Mediagazer: ITV launches ad-free, pay version of Player for Apple devices (Digital TV Europe)

7:40 AM ET, June 12, 2013

Top News:

Christopher Harrison / The Hill:

Why Pandora bought an FM radio station — The internet isn't just the future of radio; it is radio. Today, 70+ million Americans listen to Pandora, accounting for more than 7 percent of all U.S. radio listening. Our Music Genome Project, the most comprehensive music analysis ever undertaken …

Discussion: The Next Web, Hillicon Valley, The Verge, CNET, CNNMoney.com, hypebot and Engadget

Glenn Peoples / Billboard:

Pandora Buys Terrestrial Radio Station in South Dakota, Aims for Lower ASCAP Royalties — Internet radio giant Pandora is taking an innovative route to lower ASCAP fees: The purchase of a small-market terrestrial radio station. The company announced Tuesday it has purchased KXMZ-FM in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Radio Ink Magazine and Seeking Alpha

Reuters:

Greece says to relaunch state TV in weeks as protests mount — (Reuters) - Greece's government promised on Wednesday to relaunch a slimmed-down state broadcaster ERT in a matter of weeks after a firestorm of protests from journalists, trade unions and coalition partners over its sudden closure.

Discussion: Guardian

Niki Kitsantonis / New York Times:

Greece Shutting Down State Broadcaster Net — In a surprise move that angered labor unions and its junior partners, the conservative-led coalition government said the station, Net, would stop broadcasting at midnight Tuesday.

Discussion: Eurovision.TV and RT

Meg James / Los Angeles Times:

News Corp. says no settlement with U.S. Department of Justice — News Corp. said Tuesday that it had not reached a settlement with U.S. officials over a corruption probe. Members of the media surround former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, center, as she gets into a car …

Edmund Lee / Bloomberg:
News Corp. Investors Approve Breakup Plan

Discussion: Columbia Journalism Review, Guardian, New York Times, paidContent, Hollywood Reporter, Broadcasting & Cable, Seeking Alpha and Los Angeles Times

Alison Flood / Guardian:

Bradley Manning trial to be recreated in comic-book form — Graphic artist Clark Stoeckley in courtroom to record ongoing trial of WikiLeaks soldier — • See pictures from the novel-in-progress — A comic of the Bradley Manning trial, produced live from the courtroom …

Discussion: Pressing Issues

Xeni Jardin / Boing Boing: Judge in Manning Wikileaks trial rules crowdfunded stenographers should get permanent court access

Associated Press:

‘TV Everywhere’ mobile initiative still hasn't gotten there, executives admit — Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts gestured as he spoke during The Cable Show 2013 convention in Washington on Tuesday. — WASHINGTON — TV was supposed to be everywhere by now — watchable anytime, anywhere, on your smartphone or tablet.

Discussion: Deadline.com, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times

Digital TV Europe:

ITV launches ad-free, pay version of Player for Apple devices — UK commercial broadcaster ITV has launched a premium version of its ITV Player app for Apple devices that allows users to view content without advertising for £3.99 (€4.68) a month.

Discussion: Media Week, The Drum and imediamonkey

Amir Efrati / Digits:

How Google Transfers Data To NSA — How does Google hand over data to the government? By old-fashioned secure “file transfer protocol,” or FTP. And sometimes even by hand. — That detail, which Google disclosed for the first time late Tuesday, contrasts with earlier reports that claimed …

Discussion: Wired, Forbes, The Huffington Post and US News

Michael Sebastian / AdAge:

The Best (And Worst) Cities for Newspapers — Pittsburgh Tops Highest Readership; Atlanta Takes Honor for Lowest — The percentage of daily print newspaper readers in the U.S. has fallen nearly 20% since 2001, according to research firm Scarborough. But that drop has not been spread evenly …

Discussion: FishbowlNY

Evan McMorris-Santoro / BuzzFeed:

Obama Schmoozes Reporters At Secret Meeting — The president popped into an off-the-record briefing with reporters Monday. — Image by Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP — WASHINGTON — President Obama held an off-the-record meeting with select reporters from some of the nation's largest print …

Discussion: Mediaite and The Huffington Post

Diane Bartz / Reuters:

Netflix does not infringe on Rovi patents: preliminary ruling — (Reuters) - The internet video streaming service Netflix Inc does not infringe on Rovi Corp patents for interactive television program guides, an International Trade Commission judge said in a preliminary decision.

Discussion: AdExchanger

Bloomberg:

Dish-Sprint Talks Said to Falter in Part Over Breakup Fee — Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) demanded a $3 billion reverse breakup fee from Dish Network Corp. (DISH) during their merger talks, one of a series of disagreements that has kept them from reaching a deal, people familiar with the matter said.

Discussion: VentureBeat and The Verge

Andrea Morabito / Broadcasting & Cable:

Exclusive: Al Jazeera America to Launch Week of Aug. 24 — Network sets primetime schedule with Velshi's ‘Real Money,’ ‘America Tonight,’ nightly newsmag — Washington - Al Jazeera America has set a launch date. The channel that bought out Current TV will flip the switch the week of Aug. 24 …

Discussion: TVNewser and Los Angeles Times