Tinder box. That's the name of a new oral history about HBO. Of course, a brand that revolutionized

television, but is now under incredible pressure from new rivals. So, what can we learn about

the past of HBO and how does it apply to the present and future? Those are some of the

questions for this week's Reliable Sources podcast. So, let's cue the music.

I'm Brian Stelter and this weekly podcast is our chance to go in depth with media leaders

and newsmakers talking about how the media world really works. And you will learn a lot

about that if you open up Tinder box by James Andrew Miller. This is the brand new oral

history of HBO, taking you all the way back to the 1960s and all the way up until this

year and the latest maneuverings with HBO's parent company. So, quick disclosure here,

first of all, CNN and HBO are corporate siblings. We are both part of Warner Media, which is the

media asset owned by AT&T. Right now, AT&T is working on a deal with Discovery that's going to

spin off Warner Media and combine it with Discovery and create a new media company to take on the

likes of Netflix and Disney Plus. And of course, what's driving that deal is the move to streaming

and the focus on brands like HBO Max, the streaming service. But HBO is so much more,

and there's so much to learn about its storied history. As Miller says in the subtitle for his

book, HBO's ruthless pursuit of new frontiers is what the story is all about. James has written

numerous books in the past, including oral histories of CAA and ESPN and SNL. He also previously

worked here at CNN, helping to run shows like Anderson Cooper 360. He's had a fascinating career

and his decision to look at HBO and to learn a lot about HBO. He's had a fascinating career. And

thanks to a lot of the contacts he's made along the way, he was able to interview basically

everybody in the HBO orbit for this new book. So, let me bring him in. James Andrew Miller,

welcome to the podcast. Jim, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me.

...