My guest today is someone I have known for many years.

Tom Preston is a principal of Firefly 3, an investment and consultancy firm focusing

on the media and entertainment industries.

He is the former CEO of Viacom where he also served as chief operating officer.

He is Board Chairman of the One Campaign, an advocacy organization, to fight extreme

poverty and serves on the boards of Imagine Entertainment, Moby Media in Afghanistan,

Vice Media in New York and New America.

Preston lived in Kabul in the 70s when he was in the clothing business.

And then after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, we'd visit Afghanistan on the average

of three times a year, sometimes two months at a time, and in my relationship, my friendship

with Tom, I have heard him enthuse about Afghanistan, talks so lovingly about the country for

many years.

I, of course, thought about Tom during the recent events there, and he was one of the people

I most wanted to hear from.

Tom, thank you so much.

I really appreciate you being here.

That's nice to be with you, Maryanne.

So first of all, tell us a little bit about your story.

It started all the way back in the 1970s.

How did your love affair with Afghanistan begin?

Well, I was working in the 70s.

I was working in an ad agency in Manhattan, and I was sort of just an alienated, young

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