Taking Risks and Traveling the World, with Tom Freston!

Tom Freston’s resume is real, but reads like fiction: he served cocktails in the Caribbean, created a fashion brand in India, co-founded MTV, became CEO of Viacom… and after he was unceremoniously fired, he helped launch a TV network in Afghanistan and became an advocate for global health initiatives. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s written an extraordinary memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. So today Tom sits down with Mango to talk about some of those adventures, including the time he ended up in a sauna with David Bowie and Paul McCartney, how The Real World came to be, and why he believes TV can change the world. Buy Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, or request it at your local bookstore or library! Get your official Part-Time Genius membership card! Give us your name, address, and one fun fact and we’ll send you one for free. Email higeniuses@gmail.com, DM us on our socials, or leave a message at (302) 405-5925. We’re on Instagram @parttimegenius and Bluesky @parttimegenius.bsky.social. Learn more about your ad choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com.

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