OpenAI has acquired the popular tech industry talk show TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network), marking the artificial intelligence company's first purchase of a media entity. The deal, announced on Monday, will see the daily live show report to OpenAI's chief political operative, Chris Lehane.
TBPN, hosted by former tech founders John Coogan and Jordi Hays, is a three-hour programme streamed on YouTube and X, focusing on technology, business, AI, and defence. It has cultivated a significant following in Silicon Valley as a forum for candid discussion among industry insiders.
Strategic Communications Move
According to Fidji Simo, OpenAI's head of AGI deployment, the acquisition will allow the company to tap the founders' "amazing comms and marketing instincts." Simo stated that TBPN will "bring AI to the world in a way that helps people understand the full impact of this technology on their daily lives."
She emphasised that for an "atypical company" like OpenAI, "the standard communications playbook just doesn’t apply," suggesting TBPN's approach is better suited to the task. The show is on track to generate over $30 million in revenue this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Questions of Editorial Independence
Simo asserted that TBPN will retain editorial independence, continuing to "run their programming, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who called TBPN his favourite tech show in a social media post, echoed this sentiment.
"I don’t expect them to go any easier on us, am sure I’ll do my part to help enable that with occasional stupid decisions," Altman wrote. Co-host Jordi Hays said the move represented a shift "from commentary to real impact," citing OpenAI's "openness to feedback."
Political Scrutiny and Future Role
The acquisition places TBPN under OpenAI's strategy team, reporting directly to Chris Lehane. Lehane, a veteran political strategist known for his work in the Clinton White House and more recently with the crypto super PAC Fairshake, joined OpenAI in 2024 and has been an adviser to President Trump.
He has advocated for policies such as preventing states from regulating AI and easing environmental restrictions on data centre construction. The show will continue as its own brand, which OpenAI has stated it will help to scale.