Profiles written by J. Clara Chan, Kirsten Chuba, Caitlin Huston, Mikey O’Connell, Lacey Rose and Alex Weprin. Edited by Mikey O’Connell.
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Samantha Bee
Image Credit: Courtesy of Mary Ellen Matthews/Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Host, Full Frontal
The Daily Show alum’s TBS series reaches nearly 3 million viewers across platforms, which helped it secure a recent renewal even as her network cedes much of its originals push to streamer sibling HBO Max. Passing 200 episodes in 2021 and shifting to Thursday nights in January, Bee mixes her mockery of Washington with earnest pleas — like her recent segment on universal free lunch in schools.
Eric Adams’ top priority should be
“You mean after he fixes our swagger deficit?”
Go-to Substack
“Ruth Reichl’s food writing changed my life, and I will follow her to the ends of the earth. Yes, even if that means subscribing to a Substack.”
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Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC Panelists, The View
As always, The View tends to make as many headlines as it covers (see Meghan McCain’s messy departure and Goldberg’s two-week suspension for comments about the Holocaust). After an additional hiatus to film Amazon series Anansi Boys, Goldberg has since returned to the show, rejoining Behar, Haines and Hostin for their signature morning commentary. The show hit a year best of 2.7 million viewers in late March, while the search for a conservative voice (any takers?) continues.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
BEHAR “My brassiere with bones.”
GOLDBERG “Underwear.”
Worst pandemic change to New York
HAINES “The skepticism and distance between people in an already bustling city.”
Interview I want to book right now
HOSTIN “The billionaires buying everything.”
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Aryeh Bourkoff
Image Credit: Courtesy of Matt Furman CEO, LionTree
Under Bourkoff, LionTree has become the boutique investment bank of choice for the media, entertainment and telecommunications sectors, and there are few megadeals that his firm hasn’t touched. The WarnerMedia-Discovery merger? Bourkoff advised AT&T. MGM’s sale to Amazon? He worked with MGM. ViacomCBS’ sale of Simon & Schuster and the Vox Media-Group Nine merger? Those, too. The list goes on and on and on.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
“Tossed the tie, but kept the suit.”
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Nate Burleson, Tony Dokoupil and Gayle King
Image Credit: Photographed by Aaron Richter Hosts, CBS Mornings
With King signing a new deal to stay put in January — despite heavy courting from other parties — and Burleson’s October arrival coinciding with an official rebrand of CBS’ a.m. flagship, this trio holds down the most hard-news-focused of the broadcast morning shows. And, as of May 10, it’s cut into NBC’s and ABC’s leads in the favored news demo of adults 25-54 by a respective 13 and 8 percent.
Interview I want to book right now
BURLESON “Dave Chappelle.”
KING “Eugene Goodman, the Capitol Police officer who many believed saved lives on Jan. 6.”
I share my Netflix account with …
DOKOUPIL “Guests in every Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in.”
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Charlamagne tha God
Image Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images Host, The Breakfast Club and Tha God’s Honest Truth
Lenard McKelvey, better known as Charlamagne tha God, is often referred to as a shock jock — a title well earned over his two-decade career of revelatory interviews with rappers, a few guest walkouts and audience response ranging from adulation to ire. But he’d rather be known as a media mogul — and not without justification. The 43-year-old firebrand host has made Power 105.1 FM’s The Breakfast Club New York’s most culturally relevant morning radio show for more than a decade, while adding TV projects (Comedy Central’s Tha God’s Honest Truth), podcasts (The Brilliant Idiots), multiple best-selling books, a comics imprint, scripted development and even a video series for The Hollywood Reporter (Emerging Hollywood) to his snowballing workload. “Audio is my world,” he says over a Zoom in early May. “But I want to have my hand in a little bit of everything.”
Read the full interview here.
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Agnes Chu, David Remnick and Anna Wintour
Image Credit: Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic; Noam Galai/Getty Images; Samir Hussein/WireImage President, Condé Nast Entertainment; editor, The New Yorker; chief content officer, Condé Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue
Disney alum Chu and Vogue icon Wintour are both fresh off another Met Gala, where they reportedly charged $1 million for two six-second ad spots during its red carpet livestream — doubling ad revenue for their tony publishing house. Under Remnick’s leadership, The New Yorker picked up two more Ellies in 2022 — one for a profile by staff writer Rachel Aviv and another for a video of the Jan. 6 insurrection by contributing writer Luke Mogelson.
