world. They are also a major arbiter of the investment path, and therefore the immediate future which Enterprise, as a whole, takes given their respect and influence. So, when McKinsey & Company issues a report advising its clients that the Metaverse is a $5 trillion opportunity, with a $3 trillion e-Commerce impact, you probably should take a look at that report. Which is exactly what Media Metaverse with Minsky did.
Hamza Khan, partner at McKinsey & Company, is one of the architects of that report. I had the pleasure of speaking with Khan, which I hope is only the first of many opportunities to do so. We spoke about the Metaverse, the hype, the real opportunities, and the impact that our current global macroeconomic situation may (or may not) have on their growth projections.
I highly encourage you to listen and learn as we bust some myths and challenge some preconceived notions about the future of digital.
Click to download the full (free) report: Value Creation in the Metaverse: The Real Business of Virtual World.
Charter's Amber Fogler-Tortora talks with our Dr. Kryss on her greatest professional successes, how one little letter was worth the fight, and on what she'll be up to during Pride 2022.
To close out Pride month, we are joined by David Collins, Co-Founder, and Rob Eric, Chief Creative Officer, of Scout Productions, the Emmy and Academy Award-winning production company. David and Eric are the creative minds behind iconic LGBTQ+ centered series including the groundbreaking Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, HBO Max’s ballroom competition show Legendary, the Netflix reboot Queer Eye, the HBO Max street fashion competition series The Hype, the historical documentary Equal and their Academy Award winning documentary The Fog of War.
David and Rob chat with us about how each of them first became involved in entertainment, including David’s time working as an assistant to actress Jodie Foster and Trevor Project founder Peggy Rajski. Rob also talks about his audition for the grooming expert in the original Queer Eye, while his roommate at the time, Carson Kressly, ended up becoming the series’ fashion expert.
“We grew up in the '80s and '90s and we didn’t see ourselves represented in TV," Eric explains. "And if we did, we were a background character, or the villain, or the butt of the joke. When David created Queer Eye, all of a sudden five gay men became the face of a show and were everywhere. It started to open up doors, particularly in unscripted.”
When speaking on current shows that are spearheading LGBTQ+ representation, David raves about the Netflix hit Heartstopper. “I’m about to be 55 and to get to sit with my twin girls, one of whom identifies as a lesbian, and watch this show that is so loving and beautiful meant the world [to me]. In 2022 I got to sit on the couch with my daughters and watch this story of two teenage boys falling in love.”
Queer Eye is available to stream on Netflix. Legendary, The Hype and Equal are available to stream on HBO Max.
Only three years into his four-year maximum contract, former MVP and two-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. This comes just hours before NBA free agency began and two days after teammate Kyrie Irving opted into a $36.5 million player option to stay with the team. Justin Paura dives into what went wrong in his time in Brooklyn and why the NBA should feel at fault for how much power the players have.
Join Dr. Kryss and Paramount's Jay Randall as they discuss Pride from the 90s to now to the future. In this podcast, everything from Jay’s mug to his earring holds meaning! This conversation starts with a blast from the past as they reminisce about their shared memories of Danny from Real World: New Orleans. Why was he so impactful to each of them? Next, the duo moves into the impact of "if you can see it, you can be it" when it comes to the decisions behind making advertising more inclusive. Can it be done without alienating more conservative audiences? Plus, Jay shares why he isn't so against rainbow-washing, as controversial as it is. Does Dr. Kryss agree? Learn too what Paramount is up to not just in June but all year when it comes to supporting LGBT+ employees and viewers. Finally, Jay gives us his closing thoughts on the importance of on-going visibility in Paramount content, in stores, and in our lives. You also won’t want to miss the unexpected -and truly outrageous- way Jay closes out this episode of LGBT+ Advancing’s podcast; it’s the first time this has ever happened and Dr. Kryss is absolutely here for it… you should be too!
In this episode of LGBT+ Advancing’s podcast, our Dr. Kryss talks with Paramount’s Angel Bellon. He begins by admitting that he just may be a galaxy defender… or perhaps he just dresses like one! Later, they explore Paramount’s recent research on what impacts viewers and why. Do you know just how impactful it is when a business donates to anti-LGBT+ politicians? If you don’t know, you may be making a HUGE mistake! For those wanting to avoid making such an error, Angel offers an excellent analogy of how to keep inclusion from only happening during Pride month by baking affirmation and acceptance into the workplace throughout the entire year. Plus, find out what makes Angel able to give us insights into the top trends in media. He teaches Dr. Kryss what it means to be a trend forecaster, dispels some myths when she connects it to Saturday Night Live, and helps us all to understand why trend forecasting truly matter. He clues us in not just on what’s going on but also where you need to be heading if you want to stay on top of the latest media trends. Are Angel Bellon and Dr. Kryss trending? Are they trendy? Find out when you tune in!
Blockboard CEO Matt Wasserlauf joins Erich Prince to discuss his company's unique approach as well as insights on blockchain and accountability in digital advertising
American-Canadian actress and General Hospital star Cassandra James joins us for a delightful chat about her experience working on the decades-spanning series, including her reaction to booking the role of Dr. Terry Randolph, which made headlines as Cassandra became the first openly trans actor to portray a trans character in daytime television, and the increasing importance of gratitude in life.
“Gratitude is so important every step of the way. My childhood was not easy. I wasn’t really in touch with my authenticity until much later in my life. I didn’t come out as trans until my mid-20s,” she shared. “Despite all the obstacles that I navigated as a kid and into adulthood, I think I’ve always known why I’m here and what I want to do in the world. Even 13-year-old closeted, bullied, anguish-ridden me would see me now and be like ‘okay yes! Keep going, keep going!’”
Cassandra also talks about her role as Olympia in the CBC/HBO Max comedy series Sort Of, which is created by and stars genderqueer actor and playwright Bilal Baig, with an LGBTQ+ and POC cast, exploring queer millennial identity.
“I think Sort Of is doing a really beautiful job of exploring what it means to be a queer person living today, a contemporary exploration of queerness,” she shared. “There’s a lot of nuance and there are so many colors in the production and in the way in which the world is created and painted. I’m really excited for audiences to get in there and see how some of us live and navigate our lives.”
General Hospital airs weekdays at 3pm ET.
Sort Of is available to stream on HBO Max and CBC Gem.
In today's podcast for LGBT+ Advancing, Dr. Kryss is joined by Mower's Andrew Doucette. Together, they discuss how previously silent businesses are beginning to come out in support of LGBT+ people and the impact that being out as a company or as a person can make on everyone.
What are you willing to risk? Michael and Dr. Kryss discuss the risks they've taken and what happens in the aftermath of deciding to take that leap. Would YOU risk what they have? Does Michael have regrets? Watch to find out!
Cadent's DiShawn Vance and MediaVillage LGBT+ Advancing's Dr. Kryss discuss pronouns and ERGs, pronunciation and sensitivity. Plus, they'll share their feelings about becoming intentionally uncomfortable in the workplace and in the world.
In this edition of LGBT+ Advancing’s Podcast, our own Dr. Kryss talks with OUTFRONT’s Monica Salcedo. First, Monica will share the history of her Zoom background, including where you can check it out in a larger than life way. Next, they discuss whether a fully inclusive workplace is a risky decision for an employer… should YOUR workplace take this risk? Then, listen in as Dr. Kryss and Monica talk about the ways in which a wedding photo or an accidental Zoom cameo could ruin an employee’s entire career. They’ll offer insights into how to prevent your colleagues from being under such scrutiny. Monica will also share her personal experiences of how impactful it is to work for an organization that sees the full package of what she brings to the workplace. Plus, find out how YOU may be creating barriers that keep your employees from working successfully together using Monica’s story as an example. The hiring practices and the ERG at OUTFRONT helped her to become less guarded and more collegial at work; now you can use their methods as a blueprint for your own workplace environment. You don’t want to miss these peeks into the OUTFRONT world, tune in now!
For the first time in decades, there is a legitimate competitor to the PGA in the golf world. Justin Paura explains why the LIV Golf Tour came about, the details behind the rivalry, and how this is going to get much worse before it gets better.
Our own Dr. Kryss talks with A&E's Erica Barnes about a small fluffy dog, inclusion on a company's employees, and the impact of peanut butter.
How do all of these relate to A&E's Pride ERG? Tune in now to find out!
Join AMC's Blake Callaway and our own Dr. Kryss as they talk representation in the media. They'll share some sneak-peeks into upcoming documentaries coming to AMC, IFC, and streaming platforms, they'll talk about the importance of seeing one's self on screen, and they'll try to figure out a balance between marching for rights and being a couch potato!
To celebrate and say farewell to the beloved teen dramedy Love, Victor, we are joined by three of its young stars, Anthony Turpel (‘Felix’), Isabella Ferreira (‘Pilar’), and Mateo Fernandez (‘Adrian’). The trio talks about their character’s growth, share what they hope audiences take away from the series, and reminisce about what they were thinking and feeling on their first day of production. “I remember being so nervous and not knowing what to do or what to say,” Ferreira shared. Although the young actress had worked on series like Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, her role in Love, Victor was her first series regular role. “I was so scared but everyone was so sweet and kind and everyone had open arms.” Fernandez similarly was nervous, especially being the youngest member of the cast and only being 9 years at the time of his casting. “I was so scared and so shy, I didn’t say a word, I’m sure you remember,” he said to Ferreira, who plays his older sister on the show.
Reflecting on his character’s growth throughout the series, Turpel spoke on how much Felix has gone through, starting as the goofy best friend and later having to become his mother’s caretaker when her depression was at its worst. “Balancing that and school and learning to reach out for help, or even figure out what help even is. In his mind, everything was fine, and he was dealing with this for a long time. He’s grown incredibly over the last three years.”
Ferreira then shared that she is most looking forward to for audiences to see “the chaos that is season three but we send things off in a very good way. We really put our all and care so much about the show and just wanted to leave it off in a really peaceful manner.” Fernandez chimed in, “I’m excited to see how people react to the chaos and to the endings, especially if they have predictions for what happens after the series ends.”
The third and final season of Love, Victor will be available to stream in its entirety on June 15th on Hulu and Disney+
Audio is a powerhouse marketing and advertising medium, that to some, may be discounted by some media strategists for its lack of visual stimulation. Yet, we are ‘listening’ to music, spoken word, podcasts on so many various platforms that, not only has it become even more pervasive in our lives than ever before, but now that music may be coming through platforms such as Connected TVs, Amazon Echo Shows or Google Nest Hubs that do add an element of visualization to the experience.
