Channels with Peter Kafka

Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast who transformed the publisher into a diversified global brands business. He talks about the Met Gala as a cultural moment and how Condé measures its impact. He discusses deals with AI firms and protecting content, the decline of Google search traffic, and his surprise plan for succession at marquee editorial roles.

Charlie Warzel, writer and host of Galaxy Brain at The Atlantic, is a guides-to-internet-culture voice. He dissects the internet’s “let-it-rip” era of AI slop and platforms stepping back from curation. He explores why video and clips now dominate, what switching from writing to video taught him, and what legacy media misunderstand about creators.

Paul Ford, writer-technologist who explains code in plain English and co-founded Aboard. He discusses how recent AI advances suddenly produce useful code, enabling rapid prototyping and finishing long-delayed projects. He explores who benefits and who is reshaped by AI-powered coding, the limits like hallucinations, and why product thinking and governance still matter.

Jason Blum, producer and founder of Blumhouse Productions known for low-budget horror hits, discusses how his hit-making model has evolved. He talks about pivoting to bigger event horror, using known IP to attract audiences, the impact of industry consolidation and new streaming buyers, and his conflicted stance on AI in moviemaking.

Andrew Marantz, New Yorker staff writer who covered OpenAI, and Ronan Farrow, investigative reporter and author, discuss Sam Altman’s trust challenges. They explore his tailored pitches to different audiences. They unpack the 2023 ouster and rebound, internal governance chaos, risks of pushing ChatGPT public, and what structural oversight might look like.

Jonathan Glatzer, TV writer/showrunner behind Succession and Better Call Saul and creator of AMC’s The Audacity, discusses setting a drama in Silicon Valley that centers people, not tech. He covers privacy and data worries, the gap between tech promises and reality, class and status around sudden wealth, AI’s nuanced role, and the practicalities of making prestige TV today.

Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Businessweek columnist and author who has tracked Elon Musk for years. He maps what SpaceX now contains — rockets, Starlink, and AI bets. He discusses the push to take SpaceX public, the narratives Musk sells to investors, and how Tesla, Starlink, and X fit into a larger power-and-capital strategy.

Kate Knibbs, a Wired technology reporter who digs into prediction markets and regulatory gray areas. She explains why prediction markets surged from sports betting to politics and media. She traces how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket went mainstream. She outlines the regulatory tug-of-war, insider-trading fuzziness, and the broader casinofication of public life.

Neil Vogel, CEO of People Inc., former Dotdash/Meredith leader who rebuilt legacy magazine brands. He explains losing Google traffic yet growing through brand revival, platform-native editorial, AI licensing deals, and buying established titles. The conversation covers reorganizing teams for TikTok and apps, negotiating with AI companies, and doubling down on a few core brands to drive audience growth.

Matt Belloni, veteran Hollywood journalist and Puck founder, offers insider perspective on awards season and industry shakeups. He talks Oscars attendance, how YouTube might reshape the show, and the impact of a potential Ellison-led Paramount/Warner deal. He also explores betting markets, studio strategy shifts, and the rising role of creators in Hollywood’s next chapter.