Mediagazer: Cable providers cling to bundled TV channels as viewing habits evolve (David Carr/New York Times)

3:05 PM ET, April 28, 2014

Top News:

Cable providers cling to bundled TV channels as viewing habits evolve — New Challenges Chip Away at Cable's Pillar of Profit — For decades, cable television has been an almost magical source of profits, in large part because of the bundle, the packaging of channels that compels subscribers …

Discussion: Guardian, @richbtig, @mollywood, BGR, @laurengoode, @ennisnyt, @jayrosen_nyu, @antderosa, @monkbent, @peterlattman, @pkafka, @laurengoode, @hunterwalk, @pmarca, @buzzfeedben, @pkafka, @pkafka and Will Leitch Monthly RSS

Chris O'Shea / FishbowlNY:

NY Times Revamps Video Hub — The New York Times has given its video hub — nytimes.com/video — a makeover. The site now features responsive design, a sleeker appearance and easier navigation tools. It's definitely an upgrade from the previous version.

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:
At Newfronts, New York Times says it has “moved beyond words”, producing 430+ videos a month

Discussion: @mikeisaac, @buzzfeedandrew, @hunterschwarz, Digiday and Gothamist

The Atlantic Online:

Net Neutrality: A Guide to (and History of) a Contested Idea — This week, news broke that the Federal Communications Commission is considering new rules for how the Internet works. — In short: the FCC would allow network owners (your Verizons, Comcasts, etc.) to create Internet …

Discussion: Center for Internet …, Computerworld, Talking Points Memo, @tonyromm, VICE, @kwerb, 24/7 Wall St., Re/code, Hit & Run and Columbia Journalism Review

Noah Rothman / Mediaite:

Vice Reporter Simon Ostrovsky Reveals Brutal Details of Captivity in Ukraine — Simon Ostrovsky, a reporter with Vice who was recently held captive for three days by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, spoke out about his ordeal in an interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie.

Discussion: TVNewser, Forbes, The Wrap and Globe and Mail

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

NBCUniversal research chief Alan Wurtzell says Twitter chatter does not increase TV viewership — NBC Pokes a Hole in Twitter's TV Story — You know how Twitter is supposed to be TV's friend? — Things look a little less congenial today. — That's after a pointed article in the Financial Times …

Discussion: The Awl, Business Insider, @davewiner, Financial Times, @antderosa, @learmonth, @mollywood and @jyarow

John Eggerton / Multichannel News:

Diller: 50/50 Odds On Aereo Win — Says IAC Investment Financially Meaningless; Decision Could Have Profound Tech Effect — IAC chairman Barry Diller said Sunday that he left the oral arguments at the Supreme Court last week more hopeful that Aereo would win, but conceded he really didn't know.

Discussion: TVNewser and TIME

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

New NYT mag editor Jake Silverstein aims to bring newspaper and magazine “closer together” — New blood — When New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson and other members of New York's media establishment come to Austin, Tex., they hit up Torchy's Tacos.

Discussion: Columbia Journalism Review, MediaWire Daily, @curtisbeast, @joepompeo, @alexweprin, @mbradylynch, @capitalnewyork, @hcookaustin, @mlcalderone and @pamelacolloff

Chris O'Shea / FishbowlNY:

Anna Jones Named CEO of Hearst Magazines UK — Hearst has named Anna Jones the new CEO of Hearst Magazines UK. Jones most recently served as Hearst Magazine UK's chief operating officer, a role she held since 2011. Prior to joining Hearst, Jones served as digital and strategy director at Hachette Filipacchi UK.

Discussion: Folio, WWD Media Headlines and MediaWire Daily

Joshua Benton / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Vox is publishing some of its stories and the interviews behind them in parallel — It's a small thing, but worth noting: For stories that are built around a single interview, Vox is now publishing both the story and the interview transcript in parallel. Take this Thomas Piketty piece by Matt Yglesias …

Discussion: @abeaujon, @reckless, @jbenton, @clockwerks, @justinglow, @yurivictor, @scottkellum and Daring Fireball

William Turvill / Press Gazette:

Al Jazeera sues Egypt for $150m over jailing and harassment of journalists — Al Jazeera has filed a legal action against the state of Egypt as it fights government action which has seen its journalists jailed and its operations shut down in the country. — Lawyers for the Qatari-owned …

Discussion: Financial Times, The Huffington Post, Al Jazeera English, english.ahram.org.eg and Associated Press

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:

Microsoft goes Hollywood as it unveils Xbox Originals television programs for Xbox Live — After a lot of anticipation and some major investments in Hollywood, Microsoft is unveiling its original television shows, dubbed Xbox Originals, for its Xbox Live online entertainment network.

Discussion: Xbox Wire, Capital New York, The Wrap, TechCrunch, Softpedia News, Variety and Re/code

Michael Cavna / Washington Post:

41 years later, The Post publishes spiked ‘Doonesbury’ Watergate comic for the first time. Here's why... THIS WEEK, The Washington Post ran, for the first time, a comics-page strip in which a character declared former Nixon attorney general John Mitchell guilty for Watergate crimes.

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Newsmax CEO gave $10k to Cantor — Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy made a five-figure contribution to Rep. Eric Cantor's re-election campaign earlier this year, the latest political donation from the head of an increasingly influential conservative media outlet.