Regardless of visuals, as seen in the latest stats from Audacy’s State of Audio Report 2022: The Disruptors - The Listeners, the Creators and Advertisers Revolutionizing Audio sheds insights
MedaVillage’s Lead Analyst, Jeff Minsky, recently had the opportunity to sit down with Audacy CMO Paul Suchman to discuss the key findings in the report, the scientific proof of the impact of audio, as well as the importance and expansion that local audio talent is making in the Creator Economy.
On June 16th at 2pm EST Audacy will be holding their Audacy Insight Series: State of Audio - The Disruptors webinar. You can sign up for the free session here.
Join Ampersand's Ayannah Johnson and our own Dr. Kryss as they talk about their background in DEI work, as they offer tips on how to make your spaces more inclusive, and how television watching can impact how we view one another as we work towards a more inclusive workplace.
Danielle Pinnock, one of the many breakout stars in the ensemble of CBS hit comedy Ghosts, joins us on the podcast and chats all about her experiences working on the series, sharing that she was actually a replacement for the initial actress cast as Alberta who had to depart during the pandemic-made uncertainty, and how she is the total opposite of her character, as she is a self-described ‘home body’ while Alberta is a “boisterous, brassy, delicious hot mess of a diva!” Danielle also shares who from history and her own life inspired her character. “I wanted to pay homage to all of the unsung heroes of the 1920s, the Black heroes especially. The Bessie Smith’s, the Ma Rainey’s, and just really give them some shine through this character.” She also shared that Alberta was inspired by her own grandmother’s storytelling ability. “My grandma Euna is that girl that always has the stories. She’ll say ‘oh, I remember this one time in Jamaica…’ and I think ‘oh God, where are we going with this? We’ve got company!” she laughed. “Alberta is a star in her own right, in her own mind, but also has these moments of poignancy, like when she’s trying to get Hetty to vote. I definitely think this character is a dream role. She’s stretched me in so many ways as an actor and I’m so excited for the shenanigans we have in store for season two.”
Danielle also spoke about how unified the cast experience was as it was the first series regular roles for the majority of the ensemble cast, and none of them lived in Montreal, their filming location, so they got to know each other during the process. “None of us were in New York or LA with our families. We really got to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses in comedy, what makes people cry-laugh, I’m always the one who ends up cry-laughing. I break every time Devan [Chandler-Long] utters a line. He is so funny as Thor-finn. It’s just been a magical experience and we all know it’s special. That doesn’t necessarily happen on every TV sets and with ensembles. No one has an attitude, everyone is so gracious, so kind, so ready for the work.”
Season one of Ghosts is available to stream on Paramount+
Will Johnson, CEO of The Harris Poll, joins Erich Prince to discuss insights from polling as they pertain to the business of news media.
When Campbell Keller, Director of Product Development at Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), and Dr. Kryss get together, they cover CCO’s past, present, and future, as well as topics ranging from being out at work to being in-style in a Covid world. Find out more and find out which of the two is wearing pajama pants to networking events by tuning in now!
To kick off our Pride Month line-up of guests, we are joined by the delightful and hilarious Emmy-nominated host of E!’s Daily Pop, Justin Sylvester! Daily Pop recently celebrated its fifth year on the air and over 1,200 episodes, which came to a surprise to all of the hosts, Justin shared. “I started having flashbacks of how many people came through the door to guest co-host or promote something. We’ve just had so much fun over the years.”
“We’re just such a non-traditional TV show. We curse, we have a good time, we laugh, we cry, we ask the questions that most reporters are afraid to ask. I’m a gay black man. There are not a lot of things I can’t ask. But I always tell people if I ask you a question, feel free to turn it around on me if you’re feeling hesitant to talk about it. If I’m expecting a guest to be real with me, I have to not only be real with myself, but with them as well.”
In addition to his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and Black Trans rights, Justin is also on the board of Camp Lightbulb, an organization that provides summer camp experiences for LGBTQ+ youth and their families in New York City, Los Angeles and Provincetown. Justin shared that while at his first Camp Lightbulb annual Christmas Party, a camper spoke about how impactful it was for them. “Hearing them talk about what it was like to spend time with kids from around the country who thought like them and identify the same way that they did brought my back to what my life would have been like if I had that same experience and had a childhood that felt normal at that time.”
You can learn more at camplightbulb.org
Justin also shared some of the biggest moments in his life where he felt represented, one of which happened by accident when he forgot to change a TV channel and stumbled upon The RuPaul Show. “I thought ‘damn’. This man is here and people are celebrating him and he’s talking to stars. That for me was when I said ‘aha!’ I can do this. People like RuPaul, Ross Matthews, and the cast of Queer Eye on my TV screen during these crucial points in my life pushed me to want to pursue things that I didn’t think were possible.”
Daily Pop airs weekdays at 11am ET on E!
On this episode of LGBT+ Advancing, Dr. Kryss and Brendan Gaul talk about how a facial cleanser, a Hershey's Kiss, and a project about nurses each turned into insights about LGBT+ life. Tune in now for these stories and to find out what the future holds for Brendan's projects and how he's become Dr. Kryss' new bff.
After a long NBA season, a champion is set to be crowned as the Boston Celtics take on the Golden State Warriors. Justin previews the matchup and how both teams went against the current league model by sticking with their home grown title, as well as sharing the uncertainty of not only the series, but the broadcast as well.
Just in time for the theatrical release of the highly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick, we are joined by actor and voiceover artist Charles Parnell who chats with us about working on the film that’s four years in the making, how actors like Sidney Poitier was a huge influence on him growing up, and how his younger self would react to hearing that he’d star in the sequel to one of the biggest films of the 80s.
Parnell said that the younger cast members portraying the Top Gun pilots, including Miles Teller, Glenn Powell, Monica Babaro and Lewis Pullman, underwent an intense flight training program that star Tom Cruise designed, sharing “I tell all the young actors how happy I am for them, how I proud I am of them and how impressed I am that they went through and survived this ‘Tom Cruise training camp’ and have done what they’ve done in this film. I can’t wait to see their careers blow up. It’s a joy to see their rise just beginning.”
Top Gun: Maverick is in theatres everywhere May 27th.
For another insightful conversation in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are joined by Kian Talan (NCIS: Hawai’i), Román Zaragoza (CBS’ Ghosts), Soji Arai (Pachinko, Apple TV+) and Saylor Bell Curda (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Disney+).
The four discuss how their varying cultural backgrounds influenced how they saw themselves represented growing up, some of the AAPI stories they feel haven’t been told enough that they hope to see more of in the future, and the career struggles that come with being a mixed-race actor as now being seen as “not Asian enough” or “not White enough”.
Román shared that he rarely saw himself represented on screen due to his complex background, with his father being of Mexican and Akimel O'odham descent, and his mother being of Taiwanese descent. Despite that, growing up he found himself represented in people who he could relate to more on a personal level, like Paolo Montalban’s performance in the 1997 TV movie musical Cinderella. “That was the first time I thought ‘we can play leading men!’ I even played the Prince in Cinderella in the third grade. I was so inspired by him.”
NCIS: Hawai’i made history as the first network television series to have a Filipino family at the forefront, a feat which Kian Talan is honored to be part of, similarly sharing that Paolo Montalban was the only Filipino representation he had growing up. “It’s really cool that this new wave of Filipino creatives are coming to light like the Jo Koy project and a few others. Hopefully this opens the door for more Filipino film and TV.”
Saylor Bell joined the cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series for its upcoming third season and is no stranger to the entertainment business as her older siblings Glory, Major and Piper Curda have appeared in shows on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and The CW. When asked about when she first felt represented, she quickly mentioned her own sister, “It is so difficult to find people who look like me onscreen, especially being half-white, half-Korean and who is actually represented as such, as mixed.”
Soji Arai spoke about how his own heritage of Zainichi Korean, meaning ethnically Korean but living and culturally being in Japan, as his grandparents left Korea for Japan after World War II. This was a story, although common for many in Japan, that was never seen before in Hollywood. That is, until his current series Pachinko, a generation-spanning tale of a Zainichi family, was produced by Apple TV+, recently renewed for a second season. “It’s just like my family! I’m so proud to be part of Pachinko. Finally, I can feel ‘Okay. We exist.’”
NCIS: Hawai’i and Ghosts are available to stream on Paramount+. Pachinko is streaming now on Apple TV+. Season 3 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series premieres July 27th on Disney+.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard and 10-year NBA veteran Patrick Beverley has been appearing on ESPN programming over the last week harshly criticizing NBA players still in the postseason, particularly Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul. Justin Paura shares why he thinks Beverley is coming off as more disrespectful than critical and why he has no right to be going off like he is, especially if he is planning to return to the NBA next season.
We are excited to welcome rising star Nicholas Alexander Chavez of ABC's iconic daytime soap General Hospital to the first edition of our new video interview series Behind The Scenes In Hollywood. Nicholas chats with us about his audition experience for the role of Spencer Cassidine, how he channeled his own life experiences into the character, and, as a fan of fantasy and sci-fi, the potential outlandish soap storylines he hopes to be a part of in the future.
"As an actor, I've never gotten to do anything with magic or fantasy. I would say that General Hospital tends to stay more on the realistic side, and if you watch the show, that's saying something because we do have some crazy storylines. But I think that stuff's cool!"
He also shared the desire to work more, or in some cases work for the first time, with some of his co-stars, including John Patrick Stewart, Laura Wright and Maurice Benard. "We have such a huge cast that someone who is in one pocket of the show could go years without ever intersecting with others."
NFL quarterback Tom Brady has agreed to a reported 10-year/$375 million contract to be the lead analyst for football games on FOX. The only problem being: he is still playing this year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Justin Paura explains the enormity of the record contract, what it means for Brady's playing career and when the earliest we could all expect the future hall-of-famer to be in the booth.
VICE News Senior Reporter Ben Hunte and our own Dr. Kryss (of LGBT+ Advancing) talk about world views of inclusion and being on the frontlines both professionally and personally. Tune in to also pick up their top tips on how to be a better supporter for absolutely no money and almost no time!