Interview I want to book right now
CHU “Michelle Yeoh.”
Eric Adams’ top priority should be
REMNICK “The unhoused, the poor, the vulnerable and our schools.”
Go-to Substack
CHU “Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From an American. The expansive historical context she provides to our current events regularly gives me perspective and inspiration.”
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Stephen Colbert and Jon Batiste
Image Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS ; Theo Wargo/WireImage Host and bandleader, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Despite interruptions — Colbert tested positive for COVID-19 in April and again in May, as did Batiste in May — and losing longtime showrunner Chris Licht to CNN, The Late Show rules after-hours. An average of 2.95 million viewers has the CBS show enjoying a five-season winning streak against the Jimmys, all while bandleader Batiste has become a star in his own right. He topped the Grammys as 2022’s most nominated artist and scored album of the year in the process.
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Cesar Conde, Rashida Jones and Noah Oppenheim
Image Credit: Courtesy of Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal; MSNBC; Athena Torri/NBC Chairman, NBCUniversal News Group; president, NBC News; president, MSNBC
Conde took over NBCUniversal’s news businesses in 2020 with a mandate to transform the division. He prioritized diversity, setting a goal of a 50 percent diverse workforce, and shifted resources to streaming. That included investment at NBC News Now, the free streaming service overseen by Oppenheim, which added hundreds of jobs to create what the company hopes will be the network news division of the future. Jones, meanwhile, took over MSNBC in 2021 and transformed its lineup, refocusing the dayside hours on news and creating a weekend slate of unique opinion programming. Now she will have to navigate a primetime future with less Rachel Maddow.
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Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images; Dominik Bindl/Getty Images Host, Anderson Cooper 360; host, Don Lemon Tonight
While cable news has had plenty of volatility over the years, Cooper has been a rock-steady presence on CNN’s primetime lineup for nearly two decades (not to mention his contributor role on 60 Minutes and his New Year’s Eve hosting duties). Lemon, meanwhile, has become one of CNN’s buzziest personalities by turning his evening show into a place for passionate discussions on the news of the day.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
LEMON “Matching suit pants … mostly.”
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Sam Dolnick, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Joe Kahn, Meredith Kopit Levien and A.G. Sulzberger
Image Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images;Monica Schipper/Getty Images;El Pics/ Getty Images ;Rachel Murray/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Assistant managing editor; reporter; incoming executive editor; CEO; chairman, The New York Times
The Gray Lady enters a new era this summer, as Kahn shifts into the executive editor gig after years of work digitizing the newsroom. That effort has been aided by Dolnick, a rising leader who helped launch the popular The Daily podcast and television series The Weekly, and Hannah-Jones, whose immersive 1619 Project earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 and is getting the documentary treatment with help from Oprah Winfrey. Sulzberger and Kopit Levien, who oversaw the acquisition of The Athletic, announced that Times subscribers had hit 9.1 million in May.
Eric Adams’ top priority should be
HANNAH-JONES “Ensuring actual affordable housing for working-class New Yorkers, especially in gentrifying neighborhoods.”
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Jimmy Fallon and Questlove
Image Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images;Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Host and bandleader, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
With an average audience of 1.54 million linear viewers, the Tonight Show host remains the digital late night king — pacing millions of YouTube subscribers and social media followers ahead of his competitors. Fallon has upped his producing slate, as bandleader and buddy Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson made a rather remarkable film foray. The Roots frontman’s directorial debut, Summer of Soul — documenting 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival — swept the awards circuit and brought Questlove his first Oscar.
Interview I want to book right now
FALLON “The cast of the Wedding Veil trilogy on Hallmark.”
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
QUESTLOVE “I think my days of wearing Jordans are over.”
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Edward Felsenthal and Ian Orefice
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images;Johnny Nunez/Getty Images CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Time; president and COO, Time and Time Studios
Backed by owners Marc and Lynne Benioff, Felsenthal and Orefice have turned Time’s fortunes around by leaning into and expanding its signature features like Person of the Year and the Time 100 list. They have also invested in digital journalism and video through Time Studios, which has made an impact with projects like Kanye West doc Jeen-yuhs and John Lewis: Good Trouble.
Interview I want to book right now
FELSENTHAL “Rihanna.”
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Kimberly Godwin
Image Credit: Photographed by Jai Lennard President, ABC News
In taking the reins of ABC News, Godwin inherited top-ranking telecasts in both dayparts (Good Morning America and World News Tonight) and a few well-publicized messes. She is said to have made culture changes a priority, promoting key players at GMA and bringing over HR pro Jose Andino from her old digs at CBS News. Now, focused on the future, she is steering her division’s digital opportunities and moves into audio and specials.
