Mediagazer: As legal battle with TV networks escalates, Aereo launches in New York. … (Ben Popper/VentureBeat)

5:25 PM ET, March 14, 2012

Top News:

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

James Murdoch writes to MPs expressing regret over phone hacking — Former News International chairman restates his innocence and expresses ‘deep regret’ over the phone hacking scandal — James Murdoch has written to the parliamentary select committee investigating phone hacking to express his …

Discussion: @hughes_mark, @skymartinbrunt, Financial Times, Poynter, The Huffington Post, Capital New York, @edmundlee, @lisaocarroll, Media Decoder and Erik Wemple

Press Gazette: Guardian crime reporter warns of police ‘over-reaction’

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:
Neville Thurlbeck, former chief reporter of News of the World, is re-arrested

Discussion: @fleetstreetfox and Journalism.co.uk

Christopher Hope / Telegraph: Horsegate: Questions about whether Rebekah Brooks, not Charlie, is David Cameron's real friend

Reuters:
Murdoch UK paper editor “told me to bribe police”

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk and Press Gazette

London Evening Standard: Murdoch and son get ready to face Leveson

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:

Encyclopedias are like journalism: It's better when they are open — Anyone who grew up with the Encyclopedia Britannica could be forgiven for getting a little misty-eyed about the legendary publication doing away with its printed version after more than two centuries, even if the move seems unsurprising (and more than a little late).

Discussion: Guardian and Britannica Blog

Britannica Blog:

Change: It's Okay. Really. — That big print set will pass into history, but the future it gives way to will be bright. — For 244 years, the thick volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica have stood on the shelves of homes, libraries, and businesses everywhere, a source of enlightenment …

Discussion: Media Decoder, CNNMoney.com, Daggle, TechCrunch, the Econsultancy blog, Los Angeles Times, paidContent:UK, Business Insider, Softpedia News, Mashable!, GalleyCat and TeleRead

Jim Romenesko:

A former Britannica editor on the print edition's demise — After reading the news about Encyclopaedia Britannica ending its print edition after 244 years, I asked former Britannica.com editor Charlie Madigan if he wanted to share his thoughts with Romenesko readers.

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, ReadWriteWeb, Britannica Blog, PC Magazine and Techland

Julie Bosman / Media Decoder:
After 244 Years, Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops the Presses

Greg Sandoval / CNET:

Web TV service Aereo lives—no injunctions in sight — The streaming service that delivers over-the-air TV broadcasts went live today, though ABC, CBS, NBC, and other networks sued to try to stop the launch. — One of Aereo's tiny antennas. — New Yorkers can watch live broadcast TV via the Web, starting today.

Discussion: Media Money …, Wired and Shelly Palmer Digital Living

Ben Popper / VentureBeat:

As legal battle with TV networks escalates, Aereo launches in New York. We tested the service. It rocks — I'm sitting in my office (by which I mean my kitchen) watching Rachel Ray on my iPad and Kathy Lee on my laptop. These aren't clips or day or old episodes.

Discussion: paidContent, Multichannel, NetNewsCheck Latest and Broadcasting & Cable

John Plunkett / Guardian:

BBC boss confirms TV download pay service — Mark Thompson says Project Barcelona will allow viewers to purchase programmes permanently just after they are broadcast — BBC director general Mark Thompson has confirmed plans for an iTunes-style download service that will allow viewers …

Discussion: BBC, The Wall Blog and The Next Web

BBC:

Cyber-attack on BBC leads to suspicion of Iran's involvement — The BBC is not providing detail of the timing or nature of the cyber-attack — A “sophisticated cyber-attack” on the BBC has been linked to Iran's efforts to disrupt the BBC Persian Service.

Discussion: WebProNews, Naked Security, BBC College of Journalism Blog and Voice of America

Reuters:
BBC suffers cyber-attack following Iran campaign

Discussion: Agence France Presse and Gizmodo

Rick Edmonds / Poynter:

NewsRight lands its first licensing deal — Two months after opening for business, NewsRight, the news licensing agency created by the Associated Press and 28 other news organizations, has its first client. — It's not Huffington Post or Google News or Flipboard.

Discussion: paidContent, The Wrap and NetNewsCheck Latest

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

‘New York Times’ names SmartMoney.com founder Marc Frons its chief information officer — The New York Times Co. has named Marc Frons its chief information officer. — Frons previously served as the Times Media Group's chief technology officer of digital operations.

Jeffrey Goldfarb / Reuters: New York Times pay structure isn't fit to print

Jim Hopkins / Gannett Blog:

Memo: Gannett establishing national news desk — USA Today Executive Editor Susan Weiss forwarded the following memo to staff yesterday. It came a day before many U.S. journalists were to participate in a Web conference on the future of wire news. My question: Does this spell the beginning …

Discussion: @mattderienzo and @romenesko

Rachel McAthy / Journalism.co.uk:

Police release six arrested by Operation Weeting on bail — All six people arrested by Operation Weeting on Tuesday, reported to include Rebekah Brooks and her husband, have now been released on bail — Metropolitan police said all six have been bailed ‘to return pending further inquiries’ in April

Discussion: Huffington Post UK, journalism.co.uk, Guardian, Guardian and Telegraph

Guardian:
Rebekah Brooks and husband arrested in new twist in phone-hacking inquiry

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, Press Gazette, Crikey, Softpedia News, Reuters, Associated Press, @skymartinbrunt, @skymartinbrunt, @skymartinbrunt and The Independent

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

BSkyB probe to include Netflix and LoveFilm — Competition Commission extends deadline for final report until July to to take into account changes in the movie market — BSkyB's battle to retain its stranglehold on Hollywood films on pay-TV has been given a potential boost …

Discussion: Pocket-lint, paidContent:UK, Deadline.com, The Next Web and MCV: Home Stream