Mediagazer: Moonves: Digital Rights Worth Fighting For (Jon Lafayette/Broadcasting & Cable)

3:35 PM ET, September 4, 2013

Top News:

Bezos courts Washington Post editors, reporters — The Washington Post's new owner Jeffrey P. Bezos, long wary of journalists, held a series of meetings with the paper's editors and reporters Wednesday, saying that he is optimistic about the future of journalism and wants to create a …

Washington Post:

Jeffrey P. Bezos visits The Post to meet with editors and others — The Jeffrey P. Bezos era at The Washington Post had its symbolic beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, when the high-tech magnate indulged in a decidedly low-tech ritual: striking a triangle to summon editors for their afternoon meeting.

Discussion: Guardian, Poynter, New York Times, The Huffington Post, Mashable, FishbowlNY, @washingtonpost, Dead Tree Edition, @mathewi, @nickwingfield, @dabeard, paidContent, FishbowlDC, Fast Company, Forbes, Slate, PandoDaily, The Independent, GeekWire and AdAge

Vindu Goel / NYT Bits:

If Google Could Search Twitter, It Would Find Topsy — There is no question that real-time social networks like Twitter have become an important forum for public conversation, whether the discussion is about chemical weapons in the Middle East or the dance moves of Miley Cyrus at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Discussion: Poynter, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Adweek, Fortune, The Verge, @niemanlab, @digiphile, @socialmia, Search Engine Land, @katz, The Next Web, TechCrunch, Gizmodo, GigaOM, CNET, bizjournals and WebProNews

Om Malik / GigaOM:

New version of Apple TV likely on its way for a September 10 launch — Apple is planning a big event on September 10, 2013, and there has been a lot of speculation on what could be on the menu. While the exact lineup of products is subject of debate, almost everyone agrees that newer models …

Discussion: Panjiva, VentureBeat, Variety, Mashable, Fast Company, 9to5Mac, App Advice, Electronista, Business Insider, MacRumors, The Next Web, AppleInsider, TechCrunch and Softpedia News

Tom Cheredar / VentureBeat:
Vidora's second screen Apple TV app now helps content producers fatten their wallets

Discussion: GigaOM

Josh Sternberg / Digiday:

Bloomberg's Online Video Success Story — Eighteen months ago, Bloomberg TV made a fundamental change in its approach toward online video. Instead of just taking clips from Bloomberg TV and automatically posting them online, producers in the field were made to consider two questions …

Discussion: @jeffjohnroberts, @davidlongobardi, @katyfinneran and eMedia Vitals

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Rupert Murdoch's co-operation with police ‘extraordinary’, says Sun reporter — Chris Pollard, who spent almost a year on bail for allegedly handling stolen phone, also condemns arrests of colleagues — A Sun journalist who spent nearly a year on police bail before being told he faces …

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:
Phone hacking: ex-Sunday Mirror and NoW journalist in court over charges

Discussion: BBC, The Independent, BBC, The Independent and Guardian

Erik Wemple:

Report: MSNBC's liberal leanings helped force NBC News to spend more on Romney campaign — How terribly conscious is NBC News of its connection to insistently progressive cable channel MSNBC? Totally terribly. — In a report for the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy …

Discussion: @jrubinblogger

Brendan Nyhan / Columbia Journalism Review:
Get off the bus! — Why access-based campaign coverage is a dead end

Discussion: @brendannyhan, @smurray38 and @jayrosen_nyu

John Ingold / Denver Post:

Fox News reporter wins delay in crucial theater shooting hearing — A Fox News reporter facing possible jail time in a dispute over a story she wrote about the Aurora theater shooting has been granted a delay in a crucial hearing. — Jana Winter, who is based in New York, had been scheduled to return to court Sept. 30 for a hearing.