In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are joined by actors from across film and television for a special roundtable discussion: Desmond Chiam, Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Prime Video’s With Love; Max Huang, Warner Bros. Mortal Kombat; Sierra Katow, HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls; and Mike Cabellon, NBC’s Mr. Mayor.
The four shared their thoughts on the current state of AAPI representation in entertainment, what they hope to see more of throughout Hollywood in the near future, and the impact that some of their own roles have had on their community.
Moderating the discussion was MediaVillage’s Juan Ayala, who opened with “Looking at the history of entertainment, is now the best time to be an Asian American actor?”
“So far!” Mike Cabellon quickly said with a laugh. “There’s no part in history where I’m like ‘I’d rather have been alive then’, but I also hope that we’re doing enough work that it’ll be better for the next generation.” Desmond Chiam added, “We’re on an incline. As each second passes that becomes the new best time to be an Asian American actor.”
Max Huang chimed in, “I feel very privileged to be living in this day and age. With this whole, let’s call it the ‘Asian Wave’, I feel that I jumped right on and feel very lucky and happy to be here.”
“I think hearing from actors who’ve been working for a long time or started a while ago, those stories compared to what we get to do?, it's like 'oh wow, thank you!'” Sierra Katow added. “I like to think that our achievements are our own but they did a lot of work and we get to benefit from it.”
“We’re definitely standing on the shoulders of giants.” Chiam said.
The NHL playoffs are here and TV viewership has skyrocketed from a year ago in year one of a seven-year deal with Disney and Turner. Justin dives into the success of the new rights deal as well as sharing why he thinks the NHL postseason stands alone amongst the four major sports.
Film and television actor, writer and director Danny Pino joins us on the podcast this week to chat about his experience on the hit FX series Mayans MC, spin-off of the long-running Sons of Anarchy. Danny shares how refreshing it was to play a villainous character like Miguel in Mayans after multiple seasons (and nearly 300 episodes combined) as everyday heroes like Scotty Valens in Cold Case and Nick Amaro in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, with Miguel being the head of a drug cartel.
“Trust me, I’m one of the first ones to be skeptical when reading that description in a character. But digging deeper into who Miguel is and understanding the level of writing that we have on the show, it’s anything but stereotypical,” he said. “That is merely his job description. Really learning the range of what was capable and what the writers offered me was something that I was incredibly excited about.”
Pino also shared that the time he felt most represented growing up was when he saw Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy, a TV icon he would get the chance to portray in the 2003 CBS TV movie Lucy opposite Broadway’s Rachel York. “It was an honor, it was a lot of pressure but definitely an honor and something I took very seriously representing and trying to find that authenticity and humanity that he exuded,” he said of playing the role.
Keep an eye out for Danny’s Mayans directorial debut which he teased during our chat, “I was given the opportunity by Elgin James and FX to direct episode 408. I’m incredibly excited about it and equally grateful for the opportunity.”
You can see Danny Pino in Mayans MC, Tuesdays at 10pm on FX.
Actor and stand-up comedian T. Murph joins us on the podcast this week to talk about season two of Woke, which recently released its second season on Hulu. Woke follows a cartoonist Keef Knight (Lamorne Morris) who is on the brink of mainstream success when a traumatic incident with police changes his perspective on the world.
T. Murph chats with us about the changes that season two underwent from it’s pre-pandemic first season, including a production move from Vancouver to Atlanta, how his fellow stand-up comedians were the best representation he felt growing up, and why the series will never run out of social issues to tackle with a light-hearted, yet effective, touch.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Woke are now available to stream on Hulu.
Just in time for International Dance Day, we are joined by professional dancer, travel host, executive producer of the four-time Emmy Award winning travel dancer series Bare Feet With Mickela Mallozzi. Mickela chats with us about her early days as a dancer and what drew back into the art after taking a break, what it was like filming season 5 of the series to highlight the New York City dance culture during the pandemic, and the transformative power of dance for people of all ages across the globe.
Bare Feet with Mickella Mallozzi is available to stream on the PBS app and PBS.com, as well as TravelBareFeet.com
This week we are joined by TikTok star, comedian and content creator Antonio Baldwin aka TonyTalks! Through his hilarious comedy sketches, Tony has amassed a following of a combined 2 million across social media platforms and shares how creativity and authenticity have been key to his success, his vision for a potential longer format comedy show for television, and shares advice for content creators who land ad partnerships with brands and businesses.
According to the recent March 2022 Data Privacy - U.S. Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors survey by the Consumer Tech Association, two-thirds of adults have significant privacy concerns with internet-based technology. 84% believe that online privacy should be a consumer right, with 75% sharing the opinion that ‘control over my personal privacy is more important than convenience’. These opinions are, with increasing velocity, being voiced in the form of state referendums and turned into legislation that has already caused confusion and realignment of what it means to target in the digital era. While there are recent signs that Congress may attempt to write a Federal Privacy law, there is no sure bet that it will actually happen, pass, and actually not make things worse for marketers. While states like California, Colorado, Nevada, and now Utah have passed state privacy laws, enforcement in the US is just beginning. If GDPR in the EU is any indication, that enforcement will cost violators a pretty penny.
Enter Richy Glassberg who along with being an Internet Ad Sales pioneer, an industry leader as Vice Chairman and Founder of the IAB, an entrepreneur and a CEO, is a friend of mine since almost the first banner was served, when I was running the IBM Digital business at Ogilvy and Richy was slinging banners at CNN.com. Glassberg is just as passionate about the digital media and advertising industry now as he was then. Glassberg saw that privacy would become a dominant industry topic and created, along with his business partner/general counsel Wayne Matus, Safeguard Privacy, a compliance platform to help businesses understand and adhere to the many nuances that the continued roll-out of privacy legislation brings.
Don’t miss my conversation with Richy around his product and the current state of data privacy in the Media Metaverse.
Erich J. Prince hosts Kent Harrington, author of MediaVillage's "In the National Interest" column, to discuss how the news media has covered Ukraine, the role of foreign policy journalism (particularly over time), and how the American public tends to engage with reporting from abroad.
This week we are thrilled to be joined by the cast of HBO Max series The Garcias, a revival and continuation of 2000’s Nickelodeon family comedy The Brothers Garcia. The entire main cast has returned to reprise their roles, now over twenty years later with the Garcia siblings all grown up, with new cast members as their spouses, children and friends. The cast talks with us about the multicultural Latine experiences that are not often showcased in television and media, including biracial marriages, growing up mixed-race, and the varying dynamics amongst the Latine community.
The Garcias premieres April 14th on HBO Max.
MediaVillage founder Jack Myers provides commentary about macrotrends in the media industry, as uncovered in the Myers Report.
At the end of February, NBCUniversal announced a new partnership with Anzu to increase its presence in the gaming world with in-game advertising. Executive Vice President of Advanced Advertising & Partnerships at NBCU, Joe Cady joins Justin on the podcast to discuss what this partnerships means for the company and why the idea of getting into the gaming industry is so exciting.
This week we are joined by Emmy, Tony and Critics Choice Award winner Courtney B. Vance, who talks all about his upcoming series on AMC and how, despite being based on a novel, could easily have been a "ripped from the headlines" plot. Vance also reminisces on one of his earliest roles in the Yale Rep and subsequent Broadway production of August Wilson's Fences opposite James Earl Jones and Mary Alice, and how the industry has changed and evolved since then. 61st Street premieres Sunday, April 10th at 10pm ET on AMC
Join Dr. Kryss for a conversation with Tik Tok Star Noah_WithNoArk as they discuss being cast members on TLC's "I Am Jazz," on Noah's rise to 11 million social media likes, and on where he thinks transgender representation in the media is heading.
Follow him on Tik Tok @theonlynoah_withnoark
IG at Noah\_WithNoArk
6AM City co-founder Ryan Heafy joins Erich Prince to follow-up on their April, 2020 conversation and to discuss his company's progress, advertisements vs. subscriptions, and whether there still is a future for local news.
Natasha Sinagoga, Regional Vice President of Local Sales at Ampersand, joins Justin on the podcast to discuss Ampersand's efforts to connect with local advertisers and share her experiences as a diehard sports fan on a bucket list challenge.
This week we are joined by the hilarious creators and stars of the CBC and FUSE sketch comedy series TallBoyz: Guled Abdi, Vance Banzo, Franco Nguyen, and Tim Blair! The four share how their show came to fruition from sketch comedy festivals to television, some of their favorite sketches and recurring characters, and the many social issues the series has approached with a lighthearted sense of humor, including race, politics, cultural appropriation, and toxic masculinity.
TallBoyz premieres Wednesday, March 23rd at 10 pm ET on FUSE
For the first time since 2019, the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament will feature full stadiums and travel for all 68 teams. Justin Paura breaks down this year’s field by explaining how and where to watch, sharing the biggest storylines, and giving his predictions for the Final Four and potential upsets.
Joining us for a special edition of Multicultural TV Talk in honor of Women's History Month are two of the stars of The CW's Kung Fu, Yvonne Chapman and Shannon Dang who talk all about the second season of the hit series, the positive impact the show has had in regards to Asian American representation, and the women they took inspiration from for their respective roles. Kung Fuairs Wednesdays at 9pm on The CW
Chief Business Officer of Sinclair Broadcasting Group JR McCabe joins Justin to discuss the Sinclair owned Bally Sports regional sports networks and how Sinclair is helping drive the viewer experience in sports through gamification.
In January 2020 the world began to take notice of a virus emanating from the Wuhan region of China. Yet, in the US, despite the confirmation in late January that the virus had arrived on our shores, it was mostly business as usual. For the media and tech world, all plans were 100% a go for attending the annual Music & Tech Festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX. In fact right up to the few days leading into the festival, Twitter and message boards were all in basic agreement that the organizers would never cancel it. Then, on March 6, just one week before the opening of the festival, the city of Austin canceled the event. Between that and the NBA Playoffs being canceled less than one week later, in the U.S. the “normal” began its transition to the “new normal”.
Fast forward to 2022 and thanks to the immunizations and the weaker Omicron variant our country is reopening and society is resocializing in person. Bookending and signaling the new beginning is the return of SXSW with a major focus being the convergence of tech and music in the form of Blockchain, NFTs, and Cryptocurrency.
Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs, spearheaded by CEO and Co-Founder of award-winning animation studio Bento Box, Scott Greenberg, is the inaugural blockchain sponsor of this weekend’s SxSW festival.
Greenberg joins myself and Jack Myers to give us a glimpse into the role that NFTs will play and the first streaming concert on the Blockchain, with Dolly Parton during SXSW. Per Greenberg, “We believe that this technology can disrupt the content production finance industry and business. We think this is the future.”
So get your shitkickers on and your cryptowallets ready because were entering the Media Metaverse with Minsky, Myers, and Greenberg (not a law firm).
Actress, writer and comedian X Mayo joins us to talk about the first season of NBC comedy American Auto;her reaction to booking the role, which is her first ever series regular role; and how she uses her sketch comedy group "Who Made The Potato Salad?" to provide industry resources for actors, writers and artists of color. The season finale of American Auto airs Tuesday, March 8th at 8pm ET on NBC and all episodes are available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.
We are joined by the co-creator and showrunner of NBC's latest hangout comedy Grand Crew,Phil Augusta Jackson. Just in time for the season finale, Phil shares how his wine bar hangouts with friends led to the show's inception, what he learned from his co-creator Dan Goor while working together on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and his hopes that audiences watch the show for some lighthearted humor during increasingly tense times.
Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the MLB season have been canceled as the league and players association failed to come together on a Collective Bargaining Agreement that would end the current lockout. Justin discusses how it got to this point, shares his thoughts on what this means for MLB and how the lockout will end.
Television and film actor Harvey Guillén joins us to talk about his latest role on Prime Video action drama "Reacher", the audition experience for his now Critics Choice nominated role in FX's hit comedy "What We Do In The Shadows" and how he tries to be the representation for young Latinx that he didn't see when he was growing up.
Love Life and Miracle Workers actress Sasha Compère joins us to chat about her latest project, Freeform comedy Single Drunk Female. Sasha shares how she perfectly related to her character as a first generation Haitian-American, how the series is relatable for so many young millennials navigating adulthood while tackling serious issues, and the often unexpected universality of immigrant stories in media.
New episodes of Single Drunk Female air Thursdays at 10:30pm ET on Freeform.
Now that a Super Bowl Champion has been crowned, basketball comes to the forefront of sports fans' minds. New York Interconnect's Colin Langan joins Justin to discuss March Madness and NBA playoffs, and how NYI gives advertisers access to the biggest games.
Joining us just in time for the return of CBS acclaimed hit FBI: International is actor Carter Redwood who talks with us about his reaction to joining the ever-growing Dick Wolf Television Universe (by next month, he’ll have ten series on the air!), his experience filming the series in Budapest, and why he’d tell his younger self to learn patience while navigating the entertainment industry.
Curtis Symonds, co-founder and President of HBCUGo.tv, joins Justin on the podcast to talk about former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores suing the NFL on grounds of racism and what could have prevented the situation. The two also reflect on an incredible NFL postseason and the landscape of the NBA, while Curtis shares about his experience as a top level high school basketball coach.
Television and film star Francia Raisa joins us to talk all about her latest series, Hulu's How I Met Your Father, which was just renewed for a second season! Francia shares her early Latina inspirations like Salma Hayek and Selena, how the diversity among the cast in HIMYF is increasingly important for audiences to see, and reminisces on her first major television role on ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Trent Attyah has gone from CEO of a startup sports betting company to one of the most popular gambling content creators in the country. He joins Justin to discuss the future of Bookit Sports, his rise to TikTok stardom and his new gig at The Game Day. Follow @bookitwithtrent on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram and @bookitsports on Twitch.
This week we are joined by actor and voiceover artist Tonatiuh (Starz' VIDA) who chats with us about his audition experience for the role of Antonio in ABC's latest drama Promised Land, how he is able to bring his own identity to his role as an openly gay man, and how each of the casts own immigrant experiences brought authenticity to their roles. New episodes of Promised Land are broadcast at 10pm ET on ABC and available to stream the next day on Hulu.
In this episode of Multicultural TV Talk we are joined by actress Mariel Molino who shares her reaction to being cast as Carmen in ABC's Promised Land, how her character was the perfect role to show her own multicultural, Mexican-American identity and how early trailblazers like Ricky Ricardo paved the way for Latine performers. New episodes of Promised Land are broadcast at 10pm ET on ABC and available to stream the next day on Hulu.
This week we are joined by stage and screen actor Asher Grodman, known for his hilarious portrayal as Trevor, the pantless wall street broker on CBS hit comedy "Ghosts". Asher chats with us about the COVID-induced, abnormally long process of making the series' pilot, the challenges that came with taking on his first truly comedic role, and his reaction to discovering their show's superfan, Mark Hamill!
In this edition of LGBT+ Advancing's Podcast, Dr. Kryss sits down with Jeanette Jennings. As co-stars of TLC's hit show "I Am Jazz" and friends for over 15 years, listen in to the conversation you won't find anywhere else about the ins and outs of reality tv and of being cast members of a GLAAD Award nominated show! You'll also hear more about the family's charity, TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation and learn how you can help support transgender youth!
On the heels of the most dramatic weekend in NFL postseason history, Human Design co-founder and partner John Weiss joins Justin to discuss the playoffs, his expectations for Super Bowl advertising and more.
The hit TLC show "I Am Jazz" has been airing its 7th season. Our own Dr. Kryss is a cast member and, for this LGBT+ Advancing episode, she's talking with Tommy Parfitt, the show's Director of Photography. What is it like working on a reality show? What advice does this cishet white man have for being a great LGBT+ ally? Find out that and get some exclusive insights from behind the scenes in this episode!
This week we are joined by television, film and Broadway actress Justina Machado who voices a new character, the fierce and adventurous Zee, in the sixth installment in the Ice Age film franchise. Justina talks with us about how she relates to her character, the messages of family and peace she hopes audiences take away from the film, and the strides made in Latinx representation in recent film and television.
For the first time in history, the NFL had an 18-week regular season. Now with the playoffs this weekend, another first comes as the first slate of playoff games will go on until Monday night. Justin breaks down all the games for Wild Card Weekend, including the return of Nickelodeon's playoff broadcast.
In the latest episode of Multicultural TV Talk, host Juan Ayala is joined by actress and writer Grasie Mercedes, who plays Fay in NBC's latest hangout comedy "Grand Crew". Grasie talks about her time as a journalist and writer on NBC's "Perfect Harmony" led to her booking a series regular role on "Grand Crew", how the show shines a light on several different Black experiences, and what audiences can look forward to for her character.
New episodes of Grand Crew air Tuesdays at 8:30pm ET on NBC, available to stream next day on Peacock and Hulu.
This week we are joined by star of stage and Edi Gathegi who you may recognize from films such as X-Men: First Class, the Twilight saga and NBC's The Blacklist and spin-off The Blacklist: Redemption. He most recently starred alongside an A-list ensemble in Netflix's action-packed western The Harder They Fall, opposite Jonathan Majors, Regina King and Idris Elba, as real-life outlaw Bill Pickett. Edi shares that while the film is certainly entertaining, it's also educating and bringing to light the amount of Black erasure in westerns since the Golden Age of Hollywood, and how actors like Don Cheadle films like Boyz n The Hood made him feel represented and seen while growing up.
The Harder They Fall is available to stream on Netflix.
When COVID-19 made it more difficult for everyone to leave their homes, the idea of going to the gym became logistically impossible. However, as a vaccine has been created and people are more comfortable getting back to reality, a new research study from Kantar shows that Americans have returned to gyms across the country and new memberships are increasing. Anne Fiedel, senior director of strategy and marketing at Zoom Media/GymTV, joins Justin to discuss what these new statistics show and how exciting it is that there is a rise in national gym attendance.
This week we are joined by the two judges of the upcoming Disney+ culinary competition series 'Foodtastic'. In the series, teams of competing chefs, bakers and culinary professionals take on challenges themed after the iconic Disney IP, from Marvel and Star Wars to Pixar and animated Disney classics. Kassem and Rivera share some of their favorite challenges, the most impressive displays they saw this season and how proud they and series host Keke Palmer felt to be the faces of the series as people of color.
The music video network Vevo is finding tremendous success back on the medium where music videos first began, the television set. Of course, today’s sets are nothing like the TVs that were around 40 years ago when, Prince, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks and many others kicked off the MTV generation. (Yes children, MTV played music videos.)
Now, with the majority of TV sets connected either natively or through a streaming product like Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV, music videos are not only poised for a triumphant return to the big screen, but advertisers appear to be “partying like it’sto sponsor and advertise around that content.
We recently had a great conversation with Rob Christensen, VP Advanced TV Sales & Distribution, who is driving Vevo’s connected TV efforts to get a glimpse of what the next year will bring for Vevo and what to look forward to as Vevo continues to evolve in the Media Metaverse.
In the latest episode of Multicultural TV Talk, we are joined by actress, singer, dancer, author and television host Amara La Negra who chats all things Don't Cancel Me, her new show on Fuse and Fuse+ that tackles taboo topics, from sex and racism to colorism and gender identity.
"We're in an era where nobody wants to be wrong. Nobody wants to be judged," she shared. "People are afraid to voice their opinions and say what they think because they don't want to get cancelled, they don't want to get judged."
New episodes of Don't Cancel Me are telecast Wednesdays at 11pm ET on Fuse and Fuse+
Erich Prince discusses "access journalism," the trade-off of favorable coverage for the ability to interview political figures, his own experiences with this phenomenon, and a possible quasi-solution.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Multicultural TV Talk and MediaVillage present a roundtable discussion about the lack of Indigenous representation across media and recent impressive efforts on the part of networks, studios and streamers to change that. Guests include D’Pharoah Woon-a-tai of the critically-acclaimed FX on Hulu series Reservation Dogs; Rainbow Dickerson, from the award-winning film Beans; Isabella Leblanc from the upcoming Pet Sematary prequel on Paramount+, and Amber Midthunder from The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico.
This week we're joined by the star of Peacock's revival of Saved By The Bell, Haskiri Velazquez. She chats with us about what viewers can look forward to in the upcoming second season, her experience leading the new generation of fans to the beloved series, and how she often didn't feel represented in media growing up until shows like George Lopez and Ugly Betty came along.
Season two of Saved by the Bell is available to stream November 24th exclusively on Peacock.
