OpenAI buys tech talk show TBPN in push to shape AI narrative

OpenAI is wading into the media business by acquiring TBPN, a technology-focused talk show closely watched by Silicon Valley insiders, its hosts said Wednesday.

OpenAI is wading into the media business by acquiring TBPN, a technology-focused talk show closely watched by Silicon Valley insiders, its hosts said Wednesday.

Co-hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays broadcast TBPN live for three hours every weekday from Los Angeles, lining up guests that include founders, venture capitalists and major figures in the technology world.

The show, which is broadcast on X, YouTube and Spotify, is also known for a ritual in which the hosts bang a gong as guests announce their latest fundraising haul.

"This is not an April Fool's joke," Coogan said, confirming the deal at the start of their show on Thursday.

TBPN will continue broadcasting daily at its regular time, Coogan said in a post on X, adding that the acquisition represented a "full circle moment" given his long-standing ties to OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

"He funded my first company in 2013," Coogan wrote, tracing a relationship with Altman that spanned stints at Y Combinator; the startup incubator where Altman served as president.