Interview I want to book right now
“Vladimir Putin and Will Smith.”
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Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro and Jesse Watters
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox Panelists, The Five
The Fox News afternoon panel has quietly become the most watched show on cable news, routinely fetching 3.5 million viewers and topping its primetime cohorts (tough luck, Tucker!). Their hot takes and heated debates with rotating liberals have become a springboard for other parts of the lineup, with Watters securing the 7 o’clock hour, Gutfeld launching a late night show at 11 and Perino co-anchoring America’s Newsroom.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
PIRRO “5-inch heels.”
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
PERINO “At the Jersey Shore.”
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Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin
Image Credit: Courtesy of Virginia Sherwood/NBC;Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC (2) Hosts, Today
With the top morning show among adults 25-54, the primary trio on the ever-crowded Today scores some of the best bookings in the a.m., nabbing Prince Harry, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Kim Kardashian, all in recent weeks.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
GUTHRIE “Anything tight.”
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
MELVIN “Chasing my small children around in Connecticut.”
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Sean Hannity
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox News Host, Hannity
In April, Hannity passed Larry King as the longest-running primetime host in cable news history. The Fox News original has held down a primetime slot since the channel launched in 1996, first sparring with the late Alan Colmes, then with his own hour. And while Hannity may not have the direct line to the Oval Office that he had in the prior administration, his show remains a must-visit for any Republican seeking a national profile.
Interview I want to book right now
“Two hours of radio and one hour of TV with Joe Biden, if he could stay awake that long.”
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Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell
Image Credit: Art Streiber/MSNBC (3) Host, All In; host, The Rachel Maddow Show; host, The Last Word
MSNBC’s primetime team is set to undergo its first major change in years, as Maddow shifts to only one day on air per week to expand her portfolio at the parent company with films and podcasts. Hayes and O’Donnell, meanwhile, will provide the stability that cable news viewers expect, forming a backbone of the lineup that helped MSNBC finish 2021 as the No. 2 cable channel in primetime.
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
Hayes “In the Hudson Valley, unless it’s Little League baseball or softball season.”
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Lester Holt and David Muir
Image Credit: Leon Bennett/WireImage; Mike Coppola/Getty Images Anchor, NBC Nightly News; anchor, ABC World News Tonight
While cable networks squabble over bragging rights in their three-way ratings race, broadcast boys Holt and Muir each pull more than all of them combined. Muir’s ABC World News Tonight reigns as the most watched evening news telecast (8.88 million viewers) and Holt’s NBC Nightly News comes in just behind with 7.78 million. The invasion of Ukraine has propelled recent coverage, though the Supreme Court’s leaked Roe v. Wade draft ruling and the midterms should dominate the months to come.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
MUIR “Suit pants and shoes. Jeans and running shoes beneath the anchor desk always.”
Interview I want to book right now
HOLT “Chief Justice John Roberts.”
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Neeraj Khemlani and Wendy McMahon
Image Credit: Michele Crowe/CBS (2) Co-heads, CBS News
The duo running CBS News has been tasked with rejuvenating the storied division, leaning into its newsgathering strengths and its most successful properties, including CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. They reworked the morning show as CBS Mornings, and locked in Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell to maintain solidity on critical programs, while also preparing to lean into the streaming future with a revamp of CBS News’ streaming offering.
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
KHEMLANI “Teaching my 16-year-old twins how to drive.”
MCMAHON “In Los Angeles with my husband, watching my 10-year-old son play baseball.”
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Chris Licht
Image Credit: Rich Fury/VF22/Getty Image CEO, CNN
The newly installed CEO of CNN enters the job long held by Jeff Zucker with a mission: double down on journalism-driven news coverage and maximize the news organization’s impact — rather than its profits. Stephen Colbert credited him with structuring The Late Show to set it up for success, while former colleague Joe Scarborough says that his “no-nonsense” and “hard-nosed” approach will help turn CNN’s fortunes around. And while CNN+ is gone, Licht will help guide what CNN’s role should be in streaming as part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
I’d fix the subway by …
“Installing European-style platform doors at all stations.”