Erich J. Prince explores the case against editorials, including the fraught component of their endorsing political candidates, before offering his own defense of the practice.
NewsNation's Brian Entin joins Erich J. Prince to discuss his network's new program "Missing in America," which aims to bring attention to unsolved and lesser known missing persons cases.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Valerie Loo and Harrison Xu of FX on Hulu's American Horror Stories, who share their experience playing siblings on the series, the surprising call they received that they'd be returning to the anthology series for the season finale, and what they want to see more of and less of regarding Asian representation in media.
American Horror Stories' first season is available to stream exclusively on content hub FX on Hulu.
One of the drivers of media and advertising transformation is Kalyan Lanka, VP of Product Management at Ampersand. He joined me for my inaugural Media Metaverse video interview series and we invite you to join our conversation as we explore the role that Ampersand plays in the Media Metaverse.
Data is the oil that powers the engine of the metaverse. Being able to allow marketers to take action on best-in-class deterministic, yet privacy-compliant data, accessible in a timely fashion and via a user friendly interface is one of the biggest challenges to overcome. Add to that the challenge of overcoming a perception of your business as a legacy, regional enterprise focused on linear television and you can begin to appreciate the great strides that Ampersand has achieved and how they are thriving as a national, addressable and data driven opportunity.
So, let’s clear one thing up…I had decided on Media Metaverse as the title of my podcast on MediaVillage long before a certain social media CEO decided to co-opt the word and rebrand his entire company. I’m sticking with it because I truly am a believer that the next phase of business and enterprise transformation will be about the further embracing, immersive visualization, and maturation of how we use digital; with hopefully a dash more respect to the consumers whose minds and wallets we are trying to tap.
Fair warning, if I am sometimes come off as a contrarian, I fall on no swords. Show me numbers that prove me wrong, and I’ll be the first to admit it. However, given that the game is currently mostly rigged to give preference to only the largest in the almighty name of efficiency, it’s time to shine a spotlight on those players who don’t normally get seen or those who have yet to be discovered in the vast expanse of fragmented, but valuable, nascent, and innovative media channels that we call the Media Metaverse.
And it made all the sense in the world to me to start my first official episode with my nemesis of over a decade. As Omnicom Media Group’s resident futurist and Emerging Media champion, I would always find myself tuned in to the words of my prime competition in the marketplace at Publicis, Rishad Tobaccowala. At one point there was a possibility of a merger between the two organizations, and (don’t tell anyone) I was actually looking forward to being able to work together with Mr. Tobaccowala. While that didn’t end up happening, I think of this launch episode as my personal “Marvel’s What If?” on what a collaboration between the two of us would have sounded and felt like. If this is any indication, that area of the multiverse where we did collaborate frequently, must be awesome. (Oh, and I am Iron Man.) Enjoy.
In this episode of LGBT+ Advancing’s podcast, Dr. Kryss Shane talks with Gary Murakami. Regarded as one of the Hospitality, Hotel and Convention Management industry experts in hospitality sales and convention services, Gary’s hotel experience is a unique blend of industry experience at globally recognized and respected hospitality companies of MGM Resorts International, Marriott/Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. He is currently the VP of Sales and Industry Relations the current role with Teneo Hospitality Group. Gary and tells Dr. Kryss and Media Village about his decades of experience in the hospitality profession and the necessity of LGBT+ inclusion in the hospitality industry, including an exclusive on where the industry is heading. What’s to come? Tune in to find out!
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by stage and screen actor Anthony Lee Medina who shares all things 'Truth Be Told'. Anthony shares his experience working on the series' second season opposite Kate Hudson, how he often didn't truly feel represented while growing up, and his hopes for LGBTQ+ and Latinx representation in entertainment. Season two of Truth Be Told is now streaming on Apple TV+
Hispanic Heritage Month may be over but that’s not stopping these young Latinx television stars from sharing their thoughts about diversity and Latinx representation in entertainment! Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by: Ariela Barer, Marvel’s Runaways, Hulu; Rebel, ABC Frankie Rodriguez, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Disney+ Scarlett Estevez, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion, Disney Channel; Christmas Again, DCOM Fernando Carsa, Acapulco, Apple TV+ The group chats about the first times they felt represented, the Latinx stars they’d like to work with in the future and the importance of positive and meaningful Latinx representation in television and media.
News on the Record columnist Erich Prince explores the idea of pillarization, the dividing of society into ideological subcategories, as it pertains to the media industry and, in particular, content distribution.
In this episode of LGBT+ Advancing's podcast, Dr. Kryss talks with Lau Albjerg, an international dynamo who has worked with Colgate, GlaxoSmithKlein, and many other international brands. He talks about how LGBT+ inclusion brings about a better sense of belonging for all within the workplace. Plus, Kryss asks him to share his insights into how the media engagements and the experiences working with some of the world's top brands are going to be impacted by inclusion in the future. What is the next wave of LGBT+ inclusion? Lau has some answers! For the MediaVillage exclusive on this and some information about Lau's new international program to train LGBT+ youth for these media and corporate jobs, listen now!
In this episode of LGBT+ Advancing's podcast, Dr. Kryss Shane talks with Muppets performer and legend Bill Barretta. Though known for his characters including Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo the Bear, Bill and Kryss discuss the impact of the Muppets in the media, about how the worlds of the Muppets and LGBT+ Inclusion have melded, and about how Kryss' favorite Muppet just so happens to be gay. For the MediaVillage exclusive on this and some insights into the upcoming new Muppets film, listen now!
After catching lightning in a bottle in 2017, baseball's most prestigious franchise suddenly has fallen behind the pack in MLB. Justin Paura recaps what could have been a dynasty and what is now a mockery, along with what is next for the Bronx Bombers.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by actress, singer and voiceover artist Raini Rodriguez who chats with us about the updated iteration of the classic 90s cartoon, shares a special clip from one of her episodes and why it was a dream come true for her to join the cast of the series. The second half of season one is available to stream on Paramount+ October 7th.
Joe Barnes, Director of Bud Light Sports Marketing & Head of Esports and Gaming, speaks with Justin about how sports advertising is ramping up for the biggest NFL season of all time. He also discusses how Bud Light is making strides in the gaming and esports space.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Emmy Award-winning writer, actress and voiceover artist Ashly Burch who talks all things The Ghost and Molly McGee,the new Disney Channel animated series where she stars as Molly McGee. Ashly talks about how her biracial identity and culture was implemented into her character, how impactful the series can be for mixed race families, and how the series tone reminds her of the classic 90s Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown.
Mark Pedowitz, a longtime television executive who has helmed The CW for the past decade, credits the staff from actors to show-runners, ad execs to directors for making the network so inclusive. Despite winning recognition for making such strides, Pedowitz is not about to rest on his laurels. He sees much room for improvement and talks with MediaVillage's Jacqueline Cutler about how he has always thought inclusively.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Isabella Gomez (Netflix's One Day at a Time), Gabriela Fresquez (Telemundo's Radar 2021), Cristina Rodlo (Netflix's No One Gets Out Alive) and Román Zaragoza (CBS' Ghosts), for our first Latinx Actors Roundtable in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The four talk about the representation (and lack thereof) they experienced growing up, overcoming being stereotyped, colorism and advocating for LGBTQ+ representation through some of their work.
Nothing has reshaped broadcast journalism more than the shifting balance between news and commentary. Whether it’s the political horserace or the policy issues of the day, partisan rancor all too often supplants reasoned debate, leaving viewers in search of the facts and insights they need. In this edition of "In the National Interest" I talk with legal analyst, author and television host Dan Abrams about upcoming prime time program on NewsNation, Dan Abrams Live, which will take on that challenge by delivering what audiences need and aren't getting -- an informed, civil and clear-eyed perspective that can help them understand not only the issues of the day, but also why coming together to discuss them in reasoned debate matters.
Rachel Taylor of HGTV's Curb Appeal Xtreme talks with Jacqueline Cutler about her experiences as a Black female carpenter in a world that is typically made up of white men.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by star of the latest FX on Hulu series, "Reservation Dogs", a new half-hour comedy that follows four Indigenous teens living in rural Oklahoma. Devery shares how her point-of-view on her community is the complete opposite of her character Elora Danan, how she felt like a big sister to her co-stars as the most experienced actor, and how 'Reservation Dogs' championed authenticity with an all-Indigenous lead cast, directors and writers. 'Reservation Dogs' streams new episodes Mondays, on FX on Hulu.
HBO follows an NFL team through preseason training camp for its 16th season, giving football fans the ultimate excitement for the upcoming season. "Hard Knocks" is a five episode mini series that has documented one team every year since 2012 and has been in existence since 2001. This year, the HBO crew gives an inside look the Dallas Cowboys for the third time in the show's history.
A recent NBC News piece by Dylan Byers detailing The Atlantic's financial woes has sparked a flurry of commentaries about the health of that magazine in particular and online magazine specializing in long-form journalism in general. Revisiting some topics also explored in his previous News-on-the-Record column "Is Funding the "Policy Mags" an Act of Charity?," Erich J. Prince discusses the degree to which news outlets such as The Atlantic, which has existed since 1857, are viable businesses going forward.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is current star of The CW's latest expansion into their growing DC superhero catalogue, Yvette Monreal who plays Yolanda Montez, who fights crime alongside her fellow Justice Society of America heroes as Wildcat. Yvette shares how she was cast in the series while filming another project in Spain, and which DC superhero she'd love to see make an appearance on DC's Stargirl.
After a long summer full of baseball and the Olympics, America's favorite sport is coming back sooner than you may think. Justin discusses the return of the NFL and what it means to have fans back to pack the stadiums across the country.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Avantika, star of upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie 'Spin', a film centered on a young Indian American teen who discovers her passion for creating DJ mixes that blend the rich textures of her South Asian culture and the world around her. Avantika shares her experience auditioning for the film, how it showcases Indian culture and the immigrant experience and the impact it will have for young women and multicultural families everywhere.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Colin McCalla who shares how his biracial identity was not represented for most of his life, changes he wishes to see in the entertainment industry and his experience filming two seasons of BET's Ruthless during the pandemic.
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics coming to a close on Sunday, Justin recaps all the biggest storylines from the United State in the world's biggest sporting event. From individual athletes to countrywide success, this year's games did not disappoint, except with the TV ratings.
