Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston

·48 min·4 clips

Tom Freston found himself in a sauna with David Bowie and Paul McCartney while trying to save MTV.

Tom Freston, co-founder of MTV and former Viacom CEO, discusses his new book 'Unplugged' and shares stories from his adventurous life, including traveling in Afghanistan and India, the chaotic early days of MTV, and his thoughts on modern media consolidation and AI. The interview blends personal anecdotes with insights into media history and future trends.

As heard by us

A restless travel story about a career detour that turned into a lifelong way of moving.

Tom Freston’s story is less about a tidy career arc than the moment a respectable path stops feeling workable. Ridiculous History traces him from graduate school, bartending, and ad-agency work into a stretch of choices that takes him from Paris to Spain, Morocco, the Sahara,…

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Why you'd press play

When a dead-end job sends you from ad agency drudge work to the Sahara and beyond.

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