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Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief
Image Credit: Courtesy of Morning Brew Co-founders, Morning Brew
In 2021, the newsletter turned media company brought in $50 million in revenue and now employs roughly 250 employees across nine publications — including the flagship newsletter that has 4 million subscribers. Its founders are now eyeing growth for their creator network in categories including investing, personal finance, entrepreneurship and crypto — a “creator-driven model” that the company will lean on as it expands beyond the inbox.
Interview I want to book right now
RIEF “Conor McGregor.”
Worst pandemic change to New York
LIEBERMAN “QR codes actually being a thing.”
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Seth Meyers
Image Credit: Lloyd Bishop/NBC Host, Late Night With Seth Meyers
Eight years in, 12:35 a.m.’s genial comedian has fostered one of the most unique platforms in late night — marrying revealing interviews with marquee guests such as Taylor Swift, John Mulaney and Paul Rudd with his distinctly incredulous rundowns of the day’s news. His web show Corrections (in which he reads his viewers’ edits for his telecast) earned him an Emmy nomination in 2021, and, in 2020, he started producing colleague Amber Ruffin’s own talk foray.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
“My ‘QANON: Let’s Hear Them Out!’ T-shirt.”
Though her focus is on her Peacock series, Amber Ruffin, pictured with Seth Meyers, has been a fixture on Late Night in the days since news broke that the Supreme Court will likely overturn Roe v. Wade. Lloyd Bishop/NBC -
Lorne Michaels
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage Executive producer, Saturday Night Live
This kingmaker remains the most influential individual in comedy, shepherding SNL alum projects across film and TV. In addition to his venerable variety show, which closes out its 47th season May 21, Michaels’ Broadway Video produces shows including The Tonight Show and Late Night.
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Matt Murray and Robert Thomson
Image Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images ; Drew Angerer/Getty Images Editor, The Wall Street Journal; CEO, NewsCorp
Led by Murray, the WSJ’s journalism is among the very best — particularly in its coverage of business and markets. But it is no slouch with investigations either, with its series The Facebook Files shedding new light on the internal workings of the social media giant. Thomson, meanwhile, spearheaded deals with Google and Facebook (awkward!), in which the tech giants pay the company handsomely to make its content more accessible on their platforms.
Interview I want to book right now
MURRAY “[Bitcoin founder] Satoshi Nakamoto, offering up the reveal.”
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Trevor Noah
Image Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images Host, The Daily Show
Emceeing April’s resurrected White House Correspondents’ Dinner — an evening that seemed remarkably normal, all things considered — Noah has cemented his status as a leading voice in political commentary and the most valuable asset in Comedy Central’s admittedly shrinking portfolio. In March, he finally returned to the studio and welcomed back a live audience for the first time in two years.
Workplace clothing I’ve ditched since 2020
“My cravat and fedora.”
Go-to Substack
“None. I’m trying to delete apps, not download more.”
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John Oliver
Image Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images Host, Last Week Tonight
The keystone in HBO’s ever-expanding talk slate, Oliver remains the critical favorite in late night. His Last Week Tonight has won six straight Emmys for outstanding variety talk series and continues to offer up viral indictments of everything from Dr. Oz’s Senate run to the criminalization of sex work for gratis on YouTube — often to the tune of 4 million views.
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Dawn Ostroff
Image Credit: Courtesy of Spotify Chief content and advertising business officer, Spotify
The media vet has been busy cementing the audio company’s massive presence in podcasting. On top of major talent deals, Spotify now has a library of more than 4 million podcasts on the platform and a growing ad business that recently accounted for 11 percent of Spotify’s total revenue ($11.8 billion for fiscal 2021). Next up is the first full season of podcast Batman Unburied, which recently unseated The Joe Rogan Experience as the platform’s No. 1.
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
“In Los Angeles or Southampton.”
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Bill Owens, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker
Image Credit: Heinz Kluetmeier/CBS;John Filo/CBS; Michele Crowe/CBS; Michael Yarish/CBS Executive producer, 60 Minutes; correspondents, 60 Minutes
Under the leadership of Owens since 2019, the newsmagazine has doubled down on hard news, a strategy that’s contributed to its status as the No. 1 broadcast series in primetime during at least six weeks this year. To date, the season has featured Pelley’s extensive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Whitaker’s look at the growing threat of Kremlin-directed cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in the U.S., and Stahl’s reporting from the mountains of Rwanda on mountain gorillas and their economic impact on the country.
Interview I want to book right now
OWENS “Chinese President Xi.”
PELLEY “Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
STAHL “Russian President Vladimir Putin and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.”
WHITAKER “Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.”
