Former NPR CEO Jarl Mohn recounts some of the most pivotable portions of his career which were in turn pivotal for all of us who are consumers of entertainment including:

• The early years of MTV and how and why he helped transform the company from music videos to what it has become today
• The founding of E! Entertainment
• His time as Chairman and CEO of NPR
• The wild success of Tiny Desk Music
• His perspective on gaming and why he invested in Riot Gaming/League of Legends as an angel investor
• The Three Rules he uses for choosing an investment
• His important passion for both art and philanthropy and how he sees NFT’s intersecting with Art

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Crystal Rose Pierce shares how she began coding at the age of 11.  
• How she has managed to keep her finger on the pulse of whats new, especially with Crypto -- having become involved early around 2012
• How Crystal used her expertise to become one of the wealthiest women in Crypto, named by Forbes one of the top worm in BlockChain, and is often referred to as the 'First Lady of Crypto
• Crystal breaks down NFT’s in a way we can all understand: She gives examples of how NFT’s, especially for art, will have lasting value based on the digital signature that comes with every NFT that is purchased
• We hear all about Crystal's NFT Art Gallery in Puerto Rico (the largest of its kind) that intermixes the world of digital art and physical art/space.  
• Which tokens Crystal is most excited about.
• And how and why she became the Chairperson for Miss World!

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR A DISRUPTIVE TECH COMPANY TO WORK WITH THE MUSIC AND THE MOVIE INDUSTRY
• ROB GLASER PREDICTS WHO IS A BIGGER COMPANY 5 YEARS FROM NOW: NETFLIX OR ROKU
• WHO HAS MORE USERS IN 2-3 YEARS: INSTAGRAM OR TIK TOK
• WHO IS THE BETTER VISIONARY BILL GATES, STEVE JOBS, OR ELON MUSK?
• WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO JOIN MICROSOFT WHEN IT WAS ONLY 250 PEOPLE?
• WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO SEE THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY BEFORE IT HAPPENS
• LEARN WHAT THE FIRST LIVE AUDIO STREAM ON THE INTERNET WAS IN 1994
• HOW A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING WAS THE FIRST STEP TO MUSIC
• LABELS OPENING THEIR CATALOG TO STREAMING RIGHTS
• HOW THE MUSIC'S STREAMING SERVICES YOU USE TODAY WERE FIRST LAUNCHED AND ENVISIONED IN 2002
• LEARN ABOUT THE BIRTH OF SPOTIFY AND HOW IT EMERGED TO BECOME WHAT IT IS TODAY
• HOW LONG DID IT TAKLE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO ACCEPT STREAMING AND REALLY GET BEHIND IT
• HOW DID NETFLIX FIRST GET OFF THE GROUND
• THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF ROKU
• HOW AI IS BEING USED TO IMPROVE FACIAL RECOGNITION
• WHY ARE WE IN STREAMING SERVICE OVERLOAD AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO FIX IT
• IS AI TRULY HERE NOW OR STILL IN THE FUTURE?
• LEARN HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONTROL YOUR COMPUTER WITH YOUR BRAIN

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skogmo began his media career working as a casting intern for big budget films such as Batman Begins and then worked for the creator of Judge Judy in the mailroom, where he sorted through audience-submitted VHS tapes (the “old-school” way of sourcing content).

Now the premiere, fast channel enterprise, Jukin Media wasn’t always an empire. It began as a start-up in Skogmo’s apartment, where his entrepreneurial spirit led him to license and monetize video clips. However, Skogmo made his fortune in obtaining the IP for video clips and selling them to broadcast channels. Jukin Media developed into an international company with offices in London, Los Angeles, New York, and New Delhi, becoming the ultimate generated content curator when it comes to video channels. Thus establishing Skogmo as one of the most successful and innovative content curators in tech history.

Jukin Media owns and programs fast channels such as People are Awesome, Fail Army, Pet Collective, and Weather Spy. Jukin also owns the licensing and rights to over 100,000 videos clips, including the viral sensations “Chewbacca Mom,” “Pizza Rat,” and “Tori Burns Her Hair.” 

Skogmo shares his experience in producing more than two hundred hours of TV programming for networks such as MTV, Discovery, Fox, and TruTV and divulges his predictions for how media and technology will either clash or converge for network channels. 

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christy Haubegger, the Executive Vice President, Communications, and Chief Enterprise Inclusion Officer of Warner Media, joins Richard to discuss the process of programming content for a global audience. One of the biggest challenges for a company like Warner Media is ensuring they are catering to an audience on the international scale, rather than solely American media. Christie’s goal is to ensure content reflects the interests and culture of their audience by bringing the level of rigor and and analytics to the idea of equity and inclusion. What she has found is that diverse casts in films have incremental audience opportunities. Christie is spearheading ways in which diversity and equity are reflected in movies, because movies shape our culture and how we view the world. 

As content streaming services diversify and evolve, the ways in which media networks measure success changes. Rather than basing performance off of metrics such as ratings, media companies use demographic such as specific regions and different age groups. They are also tasked with obtaining loyalty from their consumer base - something that is growing exponentially more difficult as streaming platforms emerge and transform.

