TellyCast: The content industry podcast

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Peter White, Executive Editor at  Deadline⁠, for a wide-ranging conversation covering the biggest issues facing the global content business.
Peter shares his perspective from Los Angeles on the changing fortunes of Hollywood, the impact of YouTube on traditional television, the future of late-night programming following Stephen Colbert’s departure from CBS, the economics of streaming, and why production companies need to rethink how they make and monetise content.
The discussion explores major industry developments including the Paramount-Skydance deal, the rise of creator-led content, YouTube’s growing dominance in the attention economy, the future of unscripted television, and whether vertical drama is genuinely the next big thing or simply the latest industry fad.
Peter also explains why he believes the next generation of media talent will emerge from YouTube rather than traditional television, reveals why Deadline has expanded into live events, and shares his thoughts on the future relationship between creators, broadcasters and streamers.
A candid and insightful conversation about where television, social video and the wider creator economy are heading next.
In this episode:
• Is Hollywood really in crisis?
 • Why YouTube is winning the attention war
 • The future of late-night television after Stephen Colbert
 • The Paramount-Skydance merger and industry consolidation
 • Why production companies must reduce costs
 • Creator-led content versus traditional TV models
 • The rise of YouTube-first entertainment
 • Why Peter is sceptical about vertical drama
 • How Deadline is adapting to a changing media landscape
 • The future of TV, streaming and social video
TellyCast is the podcast exploring the future of television, social video and the creator economy.
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What happens when two experienced television producers decide to leave the traditional TV industry and build a digital-first business from scratch?
In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Pete Campion, Co-Founder of IndyStudios, to explore how he and former BBC producer Matt Ramsden have made the leap from broadcast television into the creator economy.
Pete spent more than two decades producing large-scale international factual series, including the hugely successful Gold Rush franchise. But as the economics of traditional television became increasingly challenging, he saw an opportunity to apply those storytelling skills to YouTube, digital channels and AI-powered content.
The conversation explores the realities of building a digital-first production company, why TV producers should have confidence in their storytelling skills, how Indie Studios is developing original YouTube channels, and why AI is creating entirely new opportunities for factual storytelling.
Pete also discusses audience behaviour on YouTube, the importance of owning intellectual property, collaborating with creators, working with brands, and the lessons traditional production companies need to learn if they want to succeed in the new production economy.
Elsewhere, Justin and Pete discuss the future of reality television, duty of care in content production, the opportunities for experienced TV producers in social video, and why storytelling remains the most valuable skill in any medium.
Whether you’re a producer, creator, commissioner, studio executive or media entrepreneur, this episode offers a fascinating insight into how one production company is navigating the transition from television to digital-first content.
Key Topics
• Building IndyStudios after redundancy from traditional TV
 • Why experienced TV producers are moving into digital-first content
 • Gold mining channels and niche audience strategies
 • Working with creators and athletes
 • The opportunities and risks of AI-generated storytelling
 • Legends of Gold and AI-powered factual content
 • What TV producers can learn from YouTube creators
 • Audience-first storytelling versus commissioner-led development
 • Duty of care in digital production
 • The future of independent production companies
Episode Highlights
• Pete’s journey from Gold Rush to founding IndyStudios
 • Why “storytelling will win” regardless of technology changes
 • How AI is unlocking previously impossible factual stories
 • Building owned IP instead of relying on commissions
 • Lessons learned from publishing on YouTube
 • The biggest mindset shifts TV producers need to make
 • Why collaboration is essential for traditional indies entering digital
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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Naomi Channell, Head of Podcasts at Curve Media and creator of some of the UK’s fastest-growing true crime podcasts.
Naomi shares her journey from a 20-year career in television production to building a portfolio of hit podcast brands that now attract more than a million monthly listeners across audio and video platforms.
The conversation explores how Naomi developed her first podcast around the Stuart Lubbock case, why empathy and trust have become central to her approach to true crime storytelling, and how Curve Media has embraced podcasting as a serious digital-first business opportunity.
Naomi also reveals how shows such as The Affair and Totally True Crime have found audiences on Spotify, discusses the realities of podcast monetisation, and explains why TV production companies should be thinking about podcasts, communities, live events, books and platform licensing as part of a broader IP strategy.
If you’re interested in podcasting, digital-first content, social video, audience building or the future of media businesses, this is an essential listen.
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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Andrew Eastel, Managing Director of Middlechild Productions, for a fascinating conversation about how traditional TV production companies can adapt to the digital-first production economy.
Andrew explains how Middlechild launched the hugely successful Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh YouTube channel, why factual producers may be better placed for social video than they realise, and how TV indies can build long-term IP businesses beyond traditional commissioning.
The discussion explores YouTube strategy, digital monetisation, brand partnerships, broadcaster pre-sales, connected TV viewing habits, audience behaviour, and why producers should think like entrepreneurs when building social video channels.
Andrew also reveals how Middlechild’s new digital division Wildchild is developing future-facing content brands in areas including pets and survival, and explains why digital-first production could eventually create more stable long-term work for freelancers.
This episode is essential listening for anyone working in TV production, social video, YouTube strategy, digital-first content, or the wider creator economy.
Key Topics:
• The success of Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh on YouTube
• Why TV producers still have valuable advantages in digital
• How broadcasters may increasingly acquire digital-first IP
• Building long-term content brands beyond commissioning
• YouTube as a search engine and connected TV platform
• Monetisation strategies beyond YouTube ad revenue
• Why producers need a business model before a format idea
• The future of factual TV and digital-first production
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Spotify is no longer just an audio platform. Video podcasts are now at the centre of its growth strategy — and according to Spotify’s Rowan Collinson, they are rapidly becoming one of the most important opportunities in the digital-first production economy.  
In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby speaks to Rowan Collinson, Audience Lead at Spotify, about why video podcasts are exploding, how creators are building entire IP ecosystems around shows, and what traditional TV producers need to understand about succeeding in social video and podcasting.
Rowan explains why podcasting is becoming a natural entry point for TV indies moving into digital-first content, how Spotify’s Partner Programme creates new revenue opportunities, and why genres like comedy, true crime and interview formats are thriving on the platform.
The conversation also explores data, retention metrics, creator monetisation, the rise of vertical video, Channel 4’s move into Spotify video podcasts, and why the future belongs to always-on content brands rather than traditional six-part TV commissions.
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Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp
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TellyCast videos on YouTube
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