The Media Club · 12 May 2023 · 48 min

Economic Slowdown, CNN & BBC Showdowns

With Jake Kanter, Karin Robinson, Nick Wallis

Listen at themediaclub.com →AppleSpotify

• CNN Trump Town Hall
• BBC Local Radio Restructure
• Podcast Industry Consolidation
• ITV Revenue Decline
• Depp v Heard Trials
• BBC Impartiality
• Tucker Carlson Twitter Show
• BBC News Channel Merger

In this episode of The Media Club, hosts Matt Deegan, Jake Kanter, and Karin Robinson discuss the week's top media stories, including CNN's town hall with Donald Trump, Sony's podcast downsizing, ITV's revenue drop, and the BBC's local radio restructure. The deep dive features journalist Nick Wallis discussing his new book on the Depp v Heard trials, contrasting the UK and US legal systems and the role of memory and performance in court. The episode also covers the BBC News channel merger, Robbie Gibb's impartiality controversies, and a media quiz.

Key takeaways

• CNN faced criticism for its town hall with Donald Trump, with panelists questioning the format and audience.
• Sony reduced its narrative podcast team, reflecting broader consolidation in the podcast industry.
• ITV reported a 10% drop in revenue, but executives are optimistic about ITVX's early performance.
• The BBC's local radio restructure has led to strike action and criticism over its handling.
• Nick Wallis discussed his new book on the Depp v Heard trials, highlighting differences between UK and US legal systems.

In this episode

• Intro and News Roundup0:00 · Matt introduces the show and covers quick news items including the Mirror phone hacking trial and Eurovision security.
• Main Discussion: CNN and Tucker Carlson5:00 · Panel discusses CNN's town hall with Trump and Tucker Carlson's potential Twitter show.
• Sony Podcast Downsizing and ITV Revenue15:00 · Discussion on Sony's podcast cuts and ITV's revenue decline.
• Deep Dive: Nick Wallis on Depp v Heard25:00 · Nick Wallis discusses his new book and the trials.
• News in Brief: BBC Local Radio and News Channel35:00 · Discussion on BBC local radio strikes and the BBC News channel merger.
• Media Quiz50:00 · Quiz on media quotes of the week.
• Outro60:00 · Wrap-up and plugs for Patreon and London Podcast Studios.

Notable quotes

“I just don't think that's particularly a good look for the BBC when it preaches impartiality so loudly.”

Jake Kanter · 0:00

“You can be honest about the weather. Come on, it's everything must be positive.”

Karin Robinson · 0:00

“Your memory is not a camera.”

Nick Wallis · 0:00

“There is no money in trying to carve a neutral path.”

Nick Wallis · 0:00

“I think it's important that someone is trying to do this.”

Nick Wallis · 0:00

“The giant pot of gold at the end of the podcast rainbow perhaps isn't. I'm still looking for it.”

Jake Kanter · 0:00

Discussed

BBC · CNN · ITV · Sony

Also mentioned: Donald Trump · Tucker Carlson · Elon Musk · Robbie Gibb · Charlotte Moore · Chris Mason · Stephen Knight · Naomi Wolf · Razia Iqbal · Naga Munchetty · Jim Waterson · David Lloyd · Lewis Goodall · Emily Maitlis · John Sopel · Andrew Marr · Andrew Neil · Kirsty Young · David Zaslav · Caitlin Collins · E. Jean Carroll · Bill O'Reilly · Glenn Beck · Richard Sharp

Mentioned or recommended

• Depp v Heard: The Unreal Story · book · Nick Wallis
• Coronation of Charles III · event
• Eurovision Song Contest 2023 · event
• The Post Office Scandal · other
• Peaky Blinders · tv show · Steven Knight
• Neighbours · tv show · Reg Watson
• Bridgerton · tv show · Chris Van Dusen
• Andor · tv show · Tony Gilroy
• Good Omens · tv show · Neil Gaiman
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! · tv show · Jimmy Kimmel
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert · tv show · Stephen Colbert
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon · tv show · Jimmy Fallon
• Late Night with Seth Meyers · tv show · Seth Meyers
• Desert Island Discs · tv show · Roy Plomley
• AM to DM · tv show · BuzzFeed