China is one subject on which Democrats and Republicans can both agree. In the 21st Century, an economically competitive, politically assertive, and openly nationalistic Chinese regime is making no bones about it: China is ready to challenge the United States for a world leadership role. But, if that’s Beijing’s view of how it sees Washington, how do Americans see China? From our earliest encounters in the 19th Century era of the Clipper ship trade right down to today, American perspectives have covered the waterfront—from merchants looking for markets to presidents seeking to confront a communist threat, American views have shifted dramatically over the decades, seeing China as an opportunity, an ally, and an adversary. What accounts for these pendulum swings? And what about the media’s role? Why has it been so hard to portray the complexity as well as the cooperation and conflict in our relationship? Kent Harrington discusses how we’ve seen China and what it means for our future relations with Robert Suettinger, a former senior intelligence, State Department, and White House official and a leading China scholar, who has followed Chinese affairs as both an analyst and a policymaker for more than 40 years.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by actor of stage and screen Raffi Barsoumian, who shares the first time he felt represented onscreen, what it was like joining the superhero genre and his experience playing the outlandish villain Bishop on Legends of Tomorrow.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece just led the Milwaukee Bucks to its first NBA Championship in 50 years, one year after winning his second league MVP. With international superstars like Antetokounmpo and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, basketball is more global than ever before. Justin discusses the Bucks' incredible run to the NBA Finals, the new light on international superstardom in basketball, and why the US men's basketball team is no longer pencilled in for a gold medal in international competition.
Maya Angelo, US Representative John Lewis, Medgar Evers, Langston Hughes, Gordon Parks, John Hope Franklin, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Marian Anderson. Acclaimed poets and writers, civil rights and political leaders, award winning historians and photographers, a world-famous opera star. What do they have in common? Each was touched by Julius Rosenwald, the least known but most profoundly effective educational philanthropist of the 20th Century. For nearly 30 years, Rosenwald partnered with Booker T. Washington to build some 5000 schools in 15 states across the South, collaborating with Black communities to create an education for the students that Jim Crow purposefully left behind. Rosenwald also funded grants, enabling Black Americans to pursue further study and in the process, helped them advance to enrich us all. So why don’t we know more about what he—and they—accomplished? And why is telling the Rosenwald story so important today? To find out more, Kent Harrington talks with Bob and Jean Rosenwald who have worked to shed light on this extraordinary man and his contribution, the Rosenwald schools, and the importance of his example in 2021.
It is officially that time of year when baseball dominates the sports calendar. The Home Run Derby and All-Star Game happened earlier this week and with no major sports league set to start until September, there is no better time to sit down and watch America’s pastime.
Chris Longo, director of editorial and partnerships at Den of Geek, explains his company’s new partnership with Just Baseball as it plans on branching out from its typical content to the sports world. Chris shares why he believes in the crew at Just Baseball to get this partnership in place, what baseball content is on the horizon, and how Den of Geek has grown into a position to take this step.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by executive producer and writer of Hulu's Love, Victor Marcos Luevanos who shares how he integrated his own experiences as a queer Latinx into the series, his hopes for the characters if a season 3 is in and shares some details of his recently announced Amazon series "Glowing Up".
Among the things that should come with the warning: Do not try this on your own must be Dr. James Sulikowski’s work. An Arizona State University marine biologist recounts how to implant an intrauterine device in a shark – and live to tell MediaVillage about it. The short answer is carefully – very carefully. For details on why he did this and why learning more about sharks is vital, listen to Jacqueline Cutler’s podcast for MediaVillage.
Summer is a crucial time for sports television, especially in year like this. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the European Championship for soccer were pushed back to this summer due to COVID and now with fans starting to fill up arenas again, there has never been more excitement for advertisers to get in on sports.
Chip Carmody, Senior Vice President of Local Sales at Ampersand, joins our Justin Paura to discuss the importance of appealing to multiple markets and what Ampersand can do for advertisers in the sports space.
Multicultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Good Trouble star Emmett Preciado who shares some of his LGBTQ+ role models, his thoughts on casting of LGBTQ+ actors in queer roles and his experience working on the hit Freeform series Good Trouble.
With the Tokyo Summer Games coming up, broadcast companies are doing the most to expand the viewing experience. Alex Chatfield, VP of market place development at Xandr , speaks with Justin about how the multiscreen experience is evolving and the impact it the 2020 Olympics will have.
In his “In the National Interest” podcast, Kent Harrington talks with Michael Lewan, whose four decades of experience on Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail provide unique insights into why the answer to those questions should matter to Americans today. Whether its Joe Biden trying to legislate multi-trillion-dollar economic recovery packages or Xi Jinping bums-rushing the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo in the direction he wants them to go, the political process and the job of governing a country are inseparable. So is the role of the media in influencing how politics and public policy come together. How does the media affect the interplay of politics and the business of governing? Perhaps more important, from Facebook posts designed to pamper your prejudices to flatscreens featuring the news 24/7, is its pervasiveness in the 21st Century fundamentally reshaping both?
MultiCultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by Love, Victor star Isabella Ferreira who chats with us about the show's impact on the LGBTQ+ community, her experience filming the second season during the COVID-19 pandemic, and answers some fan-submitted questions.
The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin next month after the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Games to start one year behind schedule. Jim McGraw, Director of Advanced Advertising at New York Interconnect, joins Justin to discuss why brands should be eager to associate with this year's summer games and explains how NYI is accommodating their customers.
MultiCultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by LGBTQ+ stars of stage and screen Wesley Han (Netflix's Russian Doll, season 2), Brandon Salerno (Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Juwan Crawley (Broadway production of Disney's Aladdin) for a special roundtable episode in celebration of Pride month. The three actors share what Pride means to them, LGBTQ+ performances where they first felt represented and the advice they'd give their 13-year-old self.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Frankie Rodriguez joins us on the show this week to discuss the latest episode of the series, "El Quinceañearo", where his character gets a surprise 15th birthday celebration thrown by his friends, as well as the virtual fan event that took place in honor of the episode's release.
With sports betting becoming legalized in more states in the US, its popularity has never been higher. Trent Attyah, founder and CEO of Bookit Sports, explains how the Bookit Sports app is bringing together sports bettors to one unique social media platform to bring people together through wagering on sports.
Kent Harrington is a writer, the “In the National Interest” columnist at Mediavillage, and a former senior CIA officer and analyst who, among other things, served as National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, CIA’s director of public affairs, and a chief of station in Asia.” In this episode: Americans are drowning in information but when they go to any of the major broadcast and cable media news outlets—and the rising news services on the web—they’ll be lucky to find serious coverage of international news, much less coverage in depth. From prime-time cable to profit-making news aggregators, a fig leaf of reporting covers wall-to-wall commentary. Kent talks with award-winning journalist John Walcott on why it should matter to Americans that, when it comes to news about foreign affairs, the cupboard is bare
Broadway and television actor Troy Iwata from the Netflix holiday rom-com Dash & Lily chats with us about his experience filming the show before the pandemic, and the importance of diversity & representationamong directors, writers and producers.
Known for playing chilling antagonists in telenovelas and thrillers, Alejandro Nones shares the approach to his characters as driven people, his thoughts on why audiences love Spanish thrillers so much and his experience filming both seasons of Netflix's Who Killed Sara? back-to-back.
Eddie Liu from The CW’s Kung Fu joins us this week and shares his early childhood Asian actor inspirations, his experience working with trailblazing producers like Mindy Kaling and Christian M. Kim and what it was like filming the series pilot just before the pandemic, and coming back to complete the first season.
MultiCultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala is joined by stars of stage and screen Stephanie Jae Park (Hamilton), Johnny Wu (NBC's New Amsterdam), Erica Wong (Phantom of the Opera) and TJ Krishnan (FOX's The Resident) for a special Actors Roundtable in honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, sharing their views on stereotypes, meaningful representation in television and film, colorism and the change they hope for in the entertainment industry.
Justin sits down with Mike Janela, the in-stadium host for the New York Mets, and talks about the difficulties they encountered when the pandemic hit its peak and how they became stronger in the end. Mike shares what he was able to do when he wasn't able to work in Citi Field and how it resulted in more opportunities for him now.
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut from Freeform's hit new drama Cruel Summerjoins us on this week's episode and shares her experience tackling the three timelines that span across the series and her wish for increased representation and inclusivity in front of and behind the camera.
With the NHL regular season coming to a close, the Stanley Cup playoffs will be more accessible than ever before with games coming to ESPN. Colin Langan, National Account Executive for New York Interconnect (NYI), speaks with Justin about what this means for advertisers, as well as the New York sports market with the Islanders in a position to compete for a championship, and more.
Stage and screen actor Quincy Chad joins MultiCultural TV Talk host Juan Ayala to talk about his experience working on the hit FX series Snowfall as 'Big Deon' as well as learning to embrace typecasting from fellow actor Jimmi Simpson while on the set of Person Of Interest.
With sports betting growing rapidly across the country, Audacy has made strides in the space as a programming leader. Matt Volk, the Vice President of Sports at Audacy, shares with Justin what the radio giant is doing to scratch the itch of listeners that are involved with sports betting, as well as how it has handled the NCAA Tournament in a year unlike any other.
Television actress Manni L. Perez joins us this week and chats about her experience working on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in her Imagen award-winning role as Esperanza Morales, pushing for an increase in Latinx and LGBTQ+ representation and how she pursues her career with a "F*** It" attitude.
After the 68-team NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments were canceled last year, they both returned last weekend and the madness is at an all-time high. Justin Paura breaks down what is different about this year's tournament from years past, what went down during the first weekend, and how many people tuned in for the best playoff in all of sports.
On this week’s episode of View From the Grandstand, podcast host Justin Paura sits down with Corey Petruccelli, senior director of national ad sales at New York Interconnect (NYI) to discuss the short and long-term effects of sports viewing on cable television amidst the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Petruccelli provides insight on what the industry was like when the pandemic first started, how sports leagues have adjusted to the new normal, and what both consumers and advertisers can expect in the world of sports broadcasting in the year ahead.
Despite the football season being in the rearview mirror, national sports talk radio shows continue to keep the conversation all about the gridiron. The top three national sports talk radio shows of the year are all dominated by football banter, primarily because of how popular the sport is in the United States no matter what the calendar says. Hear why this is the case and how the numbers support the idea of all football all the time.
