WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:04.360 You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from 2 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:06.000 KFI AM six forty. 3 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:10.480 Of course it's tech Thursday, so that means Marcia Calier 4 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:11.400 joins us. 5 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:12.880 Marsha, how you doing this evening? 6 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.160 I'm just doing great, you know. And Mo, I have 7 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:20.440 to tell you your listeners are so loyal. I actually 8 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:23.640 got fan mail after last week's show. 9 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:26.960 Look, there's nothing wrong with that fan mail, hate mail. 10 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.320 As long as they keep on listening, that's all I want. 11 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:30.320 That's right. 12 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:31.199 Absolutely. 13 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:33.960 You remember earlier this week, I want to say it 14 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:36.439 was Monday, at the beginning of the week, you had 15 00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:40.920 that huge Verizon outage. Customers across the US reported problems 16 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:44.759 accessing the company's wireless network. I assume it was a 17 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:46.920 hack or data breach of some sort. 18 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.280 Look, we can always speculate. 19 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.679 But what do we know. There's a problem with that. 20 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:56.000 It's a real problem. Tens of thousands of people in 21 00:00:56.039 --> 00:00:59.520 the area. I mean from Chicago, Indianapolis, all the way 22 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:04.719 down to Phoenix, Nebraska, Omaha, they did not have service. 23 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:10.719 These are the people who need service. And sos appeared 24 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:15.480 in the status bars of iPhones if the device is 25 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:19.840 not connected to a cellular network, So and supposedly it 26 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:24.040 can still make calls, but no, not on the Verizon network. 27 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:27.079 I think this points out that we need an alternate 28 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:31.319 mode of talking to people of getting help. 29 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:36.680 What about the idea of like an emergency backup system 30 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:41.079 which is used for situations just like this, where it 31 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:43.640 may not accommodate anything as far as Internet, but it 32 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.840 will accommodate people making calls for the purpose of an emergency. 33 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:50.280 I mean, this is a thing week as Hurricane Helene. 34 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:55.599 This is disaster. This is a complete disaster. One of 35 00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:58.000 the things that I do, and it's important to me, 36 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:01.760 is I keep an older phone. I have it connected 37 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:06.000 to Wi Fi and I can text. I can make 38 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:12.240 calls through WhatsApp, which is an excellent, excellent app, or 39 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:15.439 Google Voice. What do you use any alternates? 40 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:18.400 Yes, I use Google Voice, and like you, I have 41 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:22.319 backup phones plural that hook up to any Wi Fi. 42 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:25.560 And for those who don't know, text messages take up 43 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:28.879 less bandwidth. It's easier for those to slip through in 44 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:33.199 an emergency situation. Remember we discussed this last week about 45 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.039 what to do if you're stranded in some remote area. Well, 46 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.759 people are now stranded in their own houses seemingly. 47 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:41.520 Have you ever been in a hurricane? 48 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:43.960 No, that's why I live in California. I actually talked 49 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.840 about that on the show last Friday. I said, you know, 50 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.360 with great respect to the people who are dealing with 51 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.159 the hurricane. Part of the reason why I never moved 52 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:55.719 from California is there are certain things I did want 53 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:57.120 to deal with. I did want to deal with in 54 00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.400 clement weather. I did not want to deal with tornadoes. 55 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:02.759 I did not want to deal with hurricanes. Yes, earthquakes 56 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.319 are a great unknown, but fewer people dying them comparatively 57 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:10.000 speaking than any other natural emergency. 58 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.280 I mean, I felt so horrible for the people. Their 59 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:16.240 houses were in sticks. Literally, Yes, it was horrible. I 60 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:19.919 grew up on Miami Beach, so I know a lot 61 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:24.479 about hurricanes, and all of Miami Beach would flood. I 62 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.280 worked at the Miami Herald, and it would be flooded 63 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:32.520 up to three blocks away from the newspaper. And when 64 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:35.919 your car gave up the ghost, it couldn't drive any deeper. 