Mediagazer: The Financial Times needs to make a signal to the market (Peter Preston/Guardian)

8:25 AM ET, January 7, 2013

Top News:

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Cable Channels Like Current and Ovation Feeling Heat — There are two kinds of cable channels in the United States: those operated by major media companies that have dozens of other channels, and those that are on their own. — The outlets in the second group, the independent channels, are feeling threatened these days.

Discussion: @pkafka

Janko Roettgers / GigaOM:
Roku strikes Time Warner Cable deal, wants to be your next cable box

Discussion: TechCrunch, AllThingsD, VentureBeat, Forbes and The Next Web

Doug Young / South China Morning Post:

Exclusive: Financial Times shops for China buyer — The querying of potential Chinese buyers for Pearson's Financial Times reflects the tough outlook for western print media, though chances of a Chinese deal are very slim. … Main menu — Three months after British media company Pearson …

Discussion: Talking Biz News

Peter Preston / Guardian:

The Financial Times needs to make a signal to the market — Is the FT for sale now that Dame Marjorie Scardino has retired? If not, hadn't someone at Pearson better say so, and quickly? — Uncertainty casts a blight on newspapering. When there's stability there's success: good people stay, good people want to join.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

Eliot Spitzer Ends His Show on Current TV — Eliot Spitzer, the former New York governor turned progressive television host, said Sunday that his show on Current TV is over. — The announcement comes a few days after Al Jazeera said it was acquiring Current TV.

Discussion: CJR, Chickaboomer, The Atlantic Wire, TVNewser, @brianstelter and New York Magazine

Derek Thompson / The Atlantic Online:

BuzzFeed, Andrew Sullivan and the Future of Making Money in Journalism — The Daily Dish's business experiment matters to the future of the Daily Dish. BuzzFeed's business experiment matters to the future of online journalism. — At first blush, they would seem to have nothing to do with one another.

David Carr / New York Times:

Old Media's Stalwarts Persevered in 2012 — Everyone knows that traditional media companies are dead in the water, overwhelmed by ad skipping, cord cutting and audience flight. We know that because Chicken Littles (like me) have been saying it for years. — Eventually we may be right …

Rachel McAthy / Journalism.co.uk:

Visual storytelling tool for journalists Storyplanet aiming for 2013 public launch — Storyplanet, which was backed by MIT's Joichi Ito and former head of online at Al Jazeera English Mohamed Nanabhay, lets journalists package content into interactive experiences.

Discussion: eMedia Vitals

Jeff John Roberts / paidContent:

Don't say display ads are dead: ESPN shows there's life in an old format — Many online publishers spent last year fretting over how advertisers are paying less to display their messages beside news stories. Indeed, some say display ads should be declared dead altogether and replaced with …

Discussion: eMedia Vitals and AdExchanger

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

HBO Renews Universal Deal Through 2022 — HBO has renewed a pact with Universal Pictures, which will keep the studio's movies, like “Ted” and “Bourne Legacy” on the pay-cable channel through 2022. — HBO, which normally plays up the value of its original productions like “Game of Thrones …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Media Decoder, Cable Television News, CNET, Home Media Magazine, Engadget, TechCrunch and The Verge

Rob Williams / The Independent:

Veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall denies sex abuse charges — The veteran BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has appeared in court accused of sexually abusing three girls between the ages of nine and seventeen. The 83-year-old star, famous for presenting 'It's A Knockout' …

Discussion: Telegraph, Channel 4, itn.co.uk, Guardian and BBC

Andrew Pugh / Press Gazette:

Lance Armstrong ‘could admit to doping claims’ as Sunday Times sues for £1m — Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is reportedly considering publicly admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, as he faces a £1m legal action from The Sunday Times.

Discussion: ESPN.co.uk, TheAustralian and Guardian

Josh Stearns / Free Press Blog:

Think Media Consolidation Is Good for Journalism? Think Again — Diversity in Media OwnershipRupert Murdoch ScandalQuality JournalismThe FCC and Media Policy — The Federal Communications Commission is pushing a plan to gut its 30-year-old newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban.