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Channels with Peter Kafka

Vox Media Podcast Network
Donald Trump
Openai
Youtube
Netflix
Media Industry
Trump Administration
Disney
Apple
Meta
Social Media
Artificial Intelligence
ESPN
New York Times
Digital Media
Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount
Tiktok
Television
AI In Media
Substack

Media and tech aren’t just intersecting — they’re fully intertwined. And to understand how those worlds work, and what they mean for you, veteran journalist Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers - and gets them to spell it out in plain, BS-free English. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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Latest Episodes

When I last talked to Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Netflix was buying Warner Bros. Discovery. Six months later, Paramount has the deal — but, surprisingly, it’s on hold while a group of states tries to block it in court.

Lucas and I talk about whether Lar... more

You are a normal person, so if you think about “people writing their own newsletters” you probably think: “Substack”.

But just as Xerox isn’t the only way to make photocopies, Substack doesn’t own the professional newsletter industry.

So let’s meet... more

Chris Balfe is the CEO of Red Seat Ventures, the company behind some of the biggest names in podcasting, including Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Bill O’Reilly, and, more recently, Kill Tony. Since we last spoke, Red Seat has been acquired by Fox, maki... more

Joe Kahn runs the New York Times newsroom, which means he runs the most powerful news operation in the world. He joins me to talk about what that power is for — and why he thinks the Times’ next big transformation is video, and why the paper is in “a... more

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Recent Guests

Tyler Denk
CEO and co-founder of BeeHiiv
BeeHiiv
Episode: Substack Wants To Become A Social Network; Beehiiv Wants To Stay Invisible
Chris Balfe
CEO of Red Seat Ventures, creator services firm
Red Seat Ventures
Episode: Inside Podcasting’s Fight Over Netflix, YouTube, and Creator Control
Joe Kahn
Executive Editor, New York Times
New York Times
Episode: "We’re in a Race Against Time," Joe Kahn on Running the New York Times in the Age of AI Slop
Joe Weisenthal
Bloomberg journalist, co-host of Odd Lots, and newsletter publisher
Bloomberg
Episode: Encore: Inside Joe Weisenthal's brain
Pete Micelli
Head of Range Media Partners, represents top talent in film, TV, and digital
Range Media Partners
Episode: A Hollywood Manager Explains the New Rules of Show Biz
Nilay Patel
Editor-in-Chief of The Verge
The Verge
Episode: Brian Stelter on the 60 Minutes Mess; Nilay Patel on Apple’s AI Problem
Dhar Mann
Content creator and founder of Dhar Mann Studios
Dhar Mann Studios
Episode: How Dhar Mann Turned After-School Specials Into A Billion-View Business
Almar Latour
CEO of Dow Jones
Dow Jones
Episode: Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour Explains Why Boring Data Is a Great Media Business
Jim Bankoff
CEO of Vox Media
Vox Media
Episode: Vox Media's Jim Bankoff Explains Why He's Selling to James Murdoch

Host

Peter Kafka
Host of Channels with Peter Kafka

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 952 ratings
  • Still enjoying

    Highly enjoy! Keeps me informed and think abt different angles

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LibbyAPierson
    United States2 months ago
  • shillout

    why did bankoff sell to murdoch? money. everything else is just corporate shilling at its worst. vox has an penchant for platforming that. … maybe ad kickbacks who knows.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    familieheinzbecker
    Germany2 months ago
  • 2 - down from 4-5

    Peter is going into becoming Tucker Carlson of media business

    Annoyingly long monologues and unproductive interruptions of guests are turnoffs for me.

    It used to be much better - podcasters tend to turn into TV talking heads , talking about themselves - little less me me me blabber, and a little more information is needed

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    igormax
    United States8 months ago
  • Don't talk over the guests!!

    Kafka's podcasts are always hit or miss for me but Channels has gone down to 20% hit 80% miss

    A recent example of why it's mostly miss is the October interview with the Guardian

    The difference between their model and typical US news models is intrinsically interesting, but Kafka just can't exercise enough discipline to shut up and let the guest talk without constant interruptions

    I can listen to aggressive mansplaining anytime, anywhere

    I don't want to hear it from a professional podcast... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Qwertiop8
    United States10 months ago
  • He does talk a lot

    I agree he should let the guests talk more.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Journalistikit
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate breadth of topics and depth of industry context.
Overall positive reception for strong guests and industry insight; host style is a frequent point of critique.
Some listeners feel interruptions and host emphasis on politics can detract from guest conversations.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Substack Wants To Become A Social Network; Beehiiv Wants To Stay Invisible
Q: What is a one-sentence summary of BeeHiiv?
It's hard, but BeeHiiv is essentially the operating system for content creators, providing the tools to build, distribute, and monetize newsletters while expanding into podcasts, communities, and digital products.
Encore: Inside Joe Weisenthal's brain
Q: How did the podcast shift from a side project to a central focus for you?
The breakthrough came around 2021 when the TV department suggested cross-promotion with TV segments, but the hosts preferred the depth and time of the podcast, recognizing it as their true passion.
Encore: Inside Joe Weisenthal's brain
Q: Why did you stay with Bloomberg for so long given the potential of going solo or starting a substack?
He valued the fit within a large organization, including resources and access to tools like Bloomberg Terminals, and believed the role offered a unique combination of digital and TV exposure that was hard to replicate elsewhere.
Encore: Inside Joe Weisenthal's brain
Q: What did you want to be doing when you were starting out, and how did that lead to your current path?
Joe explains that he had no clear path initially, started as a substitute teacher, and gradually found writing and blogging that connected him to finance topics, which eventually led to his career at Bloomberg and to running Odd Lots.
Inside Podcasting’s Fight Over Netflix, YouTube, and Creator Control
Q: How should creators think about clipping and the revenue it generates for platforms versus creators?
Balfe emphasizes the risk that clipping transfers most revenue to platforms; creators and media companies should push for fair monetization of clips to maintain incentive to create long-form content.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Channels

What is Channels about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on the intersection of media, technology, and business, hosting top executives, journalists, and industry observers who dissect strategy, platforms, and industry shifts in candid, no-nonsense conversations. Episodes frequently cover media company pivots, AI's impact on publishing and entertainment, platform dynamics, and the evolving economics of content creation, with occasional forays into politics and culture as they intersect with business. Noteworthy are insightful guests, sharp industry context, and a consistent focus on how leadership decisions reshape the media landscape for creators, publishers, and advertisers. The format often blends strategic storytelling with practical takeaways for those building or promoting... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Channels?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Channels. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Channels and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Channels get?

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What are the audience demographics for Channels?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Channels, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Channels have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Channels has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Channels?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Channels:

1. The Grill Room
2. Decoder with Nilay Patel
3. Mixed Signals from Semafor Media
4. The Powers That Be: Daily
5. The Town with Matthew Belloni

How many episodes of Channels are there?

Channels launched 11 years ago and published 593 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Channels?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Channels?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Channels from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Channels. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Channels?

Recent guests on Channels include:

1. Tyler Denk
2. Chris Balfe
3. Joe Kahn
4. Joe Weisenthal
5. Pete Micelli
6. Nilay Patel
7. Dhar Mann
8. Almar Latour

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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