On February 11, 2021, following two days of Impeachment trial coverage, the Tucker Carlson Show on Fox News focused on an alleged attack on Fox News and on Carlson -- by Jeff Bezos, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Nothing else in the news was worthy of comment? I admit Carlson’s comments held my attention and in today’s podcast I share what I think about his accusations against the Times and Post. No matter what the outcome of this trial, historians will look back and study the root causes for this challenge to our democratic foundations, and they’ll zero in on media as the root cause. Is Jeff Bezos this generation’s Edward R. Murrow – this generation’s Walter Cronkite? Listen to my 3-minute commentary and think about it. You can reply on twitter @JackMyersBiz
In a pandemic year, the Super Bowl felt mostly normal with the half time theatrics, a victorious Tom Brady, and star-studded commercials. One of the best received ads was a two-minute Jeep spot figuring Bruce Springsteen. But now, the commercial might not see any air-time again, and has been removed from the Jeep YouTube and Instagram accounts. Listen to why the $22 million+ commercial has vanished in this week's "View from the Grandstand".
The year 2020 was monumental in terms of progression for social justice in the sports world. NBA players sat out of protest for Black Lives Matter, NFL players felt much more comfortable kneeling for the national anthem and history is set to be made at the Big Game thanks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' diverse coaching staff. There is still much more work to be done, but this February, will celebrate all the progress made over the past year and bring up the issues that still need correcting.
In a year unlike anything we’ve seen before, the National Football League is just one game away from pulling off what was thought to be impossible. The biggest game of the year in American sports is set for February 7, not only as a conclusion to the football season, but as a celebration for a job well done by the NFL. And what better way to watch the Super Bowl than to see the 43-year old legend Tom Brady take on his supposed successor, 25-year old Patrick Mahomes. Justin Paura breaks down the NFL's most unique grand finale to date in the debut of "Views from the Grandstand".
In this Legends & Leaders podcast, The CW’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Pedowitz, shares a message that’s critically important for brand marketers and agency professionals who are increasingly looking at media and advertising through the prism of procurement. “We need to understand the value of audiences who care about the programming they're watching and extend that value to the advertisers who support that programming.” Pedowitz, who has led the network for almost a decade, has been at the forefront of innovation and experimentation in programming and OTT tech advances. At a network that is owned by both WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS, and as long-time TV programmer who’s been at the forefront of change, Pedowitz is a master of anticipating the industry’s future. In this inspirational and informative Legends & Leaders podcast with Media Ecologist Jack Myers, Mark speaks about his career, offers advice to his colleagues across the industry, and counsels young professionals seeking a path to advancement.
In 1995, Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream, a 95-minute documentary won the Peabody Award and was nominated for both an Oscar and Emmy Award as Best Documentary. It won the Crystal Heart Award, the top honor, at the Heartland Film Festival. Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream is one of the best and most honored sports documentaries in film history. Yet the original has been buried since its original VHS release and nowhere is this story of Hank’s extraordinary role in racial justice and civil rights available to be seen to honor his passing. There are seven (probably none after today) used VHS copies available at Amazon, but the film was never converted to DVD and is not available on any streaming platform. The mystery is why?
Welcome to my 3-minute Think Tank where I share what I’m thinking about and ask you to think about it too.
Of course, I can't get the attacks on Capitol Hill off my mind.
Forty-five percent of Republicans say they approve of the recent terrorist attack. This does not bode well for our future and the future of the Biden presidency.
Also read important commentaries by former CIA intelligence analyst Kent Harrington and CableFax founding publisher Paul Maxwell.
https://www.mediavillage.com/article/the-banana-republicans-and-their-media-enablers-have-they-no-shame/
https://www.mediavillage.com/article/thanks-rupert-lachlan-charles-christopher-steve-rush-zuck-and-jack/
Welcome to the Jack Myers Think Tank. I share what’s on my mind and invite you to think with me. What happens when facts and truth are not believed and when logic and common sense are discarded? How do we navigate through a human minefield of mistrust that stands between hope and fear, between knowledge and fantasy, between real and unreal? Believe it or not, I’m not referring to politics. I’m talking about the unbelievable, yet very real run-away state of the stock market and valuations for new market entries at a time when people have nothing real to give them hope, when the realities they face become too unbelievable. This week, I’m thinking about belief and disbelief and the comic book world we’re living in. Listen in!
I’ve been thinking a lot about respect. Respect - a positive feeling shown towards someone considered important or held in high esteem. When you show disrespect to someone – you’re communicating that you do not consider her or him important or worthy of your esteem and I believe there’s an epidemic of disrespect in our business today.
In the morass into which politics and politicians have sunk, respect is a distant and forgotten human quality. Can we allow that same depressing reality to destroy the human to human qualities that are a hallmark of our community?
Listen to my new 3 minute ThinkTank podcast On Respect and let me know what you think.
My mentor, Dr Neil Postman, founder of media ecology and a student of Marshall McLuhan, wrote in 1982 that our reliance on data causes us to stop thinking. We activate thinking through ideas and education. I add to Dr. Postman’s equation workforce diversity. In the next few days and weeks, every time you hear or read the word data, ask yourself ‘what is the idea behind the data?’ How is it adding to your knowledge and the knowledge of your colleagues, clients and stakeholders? You’ll learn my answers and how you can ask the right questions in my new 3-minute ThinkTank, Data vs. Ideas: Is it a Competition? Also listen to my recent 3-minute ThinkTank, Battle for the Soul of Media.
In this week’s 3-minute ThinkTank podcast I share a very personal story about the battle for the soul of the media industry. The core of media -- the soul of media – always has been and always should be defined by quality content, truthful and trusted journalism, and service in support of the public interest. Real media companies set a high standard and should not be forced to lower these standards to compete with those that have hardly any standards at all. Listen to my three-minute battle for the soul of our business in which I ask you to take a stand and not be silent.
Today’s Jack Myers Think Tank asks if you’re among the 70% of professionals who don’t have the time or resources to prepare for meetings. How can you be the smartest person in the Zoom? Jack reports on a new AI-based vertical search engine featuring more than 100 curated resources and more than 15,000 original and exclusive educational reports, thought leadership and commentaries, all focused on marketing, advertising and media. You’ll learn all about it in this 90-second Jack Myers ThinkTank. Link, listen and learn.
Fellow marketing, advertising and media professionals, lend me your ears for 3-minutes to tell you a story about growth and new tools for advancing team education and diversity available from MediaVillage. Join me for my new Jack Myers Think Tank podcast. Link, listen and learn.
If we've learned anything from Trump's campaign and presidency it's that politics, government, and public discourse have become, first and foremost, show business. The high road — filled with better ideas, serious issues, and relevant priorities — pales by comparison to a powerful and compelling media presence. It's a historical, philosophical, and political mistake to believe that ideas and issues alone will win this election.
In the COVID-19 era, with radically new hiring practices being appropriately influenced by Black Lives Matter and new gender norms, how can you prepare as you look at your own future and the opportunities you're considering? In this MediaVillage Insider Insites podcast, Jack Myers shares five key questions you can ask and answer as you move through this time of massive change.
The competition in video goes beyond the fight for consumer attention; every video provider is looking to land ad dollars with a one-two punch of broad but targeted reach matched with business outcomes via addressability or attribution. A+E Networks has dubbed their delivery of both as “Precision and Performance", or as SVP of ad sales Ethan Heftman calls it: "a fancy way of describing a group of people across ad sales, research, and client insights that specialize in moving the business away from Nielsen age and gender trading into more advanced audience targeting and audience trading.”
In a fast-paced podcast conversation with E.B. Moss, Heftman provided more definitions and diligently explained their differences and just how their first-to-market guarantees of select outcomes works. We started with "attribution."
“For us, attribution is the exercise in tying a media exposure on A+E Networks to a specific business outcome. It’s going beyond simply the discussion of what type of media metric we delivered -- the delivery of an impression -- and moving on to what type of action or behavior that impression caused. Is it fueling a behavior at the top, or awareness area, of the funnel, the middle (consideration), ...or at the bottom of the funnel, a sales or specific outcome type of area?”
Historically, Heftman notes, “television hasn't been properly credited with outcomes in the consideration segment of the funnel or in the real action area -- driving a web visit, driving a store visit, driving a specific sale.” But A+E is out to show how Precision and Performance impacts outcomes in each of those three areas, versus just the expected top of funnel. Guaranteed. To a degree. Listen to the complete episode to hear what they're willing to go to the mat for, and learn from Heftman just how television can stay in the ring.
What better way to wrap up a year of insights than on Thanksgiving? It might sound like a cliché but we at MediaVillage, and me personally, E.B. Moss, are really thankful for everyone who listens and reads our content. A big focus at MediaVillage is on educating the marketplace in such a fast-evolving industry as media and marketing. There’s a LOT of info out there and things are constantly changing. So apropos Thanksgiving, I hope this podcast has been a good way for you to digest some of that info!
Some look-back episodes use clips, but while I started out years ago in local radio splicing audio together with tape, I leave the digital editing to either the folks at Hangar Studios in New York, or with the amazingly patient and talented Eric Klein as my main editor. So a THANK you on this thanksgiving to them and apologies this is just a spontaneous episode without fancy editing, but I wanted to spotlight a few sample episodes, ICYMI.
Starting with one that's also apropos Thanksgiving maybe catch the most, episode 49 with Julie Haddon and Jen Kavanagh, two women powering NFL and Philadelphia Eagles marketing respectively.
I also recommend you check out some of the other powerful players I've had the good fortune to speak with: from Bozoma Saint John to Sir Martin Sorrell! I'm not just name dropping; everyone has really contributed to a great season of InSites. Two of the most popular episodes were with CMOs launching new brands at big companies: Kirk McDonald on kicking off ATT's Xandr division, and Minjae Ormes who braved the rain to pop into a noisy restaurant for a very spontaneous interview about Verizon's new disruptor, Visible. And Joseph Jaffe was on hand for Epi 48 to warn other big companies about how to pivot or face demise.
The list goes on -- from Paul Marobella of Havas NA, to Alicia Tillman of SAP. And great fun to pull in my smart coworkers, like Jeff Minsky and Charlene Weisler when it came to speaking research with the wonks of Omnicom or Starcom.
