Transcript: Inside Bob Iger's Ticking Timeline
CNBC's Alex Sherman joins to talk Disney exec turnover, animation woes and the company's 'major leadership questions'
Sean McNulty (00:00):
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Welcome to The Ankler podcast. This is Sean McNulty from The Wakeup newsletter here at The Ankler on Friday, June 16th, here in New York... Well, no, I'm in New Jersey today, but didn't know where I am. Okay. And I'm joined, of course, by Elaine Low in Los Angeles. So I think Elaine, is this right? Are you now in charge of the voting process for the Golden Globes? Are you the person now? Is that it? Is that how this is going to work?
Elaine Low (00:51):
Yeah, I'm the gal. Just come to me, for that.
Sean McNulty (00:52):
Congratulations. That's-
Elaine Low (00:53):
Thank you.
Sean McNulty (00:54):
... yeah, a new gig, add to your list. And we have media Nostradamus himself, Mr. Alex Sherman from CNBC rejoining us today. Alex, good to see you.
Alex Sherman (01:03):
Pleasure to be here. You know there's that, I'm coming at you from New Jersey too. I just got an alert that there are tornado warnings in the area, so if I blow away in the course of this, you'll know why.
Elaine Low (01:13):
Oh my God. Is that normal for Jersey?
Alex Sherman (01:15):
It is not. No. So I'm in the basement right now. And my kids are upstairs, so I've subjected them to the danger like a good parent.
Sean McNulty (01:24):
I don't know, man. You're in the basement. You're fine. We can keep going.
Alex Sherman (01:26):
Right, exactly.
Sean McNulty (01:27):
It's everybody else you've got to worry about. Of course, you can follow the Ankler, on social media is @theankler and subscribe to theankler@theankler.com to get the full suite of newsletters and podcasts. And of course, you can sign up for The Ankler’s free Strikegeist newsletter to get all of the latest from the WGA picket lines. SAG after... Well, as soon as they start saying something. Right. Elaine? I guess still in a bit of a blackout on that one.
Elaine Low (01:54):
Yeah, we might be in for a double strike. Give it two weeks. I have not made any plans for the 4th of July because I'm anticipating being here in LA.
Sean McNulty (02:04):
Yeah, yeah. July 1st, being a Saturday of a holiday week, so, yeah, exactly. That's going to be really great. Anyway, you can catch up with what Elaine's up to over at Strikegeist and sign up for that at strikegeist.com. Again. 100 percent totally free. So Alex, Elaine insisted we have you on today so she could ask you all of our questions about PGA and LIV in the Justice Department. Elaine, do you want to just take it over right away or what?
Elaine Low (02:27):
Oh, yes. Go, sports, what's happening with golf, Sean?
Alex Sherman (02:33):
The US Open is happening right now. That's what's happening.
Elaine Low (02:35):
Yeah, it's out of here.
Sean McNulty (02:37):
In Los Angeles, Elaine. No less, commanding respect.
Elaine Low (02:39):
You can imagine my disappointment in seeing that the US Open was in L.A. and not the one that I actually care about.
Alex Sherman (02:45):
Yeah.
Sean McNulty (02:47):
Yeah. We were hoping for a first person report, Elaine, but I guess you're not covering that like you are the strike lines. Is that an accurate statement?
Elaine Low (02:53):
No, no, but I was out at Warner Bros. yesterday where the only currently unionized strippers' union was out pole dancing in solidarity with the writers' group yesterday. So went out and had a lovely chat with them, learned about how they unionized and why they're backing the WGA here.
Sean McNulty (03:10):
The most popular Strikegeist newsletter of all time. Is that going to be a good coverage?
Elaine Low (03:12):
There's video.
Sean McNulty (03:14):
Is there video? All right. If you needed more of a teaser.
Alex Sherman (03:17):
That's the real US open right there.
Sean McNulty (03:21):
Exactly. They'll be appearing tomorrow there, I'm sure. I guess there's no striking at the Open, right? The sports is not being struck, I guess Elaine, now that I'm thinking about it.
Elaine Low (03:28):
Mm-mm.
Sean McNulty (03:28):
Yeah, that wouldn't-
Elaine Low (03:28):
Not to my knowledge.
Sean McNulty (03:29):
Yeah, the games haven't been that way. I will, this is an important story in a sense. I mean, Elaine, you do joke, but you joke about sports and whatnot, but the PGA is having a big... It's all over NBC this weekend. Alex, what is your take on this at this point? And the Justice Department, of course, just announced they're investigating this in, I guess, a meaningful way more on the Saudi side. What is your take on this at this point?