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Channels with Peter Kafka

Vox Media Podcast Network
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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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes520Founded9 years ago
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TechnologyBusiness NewsNews

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Artwork for Channels

Latest Episodes

Every day some 85 million people - most of them kids - show up to play, chat and spend money on Roblox. That’s a massive audience just about any tech or media company would like to have. But David Baszucki wants more: He thinks his platform can event... more

Some people don’t want to pay for media. But lots of people are paying Jake Sherman and his team at Punchbowl News: The 4-year-old startup is thriving by providing super-insidery news and data about what’s happening in Congress. I chatted with Sherma... more

The New York Times faces the same challenges every other news organization faces in 2025.

But it’s also in way better shape to take those challenges on: Thanks to a business model built on 11 million subscribers, it’s not nearly so worried about thi... more

The Trump 2.0 era is less than three months old. But it’s already creating havoc for journalists and the companies they work for.

In Washington, Trump and his team are demoting traditional media - or kicking them out of the White House entirely. In ... more

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Recent Guests

David Baszucki
CEO of Roblox
Roblox
Episode: Roblox CEO David Baszucki knows what your kids are doing.
Jake Sherman
Co-founder of Punchbowl News
Punchbowl News
Episode: How to make money in Washington, with Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman
Sara Fischer
Media correspondent at Axios, known for her insights on media and politics.
Axios
Episode: Trump vs The Media, Round 2, with Sara Fischer
John Ourand
Long time sports media reporter at Puck
Puck
Episode: How long can sports keep TV alive?
PJ Vogt
Host of Search Engine podcast, former co-host of Reply All
Search Engine
Episode: Inside PJ Vogt’s low budget, super successful podcast
Zach Mack
Creator of Alternate Realities, son of a conspiracy theorist
NPR
Episode: Inside PJ Vogt’s low budget, super successful podcast
David Enrich
Business investigations editor at the New York Times, author of Murder the Truth
The New York Times
Episode: Free speech is under attack
Matthew Ball
Investor and analyst known for his insights on the gaming industry.
Episode: Matthew Ball: Why the games business is broken
Jonah Peretti
CEO and founder of BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed
Episode: BuzzFeed wants to build a… social network?

Host

Peter Kafka
Host of Channels, also the chief correspondent at Business Insider

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 905 ratings
  • Excellent Interviewer

    Peter is an excellent interviewer and manages to create very interesting conversations with his guests. He seems to be able to manage any ‘political’ left/right conversations well and instead focuses on the broader business/media questions underneath. There is a good spectrum of guests and it’s not just the same roster of people who seem to appear on every other podcast. It’s easy to recommend this show if you are interested in the business/media world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    chris463
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Sociopathic 🚽 Rissing in Ohio sigma Rizz

    Brain rot ski racing, mile racing in Ohio stupidity sigma everything in the wire give me the signal everything I have gotten sigma ribs in a higher toilet writing a review. Yes brain rot give me the recent mile, Racine, Ohio stupidity, stupidity, Rissing, save my everything in the wire give me the singer everything I’ve got gotten signal ribs in Ohio and I hired toilet right here you yes brain right give me everything I recently Ohio stupidity stupidity is the singer everything in it give me the... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    RYLAND fat
    United States3 months ago
  • thanks peter

    it is lovely to hear you keep your interviewees to account, keep it up, we will need it

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    chronotypes
    United States6 months ago
  • Inside the media bubble but in the best way

    I’ve known Peter for a long time so I’m a little biased but he really is the most knowledgeable journalist out there about the inner workings of the media business, its movers and shakers, and where it’s headed in the (near) future. Really glad he’s relaunched this series.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Barbuto12
    United States7 months ago
  • Best when it stays out of politics

    Peter has some really interesting guests on and covers a great range of topics. But too often he shows his lefty political leanings via full conversations or random sidebar comments, and he tends to come across as pretty smug. Would be better if he stuck to the facts and straightforward interviews, which is where he’s at his best.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    CRJ84531
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall, reviews indicate that while opinions vary, many find the content valuable and relevant, especially for professionals in the media and tech sectors.
Some reviews note that the host can exhibit smugness and may interrupt guests, which can detract from the listening experience.
Listeners appreciate the quality of guests and insightful discussions, often praising the host's ability to handle complex subjects with clarity.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How to make money in Washington, with Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman
Q: Did the makeup of your audience change with the new Trump administration?
The audience didn't change much; they are still focused on legislative politics and how Washington works, regardless of the administration.
How to make money in Washington, with Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman
Q: How is your business going?
It's been very successful, covering Congress with a laser focus and growing organically to 40 employees with over $20 million in revenue.
Twitch CEO Dan Clancy wants to hang on to the live-streaming crown
Q: Is this something where you just need certain fast Twitch reflexes to understand?
The magic of Twitch is when the viewer feels part of the community with slower chat for better engagement.
Free speech is under attack
Q: Is there a court case you think is, if you had to bet, is most likely to test this in the next year or so?
I don't know for sure, but I would say the Sarah Palin case is a significant one to watch, as it involves critical issues related to defamation and press freedoms.
Free speech is under attack
Q: Why is New York Times v. Sullivan important and why did you spend years writing about it?
It's important because it protects the press from defamation suits by public figures, and I spent years writing about it due to the increasing threats faced by journalists and smaller outlets that challenge powerful individuals.

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?

Conversations cover a wide range of topics at the intersection of media, technology, and business, often featuring insights from industry leaders and innovators. Discussions frequently address emerging trends in the media landscape, the impact of digital platforms on traditional formats, and the challenges facing various sectors, including gaming, streaming, and content creation. The dialogue is characterized by a focus on transparency and a desire to cut through jargon, making complex topics accessible to listeners interested in the evolving dynamics of media and tech.

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?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Channels, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

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. Pivot
2. Hard Fork
3. Decoder with Nilay Patel
4. On with Kara Swisher
5. The Powers That Be: Daily

How many episodes of Channels are there?

Channels launched 9 years ago and published 520 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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Channels?

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. David Baszucki
2. Jake Sherman
3. Sara Fischer
4. John Ourand
5. PJ Vogt
6. Zach Mack
7. David Enrich
8. Matthew Ball

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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