65 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:38.599 You would just get out of your car, slog through 66 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.800 the wet and in the lobby of the Miami Herald, 67 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.400 John Knight had a setup with screens in the whole 68 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:51.000 thing and extra pressman's jumpsuits so you'd get to change 69 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:55.159 clothes when you got to work. It was and we 70 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:57.800 were the lucky ones because newspapers have to come out 71 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:04.360 every day, right, But everywhere else. I also remember flooding 72 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.840 in my neighborhood, and when the eye of the hurricane 73 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:11.400 went over, the streets were filled with flopping fish, and 74 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:14.560 of course people were coming outside with the frying pans 75 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:15.879 getting well. 76 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.639 I was always aware of the fact that alligators are 77 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:22.959 everywhere in Florida, and when you have that massive flooding, 78 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:26.399 that means the alligators are going everywhere as well, so 79 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:28.360 the water can be very dangerous. 80 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:32.519 Oh yeah, but you know, I never saw an alligator 81 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:36.199 in Miami Beach, But then that that's Miami Beach. 82 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:38.079 It's kind of we. 83 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:40.839 Don't let alligators on Miami Beach. There are a cross 84 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:45.399 on the city side in the lagoons. But you know, 85 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:48.040 this is a terrifying thing. And the thing is the 86 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:52.639 news always whoops it up worse than it could possibly 87 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:55.000 be and totally terrifies people. 88 00:04:55.480 --> 00:04:58.319 The only problem with that is, with all due respect, 89 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:02.560 we also know they can be very dangerous after the hurricane. 90 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:07.480 Absolutely, and they can't prepare for having their house blown over, right, 91 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.519 they can't prepare for their roof being blown off and 92 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:15.839 the entire house saturated with rainstorm. I've known people who's 93 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:18.720 had to replace carpeting and god knows what in their house. 94 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.120 It's a horrible thing. But earthquakes, we kind of get 95 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:23.319 a little beep on the phone. 96 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.680 Now, yeah, a whole three seconds of notice. But going 97 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.560 back to the story, this highlights how important and essential 98 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:35.279 our phone communication can be for moments just like these. 99 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.839 Well, I think most importantly is, like you said, have 100 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:44.279 a backup. Absolutely, have a backup. I mean in our 101 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.000 emergency kit with the earthquake, because I had such a 102 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:51.079 horrible time in the north Ridge earthquake. I even have 103 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:57.240 a radio where you can broadcast. So you have to 104 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:02.199 have these things. We need to make our homes emergency safe. 105 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:06.879 We just have to going back to the Verizon down 106 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:11.160 period and again we'll get more information, I'm sure, regardless 107 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:13.240 of whatever the first report is, we'll get more information 108 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.920 in the coming weeks about what happened, why, how extensive. 109 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.680 But my question to you, Marcia Carlier, is does this 110 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:27.120 signify that our infrastructure is exceptionally vulnerable and fragile or 111 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:28.000 is it something else? 112 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:33.639 Well, just think about our electricity. I mean, honestly, not 113 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:38.160 DWP and Los Angeles, but the other one further north 114 00:06:38.199 --> 00:06:41.319 of us. They've been having outages on and off and 115 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:45.000 on and off. That's not just fragile, that's a fail. 116 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:49.160 And for how many years have we been paying taxes 117 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:55.279 to rebuild our infrastructure? I mean it always says that, 118 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:59.120 you know and like our problems with the schools. Oh yeah, 119 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.879 a lot of used to feed the schools. Uh huh 120 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:04.199 where does all that money go? 121 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.040 Oh you're waiting for me to answer, because I couldn't 122 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:07.360 tell you. 123 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:10.000 All I know is that more money has been pumped 124 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:12.920 in and less output and less reliability in. 125 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:17.279 Response, which is why we as citizens need to be 126 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:22.639 unfortunately more responsible for our own safety, just like buying 127 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:23.839 new tires on a car. 128 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:28.120 The takeaway is make sure you have backup devices, you 129 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:31.160 have your emergency kits, that you are prepared for any 130 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.839 eventuality as best you can, because you don't know when 131 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:38.920 disaster might strike, even if they tell you that it's 132 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.000 coming in the form of a hurricane or some sort 133 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:44.959 of major storm in the next week. When we come back, 134 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.959 let's get into this merger of Direct TV and Dish. 135 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.079 When this story broke also earlier this week, it blew 136 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:54.759 my mind because once again. 