In a Hollywood Reporter cover story, Shane Smith, Vice founder, CEO and liberal utterer of profanity (he dropped the “f—” bomb 52 times in the interview) opens up about is ever-expanding media empire. Viceland, a 24-hour cable channel replacing H2, will launch later this month. Meanwhile, Smith and former Bloomberg News executive Josh Tyrangiel are working on a daily news program for HBO. From THR’s Lacey Rose:
When the switch finally flips in late February, Viceland will be noticeably short on one thing: Smith himself. Though he intends to promote the network, his face and energy are largely committed to HBO, where he’ll soon add a daily news show to a portfolio that also includes a weekly documentary series, now in its fourth season, and specials.
The awards prestige, reach (3 million gross viewers) and professional opportunities (interviewing President Obama) that the premium network offers make it a top priority for Smith, a news junkie whose personal interests don’t always align with those of Vice’s millennial demo. But the relationship between Smith and HBO took an ugly turn this spring; executives at the network, just starting to put together plans for the new daily show, felt blindsided by his Viceland announcement. “There was no disingenuous action,” Smith says now.
Advertisement“It’s a great time to be a content creator,” he says, with a smile plastered across his face. “And we’re going to f— shit up, and there’s nothing more fun than that.”