John Landgraf had some nice things to say about Netflix — look at all those Emmy noms! — at Friday’s TCA press conference, and then some not-so-nice things.
“I’m really am genuinely concerned about predatory economics across the board,” the FX chief told reporters at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour.
And he’s been reading up on the theory, including government documents.
“When we have competitors that are losing money, but that are just trying to basically snorf up everything that exists, that feels really crummy to me, to be honest with you,” he added.
Though Landgraf didn’t mention Netflix by name during this particular question-and-answer, it was quite clear which company he was mostly referring to.
The particularly thoughtful TV exec then took a bit of a step back from the big financial picture and back into the skin of he and his industry colleagues.
“OK, but I’m not a professional economist. I don’t run the Federal Reserve,” Landgraf said. “Our job is to try to support artists and try to make good television, and ultimately I gotta respect anyone who helps an artist find their pathway forward.”
And he wants to do “more” of that under Disney’s broader umbrella, he said, but not “everything.”
“I don’t want to take over the world, I just want to make good television shows,” Landgraf concluded.
Read more from Landgraf’s TCA executive session here and here.
And then there were all of the day’s earlier announcements, like Chris Rock to star on “Fargo” Season 4. FX also announced two new limited series, and extended its $5.99-per-month digital offering to cable companies beyond Comcast’s Xfinity service.