Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    If TikTok shuts down, what might happen to the industry of teen influencers in LA?

    President Trump threatened to ban TikTok last week over privacy and security concerns. He now says TikTok’s Chinese parent company has until September 15 to sell it to the U.S.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Jonathan Bastian • Aug 4, 2020 • 7m Listen

    President Trump threatened to ban TikTok last week over privacy and security concerns. He now says TikTok’s Chinese parent company has until September 15 to sell it to the U.S. tech giant Microsoft or another company.

    Over the past few years, the $50 billion viral video app created overnight sensations and celebrities on social media. An entire economy also grew around the app, especially in LA.

    The full episode

    5 of 5
    LA Congresswoman Karen Bass for VP?
    1. 0:00How Karen Bass quickly rose to the top of Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president
    2. 9:05LA district attorney’s husband pulls gun on BLM activists. California attorney general charges him
    3. 16:52‘Rebuilding Paradise’ film shows how Californians rebuilt their lives after historic Camp Fire
    4. 30:49Allegations of sexual harassment and assault threaten to topple Ellen Degeneres and her show
    5. 41:34If TikTok shuts down, what might happen to the industry of teen influencers in LA?You’re reading this
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Jonathan Bastian

      Host, Life Examined

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Wendy Lee

      LA Times

      NewsBusiness & EconomyInternationalPolitics

    The full episode

    5 of 5
    LA Congresswoman Karen Bass for VP?
    1. 0:00How Karen Bass quickly rose to the top of Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president
    2. 9:05LA district attorney’s husband pulls gun on BLM activists. California attorney general charges him
    3. 16:52‘Rebuilding Paradise’ film shows how Californians rebuilt their lives after historic Camp Fire
    4. 30:49Allegations of sexual harassment and assault threaten to topple Ellen Degeneres and her show
    5. 41:34If TikTok shuts down, what might happen to the industry of teen influencers in LA?You’re reading this
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand