Mediagazer: Comcast launching four new minority-owned networks (Yinka Adegoke/Reuters)

1:15 AM ET, February 22, 2012

Top News:

Ryan Lawler / GigaOM:

Comcast gives subscribers one more reason to quit Netflix — Updated. Comcast is rolling out a new streaming on-demand offering called Xfinity Streampix, which will bring more library content to subscribers that pay for its high-end double- and triple-play packages.

Discussion: Comcast, Variety, Home Media Magazine, Epicenter, Forbes, Media Decoder, Adweek, PC Magazine, Multichannel and CNET, more at Techmeme »

Ben Fenton / Financial Times:

Church ready to settle phone-hacking case — Charlotte Church, the singer, is on the verge of settling her phone-hacking case against the News of the World, raising the prospect that Rupert Murdoch's newspaper group will face no High Court trial over the scandal, it emerged on Tuesday.

Gordon MacMillan / Brand Republic:

Sun insider claims Sun On Sunday is “desperately seeking advertisers” for first issue — A Twitter account belonging to someone who purporting to be an ex-News of the World journalist claims there is little enthusiasm for The Sun on Sunday internally and that dummies of the paper have not been well received.

Discussion: @sundayinsider

Mark Sweney / Guardian:
Sun on Sunday ad campaign to launch at Brit Awards

Discussion: Speakeasy, Gawker and The Wrap

Jim Romenesko:

NYT reporter defends Forbes writer accused of ‘stealing’ his work — O'Neill said that Forbes writer Kashmir Hill took the New York Times Magazine excerpt of Charles Duhigg's new book, “cut out the crap and got to the real shocker of the story,” which resulted in “a mind boggling 680,000 page views …

Discussion: @markarms, Neuromarketing, WebProNews, (Re)Structuring Journalism and msnbc.com, Thanks:@forrestkoba

Maureen O'Connor / Gawker: NYT Writer to Blogger: ‘What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?’

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics — Frank VanderSloot, Romney finance co-chair, suppresses scrutiny by threatening reporters and bloggers — Frank VanderSloot is an Idaho billionaire and the CEO of Melaleuca, Inc., a controversial billion-dollar-a-year company …

Discussion: Techdirt and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Tim Carmody / Epicenter:

Barnes & Noble Delivers New 8GB Tablet, Disappointing Earnings — Barnes & Noble released a new model of its Nook Tablet on Tuesday at the same cost and with nearly identical specs as Amazon's Kindle Fire: 8GB of storage for $199. — The current 16GB tablet stays at $249 …

Discussion: Business Wire, Barnes & Noble, Inc., Wall Street Journal, Forbes, VatorNews, Media & Entertainment, New York Post, Publishers Lunch, TechCrunch, AllThingsD and Fast Company

Matt Brian / The Next Web:
Barnes & Noble launches 8GB Nook Tablet for $199, goes toe-to-toe with Amazon

Discussion: Engadget, mocoNews, Folio and TechCrunch

Ben Fritz / Company Town:

Netflix discussing deal with ex-HBO Films chief Colin Callender — Netflix is discussing a partnership with former HBO Films president Colin Callender to produce original content, including mini-series and movies, for the online video service, according to three people with knowledge …

Discussion: PC Magazine

Jason Boog / GalleyCat:

Stephen Colbert Lands Deal for Children's Book — TV host and author Stephen Colbert has inked a book deal with Grand Central Publishing for his children's book, I Am a Pole (and So Can You!). Publication is set for May 8, 2012. — Here's more from the publisher: “The book came …

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, MediaJobsDaily and eBookNewser

Sarah Fitzmaurice / Daily Mail:
The Colbert Report returns as Stephen honours sick mother, 91, on screen

Discussion: Huffington Post

Jason Fry / Poynter:

How ESPN published “Chink in the Armor” Jeremy Lin headline & what's happened since — The rise of Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks' Asian-American star, has been one of 2012's feel-good sports stories. But it's come with an unwelcome undercurrent: racial references by fans …

Discussion: Guardian and The Huffington Post

Arthur S. Brisbane / New York Times:

Many Voices, but Still One Times — “More and more, media outlets may be seen as a federation of voices, but there has to be a there there, a single unifying principle or value.” — DAVID CARR put his finger on something in his column last Monday, which dealt with the tension between …

Discussion: Kirk LaPointe's … and Cision

Rick Edmonds / Poynter:

The nine lives of the Philadelphia Daily News (and why it'll have a 10th) — “In Philadelphia, reporters wonder whether major layoffs announced last fall don't presage the folding of the Philadelphia Daily News which, unlike the Inquirer, has been losing money.” — So wrote Matt Cooper in a 1987 story about Knight Ridder.

Discussion: Garcia Media

Amy Chozick / Media Decoder:

Chelsea Clinton Said to Be Close to Extending NBC News Contract — NBC News is close to signing an extended deal with Chelsea Clinton, the former first daughter, who joined the network as a special correspondent in December. — Ms. Clinton, who contributes “Making a Difference” segments to …

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable

Yinka Adegoke / Reuters:

Comcast launching four new minority-owned networks — (Reuters) - Comcast Corp, the leading U.S. cable company, is launching four new minority-owned cable networks with partners including former basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs and Hollywood director Robert Rodriguez.

Discussion: Deadline.com

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

A change at the top of The Huffington Post's business desk: More of Peter Goodman on the ‘middle class’ — When Arianna Huffington hired Peter Goodman away from The New York Times to serve as editor of her website's business and technology verticals back in September of 2010, the move was surprising for several reasons.

Discussion: Capital New York, FishbowlNY and Talking Biz News