Mediagazer: Al Jazeera America Launching August 20 (Alex Weprin/TVNewser)

1:30 PM ET, July 3, 2013

Top News:

Hayley Tsukayama / Washington Post:

Do you use Reddit?: Six percent of American adults online do — Reddit is the self-proclaimed front page of the Internet — a community of people who submit links and vote them up or down based on their quality, novelty or general ability to generate amusement. — But does Reddit really have enough users to make that claim?

Discussion: TechCrunch, Fast Company, Poynter, Betabeat, Nieman Journalism Lab, Pew Internet, The Atlantic Online and WebProNews

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Netflix Extends PBS Pact, Scoring Two Exclusives — Netflix gains subscription-streaming rights to ‘Super Why!’ and ‘The Bletchley Circle’ — The rivalry between Netflix and Amazon.com for online streaming content has been a boon to TV programmers, as the two are motivated buyers eager to one-up each other.

Discussion: CNET, Speakeasy, TechCrunch, paidContent, Deadline.com, Home Media Magazine, Broadcasting & Cable, Hollywood Reporter and Softpedia News

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

US government rests its case in Bradley Manning WikiLeaks trial — Admission that army has mislaid standard contract signed by private boosts defence hopes of having some charges dismissed — The US government rested its case against the WikiLeaks source, Bradley Manning on Tuesday …

Discussion: Democracy Now, The Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Reuters

Sky News:

Leveson To Be Grilled By MPs Later This Month — Lord Justice Leveson chaired last year's inquiry into press ethics — Lord Justice Leveson will give evidence to MPs about press regulation later this month. — The judge, who oversaw the inquiry into press ethics sparked by the phone hacking scandal …

Discussion: Guardian and Telegraph

Sara Morrison / The Wrap:

Barry Diller Strikes Back at FTC, Says He Only Paid Fine to Avoid Legal Hassle — Says FTC's statement about his recent settlement “failed to say” certain “relevant facts” — Barry Diller, who agreed Tuesday to pay the Federal Trade Commission $480,000 to settle an antitrust lawsuit …

Discussion: Radio & Television …

Katherine Fung / The Huffington Post:

Reporters Without Borders' Christophe Deloire, Julian Assange Urge EU To Protect Edward Snowden — Reporters Without Borders' Christophe Deloire defended Edward Snowden on Wednesday, calling on the European Union to protect him. — Deloire co-wrote an editorial in Le Monde with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Discussion: Guardian, Business Insider and Techdirt

Alex Weprin / TVNewser:

Al Jazeera America Launching August 20 — Al Jazeera America now has a launch date, as it continues to staff up. AJAM will launch Tuesday, August 20, according to Ali Velshi on Twitter. AJAM will be taking over the channel space currently occupied by Current TV in some 40 million U.S. homes.

Discussion: The Huffington Post and FishbowlNY

Jon Friedman / The Fiscal Times:

TV News Searches for a 21st Century Winning Model — TV news is not an industry for the faint of heart. In journalism, there is an old saying: You're only as good as your last story - and nowhere is the axiom more apt than in a business with a swarm of network and cable competitors …

Discussion: @matthewwells, @ariannahuff and @jayrosen_nyu

John Glenday / The Drum:

BBC to screen selected Wimbledon matches in 3D — The BBC has confirmed plans to broadcast selected Wimbledon matches in 3D as part of a two-year trial of the technology, singling out the semi-finals and finals for the extra dimension. — Available to anyone with a 3D TV and access …

Discussion: Advanced Television, bbc.co.uk and Digital Spy

Jay Rosen / Quote and Comment:

CNN makes its priorities clear. — A trial like the Zimmerman case in Florida is like a TV mini-series in which the writers and actors don't get paid. Meanwhile, epochal world events - the kind CNN is supposed to dominate the coverage of - unfold in a little box on the lower right.

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, Gawker, @huffpostmedia, @thestalwart, @sdkstl, @rafat and @howardkurtz

Yasmine Saleh / Reuters:

Egyptian army secures state TV studios: sources — (Reuters) - Egyptian troops with armored vehicles have secured the central Cairo studios of state television on Wednesday, security sources said. — As a deadline approaches when the army high command is expected to step …

Discussion: The Independent, @skytwitius and The Dawn News

Ian Burrell / The Independent:

Going live: Can new Director General Tony Hall overhaul the BBC? — The honeymoon is over. His new team, minus a trusted deputy, is in place and a heaving intray of problems awaits. Ian Burrell rates his prospects — “The BBC's best days lie ahead of us,” Tony Hall wrote in his cheerleading introductory email to staff in April.