Now here's a bit of news: Insider InSites is taking a little break for the holidays. Didn't want to leave you without a word, or 5000. I might squeeze out one more episode in December, but otherwise look for it to return in January. But, and Minsky would say, "that's not all!" You can still hear more -- and more of me, E.B. Moss.
If you haven't heard it yet, please do yourself a favor and catch all episodes of MediaVillage's Advancing Diversity podcast, which I co-host with our editor, Ginger Conlon. This features the conversations with the people doing the most to actively impact the amount of diversity and inclusion in our industry. Think: Tony Rogers of Sam's Club to Tiffany R. Warren of Omnicom, Jill Baskin of The Hershey Company and so on! And consider coming to meet them all during CES as they are inducted in the D&I Hall of Honors.
I'm also a contributor on the new podcast from Podcast Movement, Sessions, launching next week -- with good advice from a lot of folks on building a podcast business.
Speaking of which, I am finally launching my own PERSONAL podcast. You heard it hear first... or you will if you look for "It's Quite A Living" Podcast, coming late December. You can stay tuned by following on Twitter or IG @QuiteALiving. I'll speak to my friends in high places, with conversations on personal paths and professional success...authors, to movie stars!
And finally, a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who has listened, liked, appreciated these podcasts. It's a joy. I thank you for sharing, and send you best wishes for a holiday season filled with warmth, love and InSites.
E.B. Moss
Fun facts: Julie Haddon, NFL’s senior vice president of Global Brand & Consumer Marketing, pitched Little League well before other girls ever played...and went on to pitch audiences on films like Shrek for DreamWorks, early stage Twitter and financial disruptor, SoFi. And Jen Kavanagh, senior vice president, marketing and media for the Philadelphia Eagles used to “fly” for her teen swim club well before her current Philly special job marketing the NFL club’s mantra, “Fly, Eagles, Fly.” Hear how these two women explain their up and out routes to football – and how they’re advancing the League and the club, respectively.
In Episode 49 of Insider InSites these seasoned marketers tell E.B. Moss of MediaVillage how they promote pro players to pro-diversity initiatives, using everything from podcasts to TikTok, films to mobile apps.
Joe is Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of RPA, where he has worked since the agency launched as Rubin Postaer 30-plus years ago. They have also been the agency of record for Honda for almost that entire time and helped make the simple Farmers Insurance "We Are Farmers" jingle a bit of an earworm. In addition to discussing those and some more serious examples of their award-winning ads and heart-wrenching PSAs, Joe shared some of the insights he's gained over three decades at the same shop.
This one stays fresh as good content will always hold up!
You can catch all of our Insider InSites podcasts on MediaVillage.com.
Corporate survival planner, serial entrepreneur, 5-time author - including the recently released “Built To Suck” - Joseph Jaffe is one of the most sought-after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on innovation, marketing, new & social media.
In this episode of Insider InSites from MediaVillage, Jaffe describes the four reasons for the potential corporate apocalypse: company size and age, being a public corporation, and company culture.
In a free-flowing conversation, you’ll also hear his thoughts on what he believes is the biggest fundamental change in all of marketing recently, the Jaffe version of the “three Ps” for today’s evolving environment, and why he has no tolerance for those “discovering” instead of RE-discovering their brand purpose.
Peter Morris sounds tall. At least that’s what the CEO of PodcastOne, a leading ad-supported podcast network, would like listeners to picture in their minds, as he kidded around with me between serious pod-pitching. Morris, clearly a fan of the network that claims over 300 podcasts, touted the hosts and popular influencers, celebrities, and powerful voices they represent. (The biggest example might be Adam Carolla, who with one of the earliest entries in the space since carving out an on-demand audio niche post on-air radio career -- has the most downloaded podcast in history, according to Guinness Book of World Records.) Morris can drop names like Shaq to Steve Austin, Kaitlyn Bristowe to Tip "T.I." Harris but delves into meat and potatoes of the podcast business around the Super Listener study PodcastOne just completed with Edison Research and released the day of our conversation, during the recent IAB Podcast Upfront.
In one description of the study he presented with Edison SVP, Tom Webster, Morris says it was "based on anybody listening for five or more hours of podcasts a week...who have adopted this consumer habit and made it part of their daily ritual. Podcasting speaks to them ... These are the people [who] care about this medium the most. …They're the canaries in the coal mine; ...indicators of broader trends we're going to see. And they're growing [partly because] people are really conscious of the value of time, especially time alone. So, there's been a slowdown of people who will mindlessly press play and zone out to music on their commute or working out."
He also explains the synergies PodcastOne has with another Hubbard investment, sister company Reelz, the television network: "They've been an incredible partner…We started working with them on Murder Made Me Famous, and we're now in our second season. The first season was downloaded over 6 million times. Due to that success they've brought over nine other series with them. You take Autopsy or Cold Case Files, which we do as well in a partnership with A&E - it's a phenomenal way to take engaging, invigorating content and combine it in a way that it works for this medium with an intensity that you don't get anywhere else.... If you're asking me the audio version of the show is even scarier."
Dan Rayburn just finished overseeing another Streaming Summit held at the NAB Show New York. He's also considered one of the foremost authorities on streaming media technology and online video business models while simultaneously working as the principal analyst at research and consulting firm, Frost and Sullivan, and publishing market data analysis on streaming media and tech trends or frequently serving as an expert source on that topic in everything from the New York Times, CNN, Fortune and NPR. Did I mention he’s former United States Air Force and Air National Guard, spends many hours a month supporting fellow veterans...and is the first to admit he accomplished that without a college degree? After my recent interview with him for the NAB Show podcast I had to keep the conversation going for Insider InSites. You'll want to listen to it all as we discuss:
- His launching pad from the Air Force to Apple as a systems engineer;
- How, when the internet was just starting, he raised $75 000 to co-found a live-streaming company (and what happened in the dot-com bubble burst...and beyond);
- His thoughts on the longevity or the sustainability of the streaming industry today...and where the growth could be;
- How does an Acorn TV, or other niche services, grow to be mighty?
- How do we solve for the user experience - from search and discovery to differentiation, to the overwhelm aspect of terminology? Basically, how do we streamline that in streaming? Will aggregation be the answer?
- How Rayburn uses his tech know-how to also solve for the veteran question of: “Okay, where do you want to go once you get out?”
“Experience marketing” is a key tactic these days, especially for marketers seeking to appeal to the millennial and Gen Z target. Pandora has been an enabler of high profile experiences via “Pandora Live” which offers sponsors ways to deliver customers up close and personal access to high wattage musicians. After participating as one of a group of advertisers at recent Country concerts, Ashley Homestore went the custom route to be able to build out an exclusive experience to promote the launch of new furniture line, “Urbanology.”
With Pandora pulling the concert strings with multi-award-winning artist, Ne-Yo, Ashley tricked out Goya Studios in Hollywood with an engaging and hands-on experience for 1000 fans. The retailer recreated home environments using the new mid-century modern style line that is “retro cool” to that target audience now. Stationed between fresh donuts in the “kitchen” to also "retro-cool" Air Guitar challenges in the “den”, well-known DJ Jerzy spun songs at the pre-show while influencers like the Stauffer twins bounced on the bed in the “bedroom” and Bachelorettes and others milled around striking poses with press and fans.
Senior marketing director, Kelly Davis, described the goals for this huge launch event, how they selected Ne-Yo to align with, and how Ashley continues to give back.
Since I interviewed the CMO of The Clorox Company at last year's ANA Masters of Marketing conference - who was since promoted to EVP, I thought it would be interesting to speak with the new chief marketing officer of The Clorox Company – who happens to be a woman – to get an update. But, this year’s conference actually drew quite a few female senior marketers, both speaking and attending. So I grabbed the opportunity to make this episode of Insider InSites a curation of three great leaders across tech, media, and CPG, who happen to be female chief marketing officers. Each are impressive in their own right, with tremendous takeaways to share, but the added layer they offered was advice on how to achieve these heights, reminiscent of the Ginger Rogers versus Fred Astaire line: practically backwards and, sometimes, in heels.
In this one podcast you’ll first hear from SAP’s Alicia Tillman, cited by Forbes in 2019 as the world’s 14th most influential chief marketing officer – and markets what is the largest software enterprise company in the world. In my last episode of Insider InSites, Sir Martin Sorrell included SAP among the tech companies one should watch and study. Next, our Clorox Company legend for this year, Stacey Grier, who oversees far ranging brands for the CPG giant - Burt's Bees to the famous bleach itself. And finally, Alysia Borsa, who upped the ante as CDMO (chief marketing and data officer), speaking on the marriage of data and marketing for Meredith Corporation.
Don't miss their thoughts on data driven creativity, brand purpose, and achieving career success...as women.
When you find out you’re getting the chance to interview one of the, arguably, best known people in the ad industry you want a little time to prepare, to study, and in some cases, pray. I learned a couple of hours in advance that I’d be speaking with Sir Martin Sorrell before one of his myriad panels at Advertising Week. As you listen to this podcast episode – and if you know anything about him – you’ll realize I needn’t have worried. The man who built the world's largest advertising and marketing services holding company had plenty to say, and to say in his usual no-holds-barred way.
From the mind of the man who defined the modern media agency business, and who has not been spared either praise or criticism for his actions or comments, are opinions on everything from the “holy trinity” for media today and the other principles he’s set for his new(ish) venture, S4 Capital, to what he looks for in a company they might acquire...to what his mother would think of his ongoing drive for dominance in the world of digital media.
We also discuss:
- how data helps vs hinders creativity
- what’s behind his strong projections for S4 Capital and its expansion in and beyond Asia Pacific (“we have a good positioning there already, but we need to build scale. We have to figure out what our model is going to be in China and in India. I think the model will be a transparent one. I think that's where the existing agencies are vulnerable.”)
- perceptions on the issues with holding companies today (“I'm not interested in the traditional business. I think it's a sort of zero-sum game at the moment.”)
- attracting and retaining talent (“I think because we're a disruptive startup, that in and of itself is very appealing.”)
- disruptor vs disruptive companies
- if legacy companies or analog companies have a chance in today’s “mini-tsunami” of pitches...
Finally, I had to ask why, after all he's accomplished, why not take a rest in his 70s. His answer was influenced by his parents, the Saatchis, and Gore Vidal. Hear why, on Epi 43 from MediaVillage.