Adaptability, Curiosity, and Building Media Empires

Resources

Books

• "Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu" by Tom Freston - This book chronicles Tom Freston's diverse life experiences, from running a clothing company in Afghanistan and India to becoming CEO of Viacom and his work with The ONE Campaign.

People Mentioned

• Jimmy Buffett - A mutual friend of Tom Freston and the hosts, known for bringing people together.
• Jane Buffett - Jimmy Buffett's wife, who introduced Tom Freston to the hosts.
• Mr. Whipple - A character associated with the Charmin toilet paper advertising account, which Tom Freston worked on early in his career.
• Bob Pittman - The 26-year-old visionary who interviewed Tom Freston and hired him to be part of the initial team that started MTV.
• John Sykes - A member of the initial team that started MTV.
• Steve Casey - A member of the initial team that started MTV.
• Carolyn Baker - A member of the initial team that started MTV.
• Sue Steinberg - A member of the initial team that started MTV.
• Fred Seibert - Described as the creative genius of the initial MTV team.
• Mark Goodman - One of the original MTV VJs.
• Martha Quinn - One of the original MTV VJs.
• Michael Jackson - His "Thriller" video was a significant moment for MTV, marking a breakthrough in music video production.
• John Landis - Director of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.
• Bob Geldof - Approached MTV for Live Aid, which helped legitimize the channel.
• Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) - Wrote the song "Money for Nothing" which included the iconic line "I want my MTV," inadvertently giving the channel a powerful rallying cry.
• Sting - Sang the "I want my MTV" line in Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing."
• David Fincher - A director who got his start directing music videos for MTV.
• Russell Mulcahy - A director who got his start directing music videos for MTV.
• Spike Jonze - A director who got his start directing music videos for MTV.
• Frank Biondi - Tom Freston's colleague at Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (later Viacom), with whom he strategized the launch of Comedy Central.
• Michael Fuchs - Head of HBO, who considered Comedy Central his "baby."
• Fred Silverman - A programmer who had worked for major networks, hired by Tom Freston to help launch Comedy Central.
• Brian Grazer - A producer with whom Comedy Central made deals to license content.
• Norman Lear - A producer from whom Comedy Central licensed content.
• Jon Stewart - Hired by Comedy Central and reimagined "The Daily Show" to focus on news satire, which became a major success.
• Craig Kilborn - The first host of "The Daily Show."
• Stephen Colbert - A comedian whose career was launched or significantly boosted by his work on Comedy Central.
• John Oliver - A comedian whose career was launched or significantly boosted by his work on Comedy Central.
• Samantha Bee - A comedian whose career was launched or significantly boosted by her work on Comedy Central.
• Bill Maher - Hosted "Politically Incorrect" on Comedy Central before moving to ABC and then HBO.
• Dave Chappelle - A comedian whose career was launched or significantly boosted by his work on Comedy Central.
• Steve Carell - A comedian whose career was launched or significantly boosted by his work on Comedy Central.
• Jimmy Kimmel - Hosted "The Man Show" on Comedy Central.
• Sumner Redstone - Tom Freston's boss at Viacom, known for his difficult management style and for firing multiple CEOs, including Freston.
• Rupert Murdoch - Bought MySpace, which annoyed Sumner Redstone and contributed to Freston's firing.
• Bono - Musician and activist with whom Tom Freston has worked on philanthropic endeavors for 18 years.
• Chris Blackwell - Traveled with Tom Freston and Jimmy Buffett to the music festival in the Sahara.
• Bill Flanagan - Traveled with Tom Freston and Jimmy Buffett to the music festival in the Sahara.
• Andy Samberg - Mentioned in the context of SNL putting content on YouTube.

Organizations & Institutions

• Viacom - The media conglomerate where Tom Freston served as CEO, overseeing MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, and Comedy Central.
• The ONE Campaign - An organization chaired by Tom Freston, dedicated to fighting poverty and infectious diseases in Africa.
• Apple - Mentioned in connection with The ONE Campaign's "Red" initiatives.
• Gates Foundation - A foundation that funds educational programming for women in Afghanistan, supported by Tom Freston.
• Malala Foundation - A foundation that funds educational programming for women in Afghanistan, supported by Tom Freston.
• News Corp - The company that bought MySpace, which was a point of contention for Sumner Redstone.
• Google - Acquired YouTube for $1.6 billion.
• Vice Media - A media company that Tom Freston worked with for several years.
• HBO - Launched a competing comedy channel before merging with Comedy Central.
• NASA - Public domain footage of rocket launches was used by MTV for its iconic launch image.
• Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company - The original company that launched MTV, a joint venture between Warner and American Express.
• Nickelodeon - A children's television channel that Tom Freston was involved with.
• VH1 - A music television channel that Tom Freston was involved with.
• Comedy Central - A comedy television channel that Tom Freston helped establish.
• Best Buy Geek Squad - Mentioned humorously by a host when discussing technical support.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC) - An organization that helps people affected by crises, with teams in places like Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine.

Websites & Online Resources

• YouTube - Described as a free destination for user-generated videos, which ultimately impacted MTV's linear network model.
• Vevo - A platform where music videos are available on demand.
• MySpace - An early social media site that Viacom considered acquiring.
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator - A tool for sales professionals to find leads and strengthen relationships.
• GoodRx - A platform for saving on prescription medications.
• rosettastone.com/smartless - Mentioned for a 50% discount on Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership.
• walmart.com - Mentioned as a place to shop for top brands.
• helixsleep.com/smartless - Mentioned for a holiday discount on Helix mattresses.
• goodrx.com/smartless - Mentioned for savings on cold and flu medications.
• vuori.com/smartless - Mentioned for 20% off a first purchase of Vuori clothing.
• rescue.org - Website for the International Rescue Committee.
• linkedin.com/trial - Mentioned for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Other Resources

• Charmin toilet paper - An advertising account Tom Freston worked on early in his career.
• GI Joe - A toy brand advertising account Tom Freston worked on early in his career.
• "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles - The first music video ever aired on MTV.
• "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits - A song that became an anthem for MTV due to its lyrics, particularly "I want my MTV."
• "Thriller" by Michael Jackson - A groundbreaking music video that significantly boosted MTV's popularity.
• Live Aid - A global concert event that MTV broadcast, significantly legitimizing the channel.
• "The John Stewart Show" - A show Jon Stewart had on MTV in the late 80s/early 90s.
• "The Daily Show" - A Comedy Central program that became highly successful under Jon Stewart's leadership.
• "The Man Show" - A Comedy Central program hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
• Burning Man - Compared to the music festival in the desert that Tom Freston attended.
• Harley-Davidson - A brand of motorcycle mentioned in a story about a sex club in Bangkok.
• Bob Marley ringtone - A detail mentioned about a hitchhiker in the Sahara.