Mediagazer: Washington Post 3rd-Quarter Net Down 68% on Prior-Year Gains (John Kell/Wall Street Journal)

1:25 PM ET, November 1, 2013

Top News:

Washington Post 3rd-Quarter Net Down 68% on Prior-Year Gains — Washington Post Co.'s (WPO) third-quarter profit slid 68% despite a slight increase in revenue, as last year's profit was bolstered by income tied to the sale of several businesses the company unloaded.

Washington Post Company:

The Washington Post Company Reports Third Quarter Earnings — The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) today reported income from continuing operations attributable to common shares of $56.0 million ($7.53 per share) for the third quarter of 2013, compared to $56.3 million ($7.58 per share) for the third quarter of 2012.

Discussion: Associated Press, Motley Fool and Talking New Media

Michael Malone / Broadcasting & Cable: Journal Communications Television Revenue Up 2.2%

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Coulson ‘was told buying palace numbers was illegal’ — Phone-hacking trial hears that News of the World reporter told editor ‘criminal charges’ could result from payment to police — Andy Coulson was warned in an email from a reporter on the News of the World that he could face …

Discussion: Press Gazette and BBC

Dominic Casciani / BBC:

Phone-hacking trial: Andy Coulson told editor ‘do his phone’ — Mr Goodman and Mr Coulson face two counts in relation to paying for royal directories. Prosecution will elaborate after a break. #hacking — Dominic Casciani @BBCDomC … Dominic Casciani @BBCDomC

Discussion: Guardian, Reuters, Reuters, @bbcnews and Guardian

Dylan Byers / Politico:

President Obama, off the record — President Barack Obama is often accused of being insular. He's not a schmoozer. He doesn't like meeting with lawmakers, and he doesn't particularly care for talking to reporters, either. — But get him in an off-the-record setting with a small group …

Discussion: @kirstenpowers10, Hit & Run, @thomas_drake1 and @jgreendc

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Johnston Press to launch 'people's paper', with 75% of content from public — Regional publisher denies ‘Bourne Experiment’ is about cutting costs, and hopes it proves new model for small weekly papers — Regional publisher Johnston Press is to attempt a radical reinvention of one of its titles …

Discussion: @charliebeckett and @ashleyhi

Laura Hazard Owen / Gigaom:

Kindle First lets Prime members read one upcoming Amazon-published ebook in advance each month, for free — Amazon announced a new perk for Prime members on Friday: A program called “Kindle First” will let them read one upcoming Amazon Publishing ebook, from a choice of four …

Discussion: GalleyCat, MarketWatch, The Verge, The Next Web and GeekWire

Tom Slee / The New Inquiry:

Pierre Omidyar's journalistic venture is another of his efforts to fuse philanthropy with profit — so far, not so good — Pierre Omidyar's journalistic venture is another of his efforts to fuse philanthropy with profit — so far, not so good — There is no doubt that the new journalism …

Discussion: @zunguzungu and @adrianchen

Benjamin Bidder / Spiegel Online:

Russian News Agency Shuttered Due to Swears — Russia's media watchdog agency has forced the closure of the Rosbalt news organization because of two YouTube videos containing swear words. Russian journalists are furious, calling it the latest attack on freedom of the press.

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Netflix Needs Cable, But the Feeling Isn't Always Mutual — Streaming company cuts deal with Danish operator Waoo, but Comcast exec says adding Netflix is ‘not a high priority’ — Netflix is banking on getting on cable set-top boxes to hit aggressive growth targets in the next few years …

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, VideoInk and Gigaom

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

Machinima, the YouTube Giant Looking for New Money, Is Also Looking for a New CEO — Machinima, the giant YouTube network that caters to gamers, is looking for a new chief executive — at the same time it is trying to close a big funding round. — Allen DeBevoise, the company's co-founder …

Sam Kirkland / Poynter:

Why USA Today's huge growth in digital circulation isn't what it seems — The Alliance for Audited Media released a new round of circulation figures today — a twice-yearly occasion for newspapers to write about themselves. In true Halloween spirit, a few of them published press releases disguised …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Associated Press, Kirk LaPointe's …, Chicago Sun Times, FishbowlNY, Denver Post, Media & Entertainment, Radio & Television … and Poynter

Alan D. Mutter / Reflections of a Newsosaur:
Struggling industry throttles newspaper metrics

Discussion: @newsosaur, BtoB Magazine, Alliance for Audited Media and The Wrap

Agence France Presse:

Kenyan press up in arms over ‘draconian’ media bill — Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's media reacted with shock and outrage Friday after parliament voted through a bill that could see journalists and outlets slapped with huge fines for violating a code of conduct. — In a late-night sitting Thursday …

Discussion: standardmedia.co.ke, The Star, The Star, HumanIPO and Capital News

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Time Warner Left Bruised in Fee Battle With CBS — Time Warner Cable on Thursday reported the steepest quarterly loss of television subscribers in its history, which it attributed at least in part to the monthlong battle it had with the CBS Corporation in August. — The CBS blackout ended in early September.