Mediagazer: The Cable Sports Bidding War Will Justify The Dodgers' $2.15B Sale Price (Daniel Frankel/paidContent)

6:50 AM ET, March 30, 2012

Top News:

Jeff Roberts / paidContent:

Paywall Promos: How Far Should Newspapers Open The Door? — As newspapers lock content behind paywalls, marketers are opening that same content right back up again through campaigns that provide readers with temporary access for free. The idea seems a good one but newspapers are still experimenting with when and how to do it.

Discussion: BtoB Magazine

DigiDave:

The Future of Paywalls, Memberships and Advertising - Writing on the Wall is Starting to Appear — This came across my social media feed this morning: “Google Unveils New Revenue Option for Web Publishers.” — In short: It's a simple technology where readers who come across a paywall …

Mike Shields / Adweek:
Google Unveils New Revenue Option for Web Publishers

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, Poynter, ZDNet and The Atlantic Wire

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:
Google Partners With Pandora, AdWeek, NYDN On New Paywall ‘Substitute’

Discussion: Google Small Business, Google News Blog, mediabistro.com, AdExchanger.com, Adweek, Canadian Magazines and ZDNet

Jim Romenesko:

Philly newspapers deal to be announced tomorrow? — There are newsroom reports in Philadelphia that a deal for the Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com will be announced on Friday. — These reports circulate just as Philly.com posts a story about an insurance payback deal …

Discussion: Philly.com

Media Decoder:

Philadelphia Newspapers Set to Be Sold to Local Leaders — A consortium of local business and political leaders is poised to purchase the Philadelphia Media Network, publisher of The Inquirer, The Daily News and Philly.com, according to several people familiar with the negotiations.

Bill Mickey / Folio:

The Economist Reaches 1 Million Facebook Fans — Plus, how the brand optimizes its page for maximum interaction and engagement. — The Economist announced Wednesday that its Facebook page has surpassed the 1 million fan milestone. Nick Blunden, global publisher of digital editions for The Economist …

Discussion: The Wall Blog, TechCrunch and Talking Biz News

Dan Sabbagh / Guardian:

BBC defends Panorama over News Corp probe — Ex-News Corp subsidiary alleges ‘piracy’ slur as Panorama stands by broadcast investigation — The BBC has defended itself against accusations that it “grossly misrepresented” Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation during a Panorama investigation into alleged computer hacking.

Cahal Milmo / The Independent:
Murdoch company in pay-TV piracy scandal ‘paid Surrey Police’

Discussion: Telegraph

Australian Finance Review:
Federal police join News probe

Discussion: @rupertmurdoch, Digital Spy, afr.com, Huffington Post UK, Guardian and @davidfolkenflik

Sandra Laville / Guardian:
Dick Fedorcio resigns after Met opens disciplinary action

Discussion: @dvnjr and @dvnjr

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

Couric on ‘Good Morning America’ Could End No. 1 Streak at ‘Today’ — With the news that Katie Couric will be co-hosting “Good Morning America” on ABC next week, the prospect that the “Today” show could finally lose a week has suddenly become more real than at any time in the last seven years.

Discussion: WebProNews, Fox News and Gawker

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:
For a Week, Couric Will Co-Host ‘Good Morning America’

Discussion: Radio & Television …, Forbes, @learmonth and TVNewser

Foster Kamer / The New York Observer:

Col Allan's Special Friendship With Anna Gristina and Why the Daily News Dropped the Scoop — FRIENDS FOREVER: New York Daily News editor Colin Myler, and his former boss, New York Post editor Col Allan. — There's one intriguing one scoop in the ongoing saga of the Soccer Mom Madam …

Discussion: Gawker, New York Magazine, @weareyourfek, @megan and The Huffington Post

Daniel Frankel / paidContent:

The Cable Sports Bidding War Will Justify The Dodgers' $2.15B Sale Price — How does a faded Major League Baseball franchise—one that hasn't won a championship in 24 years and has fallen into disrepair under consecutive floundering ownership regimes—get moved for the largest team sale price in pro-sports history?

Discussion: Media & Entertainment

Nat Ives / AdAge:

Magazines' Digital Circulation More Than Doubles — But Remains Small — Fast-Growing Digital Still Just 1% of Publishers' Total — Magazines more than doubled their paid digital circulation in the most recent reporting period, but print remains the overwhelming majority of their business …

Discussion: FishbowlNY, NetNewsCheck Latest, TechCrunch, The Verge, MediaPost, Media Buyer Planner, Canadian Magazines, eMedia Vitals and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Gallup:

Two-Thirds Worldwide Say Media Are Free in Their Countries — WASHINGTON, D.C. — A median of nearly two-thirds of adults (65%) across 133 countries and areas Gallup surveyed in 2011 say the media in their countries have a lot of freedom, essentially unchanged from the median of 67% found in 2010.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Adrienne LaFrance / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Merger means the new Bay Citizen will be more investigative and experimental — Breaking: The Bay Citizen won't be covering as much breaking news any more. — The merger of Bay Citizen with the Center for Investigative Reporting announced yesterday — with CIR forces coming out in charge …

Jake Dobkin / Gothamist:

Who Is On The Secret NYPD Press Email List? — About an hour ago, the NYPD's Department of Public Information (DCPI) accidentally CC'd their entire email list on a routine press release. Normally this list of about 230 email addresses is BCC'd. This list is very interesting …

Anton Troianovski / Wall Street Journal:

Verizon Pitches Mobile Video — Verizon Communications Inc. Chief Executive Lowell C. McAdam said the company could have a wireless video service by year-end that lets pay-TV subscribers see some content on their mobile devices if regulators approve a proposed cable partnership.

Discussion: Engadget and The Verge