The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance
No country can come close to the amount of money Americans spend at the box office each year ... that is, until China came along. The US and Chinese film industries have a long intertwined history, with shifting power dynamics. Today on the show, we continue our week-long look at the movie business as we explore the on-and-off romance between Hollywood and China's film industries. Related episodes:Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? (Apple / Spotify)Before La La Land there was Fort Lee, New Jersey (Apple / Spotify)For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
16/7/2025
9:30
16/7/2025
9:30
Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA?
Despite being, ya know, Hollywood, more and more movies and TV shows are shooting outside of Tinseltown. Dozens of U.S. states and many countries offer subsidies for film production. This has drawn filmmakers away from L.A. and led to historically low levels of shooting activity in recent years in the city.After the COVID shutdowns, labor strikes, and January's devastating wildfires ... what can bring back LA's film industry?Related episodes:Before La La Land there was Fort Lee, New Jersey (Apple / Spotify)Why residuals are taking center stage in actors' strike (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
15/7/2025
9:17
15/7/2025
9:17
Before La La Land, there was Fort Lee, New Jersey
Hollywood, baby! The glitz! The glamour! The ever-changing business models! This week, The Indicator is going to the movies. Starting today with the history of Hollywood and where it began ... New Jersey!Related episode: The Origin Of The OscarsFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
14/7/2025
9:29
14/7/2025
9:29
Red tape indicators: sports betting, R&D and click-to-cancel
We are back with Indicators of the Week! Today, we'll be digging into why U.S. professional gamblers are worried about their future, why businesses might start investing more in research and development, and why cancelling your subscriptions is going to remain difficult.Related episodes:How sports gambling blew up (Apple / Spotify)The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)The 'Planet Money' team examines the subscription trapFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
11/7/2025
9:28
11/7/2025
9:28
Could Meta do more to protect us from cyber scams?
Many small businesses are online now, but so are cyber criminals trying to take advantage. On today's show, how one bar owner fell victim to a Facebook scam and if big tech could do more to protect small business owners from increasing cyber attacks. Read Stephan's original piece. Related: The secret world of those scammy text messages After being scammed, one woman tries to get her money back For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.
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