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Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC Hosts, Live With Kelly and Ryan
Few press tours are complete without a stop at Live With Kelly and Ryan, where Ripa and her co-host of five years banter and cheerlead. And why not? Live is the No. 1 entertainment talk show on all of television. On average, it’s also the most watched daytime talk show, out-delivering the final season of Ellen, for instance, by double-digit margins. Ripa and Seacrest’s collective reach extends far beyond the show. Both have active production companies, and Seacrest also fronts a daily KISS-FM show, On Air With Ryan Seacrest, emcees a weekly installment of American Top 40 and hosts American Idol. In the coming months, Ripa will add game show host and author to her bio, as well.
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
SEACREST “On a flight to Los Angeles or Napa.”
Best pandemic change to New York
RIPA “I like wearing masks. There, I said it.”
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Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan
Image Credit: Courtesy of Heidi Gutman/ABC Hosts, Good Morning America
Courting an average 3.4 million viewers every weekday, the GMA trio remain the dominant broadcast morning show hosts. And even though their program still trails its NBC competitor in the key news demo on average, victories on that front aren’t out of grasp, either. At the top of May, GMA beat Today among adults 25-54 for the first week in four months.
Interview I want to book right now
STEPHANOPOULOS “Vladimir Putin.”
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
STRAHAN “In the Bahamas, enjoying time with my family, or on the golf course.”
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Amber Ruffin
Image Credit: Heidi Gutman/Peacock Host, The Amber Ruffin Show
Though she can still be seen on Seth Meyers’ Late Night, Ruffin’s main gig these days is her own. The Amber Ruffin Show launched in 2020 with a weekly sampling on NBC before segueing to airing exclusively on streaming platform Peacock. There, the comedian who wants to “de-gaslight America” quickly earned an Emmy nomination for writing.
Best pandemic change to New York
“To-go cocktails were pretty great. We’re bringing those back, right? I can’t believe they weren’t a thing to begin with!”
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Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski
Image Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage (2) Hosts, Morning Joe
Scarborough and Brzezinski’s Morning Joe now runs for four hours every weekday — five, if you count the spinoff Way Too Early — giving the power couple more daily hours than any other hosts on TV. Their show is a launching pad for journalists and producers (see Chris Licht and Willie Geist) and a must-visit for savvy political operators.
Interview I want to book right now
SCARBOROUGH “Paul McCartney.”
BRZEZINSKI “First lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.”
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Suzanne Scott and Jay Wallace
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox News Media; Alex Kroke/Fox News CEO, Fox News; president and executive editor, Fox News
To hear Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch tell it, Fox News has transcended cable news. He’s argued in recent months that the conservative platform “competes more with broadcast” than its cable competition — at least in the ratings — which makes Scott and Wallace’s well-oiled machine arguably the most powerful platform for the Republican Party. Scott has also spearheaded a push into other platforms via streaming services Fox Nation and the ad-supported Fox Weather. The network’s coverage in Ukraine, overseen by Wallace, has proved that it can still deliver reporting, too.
Eric Adams’ top priority should be
SCOTT “Doing everything he can to maintain New York City’s standing as the greatest city in the world.”
I’d fix the subway by …
WALLACE “Rebranding it. Tell everyone it’s a new secret speakeasy.”
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WALLACE “Common Sense with Bari Weiss.“
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Ben Smith and Justin B. Smith
Image Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images;Jemal Countess/Getty Images Co-founders, Semafor
News that Justin Smith would step down as CEO of Bloomberg Media and that Ben Smith would leave the comfortable media columnist perch at The New York Times to launch their own venture caught everyone by surprise. But maybe it shouldn’t have. After all, Justin earned a reputation for building successful media businesses at Atlantic Media and The Week, while Smith, an early Politico employee, launched BuzzFeed News, turning it into a powerhouse. So what is Semafor? An expected 2022 launch should clear things up.
Go-to Substack
SMITH “News Items by John Ellis.”
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Brian Stelter
Host, Reliable Sources
The Reliable Sources host (and author of the newsletter of the same name) has maintained his ascent in recent years because of the unique overlap between his audience and subject matter: media and politics. The newsletter is a must-read among media cognoscenti, as is the Sunday CNN show, which regularly welcomes a weekly parade of newsmakers.
When I’m not in the city, I’m …
“At my 150-year-old farmhouse. I’m getting ready to adopt some goats.”
Go-to Substack
“Inside the Newsroom is a great source of journalism job postings. More people should know about it!”
This story first appeared in the May 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
