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Fox News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Comedian Nate Bargatze says Disney has abandoned its audience as he talks about building rival media empire
Comedian Nate Bargatze accused Disney of abandoning its audience as he talked about why he's building a family-friendly media empire to rival the entertainment company, in a new interview with Esquire Magazine out Monday. The popular stand-up comic, known for his clean comedy routines, is at the top of his game, having sold more than one million tickets to his shows. That's more than Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle and Sebastian Maniscalco combined, according to Esquire. But Bargatze has his sights set beyond stand-up. He told Esquire about launching his own family-friendly production company in 2023, and plans to quit touring in a few years to focus on building his own media empire. COMEDIAN NATE BARGATZE TALKS ABOUT BEING CLEAN CHRISTIAN COMIC FOR OVER 20 YEARS Bargatze said he was inspired by other comedians like Seinfeld, Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler, as well as Walt Disney. He praised Disney's founder for cherishing his brand and audience but believes the company's current leadership does not care about its audience or about upholding its original values that made it successful. "Now Disney is run by a guy that's just a businessman," Bargatze said, referring to Disney CEO Bob Iger. "Well, that guy doesn't care about the audience." DISNEY+ TO CHANGE CONTENT WARNINGS BEFORE OLD MOVIES LIKE 'PETER PAN' AS DEI STRATEGY LOSES STEAM Bargatze said the audience is crucial. He views himself as their servant, Esquire reported. "None of this happens without them," he said. Disney has faced backlash in recent years from critics who say the brand has embraced a "woke" political agenda. This year, Disney has taken steps to scale back its DEI initiatives, according to SEC filings. Last year, America First Legal (AFL) accused the company of doing damage to its brand and reputation with these policies, resulting in it losing over $100 billion in market cap since 2021. Bargatze hopes to build a media company that rivals Disney and caters to families. He wants to make movies and television shows, sell merchandise, publish products, produce podcasts, mentor young comedians and even build a theme park in Nashville called Nateland. "I'll be honest with you, I bet we're closer than people think," he said about the park. "But it's still a little bit of a ways off." According to Esquire, Bargatze plans to build the park at the site of the former Opryland theme park, where he had his first job. Bargatze will also be hosting the 77th Emmy Awards in September, CBS announced in April. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Disney did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Nevada hearing could provide look into dispute over who will control Murdoch empire
A hearing before Nevada's high court today could provide the first public window into a secretive legal dispute over who will control Rupert Murdoch's powerful media empire after he dies. The case over the Murdoch family trust has been unfolding behind closed doors in state court in Reno, Nevada. But the proceedings have remained under seal, with the Nevada courts barely acknowledging the legal action even exists. Media outlets including CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post are now asking the Nevada supreme court to unseal the case and make future hearings public. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in the afternoon in Carson City, the capital. In September, the news organizations petitioned a district court for access, arguing that the secrecy violated a constitutional right to access. 'The public has immense interest in which of Murdoch's children will succeed him,' the news outlets said in their petition. 'The succession will affect thousands of jobs, millions of worldwide media consumers, and the American political landscape.' The outlets argued that 'Nevada's courts are accountable to the public, and the public is entitled to know whether the trust at issue is being administered in accordance with the law. Certainly, an entire matter cannot be sealed such that its very existence is not a public record, even if all parties to the litigation agree.' But the district court denied that request and the proceedings remained private. Now, Rupert Murdoch's challenge to change the trust to keep just one of his sons, Lachlan, in charge and ensure that Fox News maintains its conservative-leaning editorial slant, looks set continue alongside challenges by media organizations to have open access to the proceedings. In December, it was revealed that the Nevada's probate court had rejected the media mogul's challenge, ruling that Murdoch's four adult children would still have equal, shared control over their father's media empire upon his death. Nevada commissioner Edmund Gorman concluded that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch had acted in 'bad faith' in their attempts to change the terms of the trust. In the opinion, according to the Times, Gorman accused the elder Murdoch of organizing a 'carefully crafted charade' to 'permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch's executive roles' inside the empire 'regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries' of the family trust, according to the Times. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion In a statement, James, Elisabeth and Prudence told the Times: 'We welcome Commissioner Gorman's decision and hope that we can move beyond this litigation to focus on strengthening and rebuilding relationships among all family members.' Adam Streisand, a lawyer for Rupert Murdoch, told the newspaper at the time that they were disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal. Another evidentiary hearing is scheduled for this month. The Associated Press contributed to this report