Discussion: TVNewser and Big News Network.com

Helen Davidson / Guardian:

GetUp takes on TV networks over refusal to show anti-Murdoch advert — Activist group to seek ‘clarification’ from ACCC on whether the rejection was appropriate or an abuse of market power — Australian commercial television networks have refused to air an advertisement …

Discussion: AdAge, The Age, The Conversation, @kimmaree_tweet, B&T and ABC

Neilchenoweth / Trust the Toffs!:
What's next for Australia? Rupert Murdoch's people have a few thoughts

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter and @neilchenoweth

Stuart Dredge / Guardian:

Ministry of Sound sues Spotify over copyright — Lawsuit focuses on playlists created on streaming music service that mirror dance brand's compilation albums — Dance music brand Ministry of Sound is suing Spotify for copyright infringement, claiming the streaming music company has refused …

Discussion: Fast Company, Guardian, Techdirt, The Verge, Digital Trends, paidContent, Digital Spy, NME, @ftrain, @neilinglis, Music Ally, WebProNews, The Next Web, Softpedia News, @guycollierphoto, Gizmodo and @mark_mulligan

Al Jazeera English:

Egypt jamming Al Jazeera's satellite signals — Qatar-based network forced to change frequencies so viewers can tune in as authorities deliberately jam signals. — Al Jazeera says it can categorically state that Egyptian authorities are deliberately jamming its satellite signals and forcing …

Discussion: TVNewser

Peta Krost Maunder / The Media Online:

The future of investigative journalism — Newspapers in the developed world are having a tough time and South Africa may not be that far behind. Those at the helm have to be innovative to find new workable business models for newspapers. — Former managing editor of the Wall Street Journal Paul Steiger is an innovative media man.

Discussion: @editorsnet and FishbowlNY

Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Music Aims to Keep ‘Happy Birthday’ Away From Public Domain (Exclusive) — The music publisher points out some key flaws in a lawsuit that looks to establish that “Happy Birthday” belongs to all. — With the English language's most recognized song at stake, Warner/Chappell Music is not backing down from a bold challenge.

Discussion: Techdirt

Marc Graser / Variety:

Nokia Deal Can't Keep Microsoft From Embracing Its Entertainment Future — The next CEO of Microsoft will have one tough question to answer: What is Microsoft these days? — Under Steve Ballmer's leadership over the past 13 years, the company has evolved into a confusing collection …

Discussion: Nokia Conversations, Forbes, ZDNet, Light Reading and Fast Company

Marlowe HOOD / AFP Blogs:

When a “kill” increases life expectancy — The Internet has been abuzz, at least in France, ever since AFP transmitted this photo of French President Francois Hollande to clients on Tuesday, then quickly issued a “Mandatory Kill” order retracting it because it was deemed to be gratuitously unflattering to the president.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, @daveclark_afp and The Local

Diane Bartz / Reuters:

U.S. court gives mixed ruling on FCC program carriage rules — (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday threw out part of a federal rule against cable television companies discriminating against independent networks by putting their stations behind high pay barriers, but invited a U.S. regulator to re-issue the regulation.

Discussion: multichannel.com/rss, Hollywood Reporter and cablefax.com

Jeff John Roberts / GigaOM:

In fight with broadcasters, Aereo has time on its side: Supreme Court ruling unlikely before 2015 — The legal saga of Aereo, a start-up that offers an $8-per-month TV streaming service, entered a new chapter last week as a California court heard arguments over whether to lift …

Discussion: PublishersWeekly.com

Alan D. Mutter / Reflections of a Newsosaur:

How can they fire the photographers? Easy. — Like many others, I was distressed to learn that the Chicago Sun-Times fired all 28 members of its photo staff, as the casualties include such cherished former colleagues as the Pulitzer-winning John H. White.

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Ahead Of Cumulus Merger, Dial Global Changing Its Name To Westwood One — If last week's news that Cumulus Media will buy Dial Global for $260 million didn't cause more of a splash, perhaps it was because Dial Global is better known by its programming than its name.

Discussion: Radio & Television …

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Technicolor And Dreamworks Animation Joint Venture M-Go Brings Its Digital Movie Storefront To LG Smart TVs — Online movie storefront M-Go wants to be all the devices and screens where viewers plan to watch movies. To that end, it just struck a deal to get its video app embedded on connected TVs from LG …

Discussion: multichannel.com/rss and GigaOM

Jon Lafayette / Broadcasting & Cable:

Moonves: Digital Rights Worth Fighting For — CBS CEO says Time Warner Cable was living in the past — An important aspect of its month-long battle with Time Warner Cable was securing the digital future of content, CBS CEO Les Moonves said. — “It was important we take a stand.

Discussion: Rolling Stone