Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Media Mogul Resigns, L.A. School Report, and Super Bowl Woes
A 92-year-old media mogul resigns amid major conflict and we talk to director George Miller about his Mad Max movies .
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenMedia legend Sumner Redstone is no longer in control of his billion-dollar empire. The 92-year-old has been replaced as executive chairman of his two big media companies, CBS and Viacom. Next, a look at a controversial change in management over at L.A. School Report. The website that covers the city’s public schools has been taken over by a pro-charter organization. After that, Madeleine talks to writer-producer-director George Miller about the latest installment of his Mad Max franchise and the inspiration for the first movie. Then, the Super Bowl 50 is taking place in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. But the weeklong party leading up to it will be in San Francisco – and some people are not happy about that. And last but not least, our usual web roundup with Xeni Jardin.
In this episode
5 storiesSumner Redstone Resigns
The media mogul Sumner Redstone has resigned as executive chairman of his two major companies: Viacom and CBS. Redstone is now 92 and investors claim that his health has been waning for some time. But his resignation hasn’t ceased the conflict that surrounds his empire.
Read the story7 minL.A. School Report Takeover
The pro-charter organization The Seventy Four has taken over the education site L.A. School Report, which covers schools in Los Angeles. The Seventy Four was co-founded by former CNN anchor Campbell Brown. It’s mainly funded by pro-charter supporters.
Read the story8 minWeb Roundup
This week’s tech news was all about social media. We talk to Xeni Jardin about “The End of Twitter,” an article in The New Yorker magazine last week that proclaimed the death of Twitter was upon us. Social media users weren’t too happy about that.
Read the story9 minUp Close And Personal With George Miller
George Miller is everywhere. He was just selected as the head of the Cannes Film Festival jury, not to mention his latest film in the Mad Max franchise – Max Max: Fury Road – is up for 10 Oscars. He sat down with Madeleine Brand to discuss the very first Mad Max film, and the inspiration for the intricate characters in his films.
Read the story14 minSuper Bowl 50 Sadness
Super Bowl 50 is taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this Sunday . Fans and attendees will descend upon nearby San Francisco this weekend to celebrate and watch the game. But San Francisco residents are so not down with that. There will be protests, displacement of vendors, and a ton of traffic.
Read the story9 min