137 00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:57.920 You think that you have a choice, but you really don't. 138 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.199 It's all, Yeah, I have Dish TV, so and so, 139 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:04.439 now you have direct TV as well. Yeah, it's Later 140 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:07.279 with Mo Kelly, CAFI AM six forty live everywhere on 141 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:08.480 the iHeartRadio app. 142 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.560 You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from 143 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:14.240 KFI AM six forty. 144 00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:17.480 It's Later with Mo Kelly and Marshall Callier. We're both 145 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:20.920 live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. And you know by 146 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:27.000 now a huge, huge telecom deal came down DirecTV Dish, 147 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.800 I would say, two of the preeminent cable providers in 148 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:33.480 the country are now coming together to form one super 149 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:37.559 telecommunications company. What it means for you, what it means 150 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:40.639 for me, It remains to be seen because even if 151 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:43.039 you have a streaming platform, most likely they are a 152 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:48.360 subsidiary of one of these cable giants. Marshall Callier, when 153 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:50.879 the news came down for you and you saw it 154 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.799 back on Monday, what first came to mind? 155 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:57.960 Well, first of all, I have Dish. I like Dish, 156 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:01.000 the only reason I keep Dish is because their technology 157 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.840 is really good, believe it or not. But more and 158 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:09.240 more people, you know, we have broken the cable and 159 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.399 we have a lot of over the air content at 160 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:16.360 our house. But this is something that is a big 161 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:23.440 deal because remember DirecTV is owned by EchoStar. Now, EchoStar 162 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:29.159 is worth a lot of money, and they have thirty 163 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:33.919 billion dollars in wireless spectrum investments, and then that means 164 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:38.799 they went at one time to an FCC auction. The 165 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:45.240 Federal Communication System auctions off segments of the spectrum for 166 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.399 people to use so you could start your own phone company. 167 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:54.279 They own that. So I'm seeing maybe EchoStar will be 168 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:58.720 the new wireless carrier for a lot of people, or 169 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:02.360 maybe they'll specialize in something. But if you think about 170 00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:07.600 a lot of the other networks, Comcast only has thirteen 171 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:11.879 point two million video subscribers, that's not a lot. You know, 172 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.879 DirecTV has about eleven million, so and Dish TV has 173 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.759 eight point one million. The only thing is it's subject 174 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.600 to the government's passing this, and I don't see why 175 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:29.639 they wouldn't because I think everybody deserves it. Direct TV 176 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:34.320 and Dish also are including Sling TV that's me in 177 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.879 the there you go. 178 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:36.799 Yeah, that's all I'm saying. 179 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:40.039 You know, yes, Sling originally is a division of Dish, 180 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:42.240 and so I was wondering we were going to be 181 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:42.799 folded in. 182 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:44.519 So yes, we are bingo. 183 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.840 Now, supposedly this is going to happen in the second 184 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.240 half of twenty twenty five. 185 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.080 Here's the question, and most likely the deal will go through. 186 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.600 But we do know the federal government, at least this 187 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:01.840 administration has been more strict than others when it comes 188 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:08.559 to at least perceived antitrust monopoly mergers. They've broken up 189 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.240 a few, they've prevented a few. So I'm not going 190 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:13.200 to say that there's a foregone conclusion. 191 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:13.919 Go ahead. 192 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:17.080 You were saying, though, well, these are the only satellite providers. 193 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:20.519 I think that's the difference. Now you've got Starlink. If 194 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:26.159 Ellan ever decided to bounce TV off of Starlink, which 195 00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:31.320 would seem to be a natural progression, eventually agreed, he 196 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.200 could wipe everybody out. But you have cable. You know, 197 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:40.159 your frontier, your spectrum, all that, and cable is great 198 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:46.080 and reliable, but so is satellite, and satellite really is 199 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.519 the future. I mean even airlines now are switching to 200 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:55.360 Wi Fi from satellites versus ye whatever it is. They're 201 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:58.840 bouncing to the land and the whole thing. So yeah, 202 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:02.039 I think this is important and I think they will 203 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:05.240 pass it or they'll just let it hang and let 204 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:08.559 the next administration do it. I mean, that's you know, 205 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.080 I don't know how to play political games, but I 206 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:12.279 think that's how they're played. 207 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:15.159 Yeah, there's a calculation that's being made because if the 208 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:18.440 deal's not supposed to be consummated until early twenty twenty five, 209 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.720 we will have a new president, a new administration, and 210 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:24.559 I'm sure and sure, but it's still I mean, even 211 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:27.519 if Kamala Harris wins, it's still a different administration, so 212 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:32.000 it still figures into the calculations of when they want 213 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:34.240 to finish this deal exactly. 214 00:12:34.279 --> 00:12:37.320 And I think everybody will benefit from it because it 215 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.919 will make it a stronger network. And like I said, 216 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:44.440 dishes technology, I love it. The one thing I love 217 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.360 about Dish technology is I can stop a show in 218 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.480 one room, pick it up in another room of the 219 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:55.320 house the DVR. But then again, I have DVR from 220 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:59.279 Tableau which works with a little antenna in the window, 221 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.840 and I can get local news and things like that. 222 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.120 And that's another thing we have to consider. We were 223 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:10.399 talking about preparedness before. Maybe having those antennas that only 224 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:14.919 cost about ten bucks and an inexpensive system that will 225 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.440 allow you to get over the air programs. You'll be 226 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.120 able to get your local news in an emergency when 227 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:24.159 cable or satellite go down. 228 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:27.919 Not including kf I AM six forty one of those 229 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.480 very important outlets for breaking news during an emergency. 230 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:33.519 So you know, just have to. 231 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:36.799 Fill I actually have. I am sounding like such a 232 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:40.240 crazy person. I actually have one of those radios that 233 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:41.879 you can crank to church and the battery. 234 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:46.159 AI do I am so old school? 235 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.600 Yes, well that isn't old school. That is, when there's 236 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:55.840 no electricity. We also have a giant Goal zero battery, 237 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:59.519 a giant one that when we did have a power outage, 238 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.799 has rolled out the refrigerator, plugged it into the Goal 239 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:07.360 zero and we would have had power for three days 240 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:08.840 for just the refrigerator. 241 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:11.720 Well, we still have a generator. We'll probably upgrade to 242 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:13.360 a battery soon. Well. 243 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:16.519 The cool thing about the battery thing is we have 244 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:20.120 solar panels that you can plug into it and put 245 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:25.080 outside and it'll charge while it's discharging. So in other words, 246 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:28.120 you can charge something and charge it at the same time. 247 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:32.320 I love technology, especially if it helps people and we're 248 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:35.960 given the right to use it at a reasonable price. 249 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:40.000 Because our electric grid, we're talking about everything here on 250 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:41.840 the electric grid. Look around you. 251 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.320 Well, if our infrastructure is not where it needs to 252 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:47.639 be the next five years or so, we're going to 253 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:50.399 have a bunch more problems that we're not ready for. 254 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.000 Oh well, we're busy with a whole lot of other 255 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:56.440 problems that we're not going to go to politics. But 256 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:58.559 it seems to me that's not at the top. 257 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:02.399 Of the list. Ructure never is, Unfortunately. 258 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.559 Marsha, I got a run, and I know you're probably 259 00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:06.279 going to be doing some traveling sometime soon. 260 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.440 But hopefully we'll be able to do this again in person. 261 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.600 I will be over in England and I will download 262 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.279 all the apps that I can't download here. I'm bringing 263 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:22.039 three funds and updating apps and we'll talk more about 264 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:25.240 the differences between the EU and the US when I 265 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:25.759 get back. 266 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:26.919 Look forward to it. 267 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.799 You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from 268 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:32.639 KFI AM six forty. 