In this episode, Christy and Richard discuss:

• How Warner Media has moved from a wholesaler to a retailer with HBOMAX and upcoming CNN+
• The wealth of IP that is part of Warner Media
• How Christy used and uses Data Science to prove that movies with a diverse cast do better
• How anyone can become a storyteller with just their phone
• What 3 movies caused Christy to move her entire life to LA to be in the film business
• And why Salma Hayek takes Christy's call and not Richard's

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brock Pierce shares his incredible life stories and lessons he’s learned, from being a former child-actor, becoming a crypto-billionaire, running in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, and currently running in the 2022 Vermont Senate Race. Pierce grew up in the entertainment field, but after seeing how the future was being shaped by new technology and the internet, he pivoted to gaming, an industry that was booming in the early 2000s. Eventually, Pierce launched a business which created a market for the digital current and digital goods that existed in multiplayer games, generating almost a hundred million dollars a year in revenue. According to Pierce, these experiences shaped his basic training to support the development of the crypto and blockchain industries. 

In fact, Pierce was one of the first people to mine Bitcoin in 2012. He shares the transformation of cryptocurrency over the years, and the wins and losses that came with being an early mover of these new technologies. He posits that these technologies bring accountability back into a world that sorely needs it and serve as one of the biggest wealth transfers to people who previously did not have access to the monetary system. He breaks the down cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Blockchains, and ICO tokens, noting the advantages these technologies will bring to our world. He explains the different approaches of Bitcoin and Ethereum, and tackles the questions of how cryptocurrencies should address scarcity and inflation. Next, he shares his predictions of the future of NFTs, and how the emergence of them has shaped a new creator economy in the digital space. 

Pierce also shares his reasoning for his “exploratory” run in the US Presidential election - he believes that legislators should understand how technology is advancing and shaping the present and future of our country. Although he did not expect to win, he was motivated by his concern for our collective future and his moral obligation to ensure our country is here for generations to come.  Because he sees a dire need for a non-partisan, neutral member of the Senate, he is currently running in the Vermont Senate Race as an independent 

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

-----------

Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mellody started at Ariel Investments as a college intern while at Princeton, and is now Co-CEO. She discusses why she has spent 31 years at Ariel, and how her relationship with Ariel founder John Rogers shaped her college choice, her career, and her outlook on business. She also shares how her husband, George Lucas, has helped shape her understanding of entertainment and film, from spending time at Skywalker Ranch, becoming Yoda’s stepmom, and witnessing Lucas’ creative process. 

When Hobson was in her 30s, she joined the Starbucks Board. Then, she was approached by Howard Schultz, who told Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Gethin that Hobson was a prime candidate to be on the board of Dreamworks. Hobson jumped on the chance, joining a board which she describes as “Moguls ‘R Us.” She discusses her experience on the board for 10+ years, beginning as a “pipsqueak” in the room to later becoming Chairman and acting as chief negotiator during the Comcast acquisition.

According to Hobson, the key to success for modern media companies lies in the refusal to stay in the past. She cites examples of Comcast, Disney, and Netflix as companies who evolve with advancement of technology and changing the demand of consumers. Hobson also predicts that streaming services will soon be re-bundled and streamlined, as unbundling is more costly and poses more technological challenges to consumers than traditional cable.  

Later, Wolpert and Hobson delve into the issues of race, gender, and mental health in America today. Hobson is the only Black woman who is the chairwoman of a Fortune 500 Company, which signals that there is still much progress to be made. She addresses the shortcomings of the corporate world when it comes to diversity in both race and gender, and how diversity initiatives oftentimes mask and perpetuate underrepresentation

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

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Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s special guest is music visionary and executive Marc Geiger: co-founder of Lollapalooza, founder and CEO of Artist Direct, head of World Wide Music for William Morris for 20 years, and current CEO and Chairman of SaveLive. As someone who has been named one of the most important people in music and has worked closely with legends such as Trent Reznor and the Rolling Stones, Geiger is the go-to expert for the current state and future of the music industry. 

Geiger discusses his predictions for the comeback of the music industry. Regardless of when live events fully return, Geiger predicts the market will be healthy and robust. Although, a new era of the music industry is coming to fruition called the “Creator’s Era,” which is changing the ways in which artists monetize themselves and connect to their audiences.

Geiger predicts NFTs will converge with the music industry by acting as a decentralized way for musicians to do commerce and connect to audiences. As for the future of NFTs, Geiger posits that they will operate as a digital boarding pass in your phone. It will take on many functions, which can range from being a certificate of authenticity, a shopping cart, or a way to transfer funds. 

Lately, a point of contention in the music industry is the amount of money artists make from streaming services. According to Geiger, the model for streaming rates isn’t necessarily wrong. In fact, it will improve as streaming platforms increase the amount they charge consumers. Because streaming services such as Spotify are in their teenage years, they will continue to grow and create new mechanisms for artists to make money. The current models we see in streaming are merely “base layers” that will continue to evolve.

Stick around to hear Geiger’s experience signing the Rolling Stones as his first artist while at Artist Direct, and how he pioneered e-commerce with Mick Jagger. 

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This episode is presented by: Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles. Contact: salderton@stubbsalderton.com

-----------

Hosted by: Richard Wolpert

Produced by: AJ Moseley

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.