The Warner Bros. problem Netflix shareholders didn’t sign up for

As the Warner Bros. saga continues to heat up, Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down Netflix’s stock stumble despite reported subscriber growth, as Co-CEO Ted Sarandos reiterates the streamer’s commitment to honoring theatrical windows for Warners. To wrap things up, the banter partners dig into CNN’s potential spin-off value within Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable portfolio, pushing back on claims that the asset is worthless amid intensifying merger scrutiny.

Tom Freston on MTV and cable’s most untamed era

Kim Masters sits down with former Viacom CEO and MTV co-founder Tom Freston to discuss his memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. From his vagabond youth to the birth of MTV and his years working under billionaire mogul Sumner Redstone, Freston reflects on a career spent shaping modern media, and weighs in on the Warner Bros. succession fight, arguing that Netflix may be the legacy studio’s best-fit suitor.

Oscar-Nominated Raphael Saadiq on Sinners and His Life in Sound

Raphael Saadiq has been influential in the music industry since he burst onto the scene with his group Tony! Toni! Toné! Since then, he’s produced hits with artists like Beyoncé and scored countless film and TV projects. He’s now nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his blues anthem “I Lied To You” from the blockbuster film Sinners. He breaks down what went into creating the song, his connection to director Ryan Coogler, and his golden rule for making music for movies. 

Director Jafar Panahi on hope in his films and being a socially engaged filmmaker

Elvis Mitchell welcomes Iranian director Jafar Panahi, whose film It Was Just an Accident received two Oscar nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. The film earned critical acclaim when it won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. He talks about the obligations of a socially engaged filmmaker, letting the audience be the judge of his films' morality, and how he approaches casting.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION – THE WHITE LOTUS 

Support for KCRW comes from HBO Max, presenting THE WHITE LOTUS. Season 3 follows the guests and employees of a luxury spa and wellness sanctuary in Thailand as they grapple with spirituality, secrets, self-discovery, revenge, and death while on their unique journey toward finding peace. Don’t miss the series Collider is calling "IRRESISTIBLY ENTERTAINING."  Nominated for four Actor Awards, including Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a drama series.

Now streaming on HBO Max. 

Weekend Film Reviews: Mercy, H Is for Hawk, Sound of Falling, and Arco

The animated sci-fi film Arco tells the story of a boy from a peaceful future who travels back in time to the year 2075 to find a world in danger. Critics Shawn Edwards and Witney Seibold review the Oscar-nominated movie. Plus: H Is for Hawk starring Claire Foy, the AI thriller Mercy, and the German drama Sound of Falling.