269 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:36.279 KFI AM sixty into the later with Mo Kelly, and 270 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:40.440 we're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. Kfi's own Heather 271 00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:44.120 Brooker is not only a news anchor for the station, 272 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.759 she's a resident nerd like the rest of us here 273 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:49.720 on the show. So much so that this weekend she's 274 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:54.960 serving as our official nerd correspondent covering La Comic Con, 275 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:57.759 which returns this weekend to the La Convention Center. 276 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:00.159 And with that, Heather take it away. 277 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:03.159 He La Comic Con returns to the La Convention Center 278 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:06.120 in downtown LA this weekend and if you're a fan 279 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:11.039 of characters, comics, or cosplay, then this is the event 280 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:14.240 for you. Joining me now to talk about the star 281 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.480 setate event this weekend is La Comic Con CEO Chris 282 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.279 de Mulin. I am absolutely thrilled to talk to you 283 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:25.759 this year because you have some huge stars coming to 284 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:27.159 La Comic this year. 285 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:29.360 Well, I mean, you know, every year when we finished 286 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.279 the show, we always do a survey of the fans 287 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.080 and say, you know, who haven't we brought in yet 288 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:35.080 that you'd love to see? 289 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:37.080 And there are a couple of names that we're always in. 290 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:41.120 That top five, and Ewan and Hayden Christiansend and Michael J. 291 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:41.519 Fox. 292 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.080 We're always in that top five, and this just. 293 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:47.360 Happened to be a year where we, you know, reached 294 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.120 out really early to Ewan's agent and he was free 295 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:52.960 and we booked him. And we were talking to Hayden's 296 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:54.919 agent about somebody else and he said, hey, I heard 297 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:58.000 that you guys got you and you know Hayden could 298 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:01.120 be free that weekend. We're like, yeah, absolutely, and then 299 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:03.519 we the Michael J. Fox thing worked out in a 300 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:06.400 similar way. And then when Christopher Lloyd came in for that, 301 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:08.640 we had been talking to Christina reach she separately. 302 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:10.000 In one of our meetings. 303 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:11.880 Somebody said, oh, wouldn't it be fun if we get 304 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:14.480 Angelica Houston to come and do an Adam's family reunion? 305 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:16.319 And she doesn't really. 306 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:19.079 Do cons, but we reached out to her agent, and 307 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.799 because she's local, she's like, sure, that sounds like fun. 308 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.920 Let's talk about some of the big panels and reunions 309 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:28.680 that people can look forward to seeing. 310 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.359 Well, I mean, I think I think the Adams Family 311 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.920 one will be super fun and big and unexpected and 312 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:38.920 the kind of thing that you know you may never 313 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.480 see anywhere else again. Just because you know, Angelica is 314 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:44.400 not a frequent condoor, although who knows, she may love 315 00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:46.880 it decide that she wants to join the circuit. 316 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:48.960 But I also think, you. 317 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.599 Know, we love, as you said, leaning sort of leaning 318 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:55.160 into the Star Wars thing, having you and Emily Swallow 319 00:17:55.240 --> 00:18:00.880 for Obi Wan, having gian Carlo and Paul to do Mandalorian, 320 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.480 and then kind of the what I think of as 321 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:08.400 the old fashioned La Comic Con kind of pedalt like 322 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.000 the voice cast of Avatar and the voice cast of 323 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:13.240 New X Men ninety seven. 324 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:15.599 Let's talk about what you guys are doing for the 325 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:19.160 gamers this year. My daughter loves video games. She jokingly 326 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.960 calls herself a gamer at the ripe old age of 327 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.440 eleven years old. What can your video gamers expect to 328 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.720 experience this year? 329 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:31.880 Well, your daughter will be thrilled because you know, in 330 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:35.240 the in the gaming hall on Saturday from one till 331 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:39.359 six is the finals of a Fortnite tournament that's for 332 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:42.480 female gamers only. It's being sponsored by Gonna Need Milk. 333 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:46.000 It's called the Milk Cup, and it has a two 334 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:48.240 hundred and fifty thousand dollars prize pool. And it was 335 00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:52.759 really driven by their realization that forty six percent of 336 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:56.519 all self described gamers like your daughter are women, but 337 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.400 only two percent of the top earners in the industry 338 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:01.599 were women, and so as a way to sort of 339 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:04.359 try and redress that balance, they decided to do a 340 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:06.880 series of competitions that were only for female gamers and 341 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:09.359 sort of increase the profile and the spotlight of that. 342 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:12.160 And they chose us to be the location for the final, 343 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:13.200 which was in person. 344 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.680 The early rounds were online. 345 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:17.680 So that would be really fun because ninety nine of 346 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:20.440 the best female gamers in the world, many of whom 347 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:23.880 are closer in age to your daughter than than. 348 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:24.359 To any of us. 349 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:27.480 You know, we'll be fighting it out for five hours 350 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:30.079 across three rounds to accumulate the points to win. 351 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:32.359 Yeah, I love that. 352 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:32.839 Well. 353 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:34.960 You know, one of our favorite things to do every 354 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:37.920 year when we go is we love to watch all 355 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:41.160 of the cosplay. We love to see people dressed up, 356 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:44.759 really embracing their fandom. And I think it's so special 357 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:48.400 that we have this wonderful event here in Los Angeles, 358 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:52.240 the entertainment capital of the world, where people get to 359 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.279 really invest in their cosplay, in their costumes. Tell me 360 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:58.279 a little bit about what kind of what kind of 361 00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:00.720 things the cosplay community can expl this year. 362 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:04.039 We're just a great place to come in your costplay 363 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:05.559 and have a good time. I think a lot of 364 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:07.519 the families that come it's a great opportunity for their 365 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:10.400 kids to this year get their Halloween costumes early and 366 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.519 come out and have some fun in them. We of 367 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:15.599 course have the Costplay National Championships that are Saturday night, 368 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.039 and this is the I think the eighth or ninth 369 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.440 year in a row that we've done that. That price 370 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:21.400 pools up to thirty thousand dollars, so it's one of 371 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.440 the biggest costplay prize pools and we have people coming 372 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:27.039 from all over the world that have competed in the 373 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:28.880 earlier rounds and are now coming in. 374 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:32.039 For the semifinals and finals live at the show. 375 00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:35.240 We always have a Kids Costplay contest on Sunday, which 376 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:36.680 is you know, it's a little more fun for the 377 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:39.200 kids to come and costume and you know, for a 378 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.400 couple of hundred gets a chance to get up. 379 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.960 On stage and wave a mom and dad and get 380 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:44.720 the picture taken. 381 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.680 So I think, you know, about a third, We think 382 00:20:47.720 --> 00:20:49.519 between thirty and thirty five percent of the people who 383 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:52.079 come to our show come in some version of cosplay. 384 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:55.039 And now, of course it wouldn't be Comic Con without 385 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:58.680 the artists and the writers who create the comic books. 386 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:01.559 And you're going to have over a thousand artists and 387 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:02.240 vendors there. 388 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:04.359 Tell me a little bit about that we do. 389 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:06.640 I mean, we have the largest artist alley this year 390 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:09.720 we've ever had. It's almost six hundred artists. It's so 391 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:11.200 big that we split it. 392 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.799 We're gonna have a big artist alliy in South Hall, 393 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:14.240 but we're gonna have another one hundred and one hundred 394 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.640 and fifty artists that are in West Hall. 395 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:16.920 And we've tried to work. 396 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:20.160 With the artists to get those artists whose art style 397 00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:23.759 and sort of taste is a little more anime and game, 398 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:27.319 you know, graphic driven, so we can get those artists 399 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:30.240 over in that hall and the general artists over here. 400 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.119 The engine of this town is creation. 401 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:35.680