Mediagazer: CBS Q1: $468M net earnings, 6% higher on license fees; ad revenue falls 12% without SuperBowl (Associated Press)

8:20 PM ET, May 8, 2014

Top News:

Joshua Green / Businessweek:

Conservative think tank Heritage Foundation launches mobile-first news site Daily Signal aimed at younger audiences on June 3 — Daily Signal: Heritage Foundation News Site Seeks Mainstream Impact — Last year the conservative Heritage Foundation had more influence on the direction …

Kristen Hare / Poynter:
Heritage Foundation's news site doesn't have ad or traffic constraints

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and @kagrox

David Gelles / New York Times:

Apple Said to Be in Talks to Buy Beats for $3.2 Billion — Apple is in talks to acquire Beats Electronics for about $3.2 billion, according to a person briefed on the matter. — A deal could be announced next week, but may still fall apart, this person cautioned.

Discussion: Financial Times, TechCrunch, AppleInsider, Forbes, Telegraph, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, Gigaom, Fortune, Electronista, Quartz, Variety, Pocket-lint, @bobgendron25, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Mashable, The Next Web and iMore

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Why Apple Is Betting Big on Beats: Hardware for Now, Streaming for Later — Apple is set to make the biggest purchase in its history: A $3 billion-plus deal for Beats, the company that sells high-end headphones and recently launched a streaming music service.

Discussion: @eghosao, @pkafka, @pkafka, @antderosa and @chris_ciaccia

Dan Lyons / Inbound Hub:

Three Lessons from Katie Cotton, Apple's Departing PR Boss — Katie Cotton announced yesterday that she's leaving Apple. This is a big deal. Cotton was VP of worldwide corporate communications at Apple, and while PR people aren't always seen as super important, Katie Cotton was.

Sam Biddle / Valleywag:
Goodbye to Katie Cotton, the Queen of Evil Tech PR

Discussion: Daring Fireball, Fortune, AppleInsider and The Verge

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

Will Lewis named Dow Jones C.E.O. — Will Lewis' role as C.E.O. of Dow Jones is no longer “interim.” — Parent-company News Corp. announced this afternoon that Lewis has been appointed C.E.O. on a permanent basis. He had been serving as interim C.E.O. since his predecessor, Lex Fenwick, was ousted in January.

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, The Wrap, Bloomberg, Reuters and Variety

Anna Prior / Wall Street Journal:
News Corp reports $2.08B in quarterly revenue, down 5% vs. last year, net income of $48M

Discussion: Wall Street Journal

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

The complicated and disputed mission of the Huffington Post, 9 years after launch — The Huffington Post, nine years on — On Friday, March 7, Peter Goodman was writing an email to Arianna Huffington during the last hour of his last day as her employee, when a team of workmen showed …

Discussion: @markhor, @mattbai, @niemanlab, @lmoses, @7im, @froomkin, @binarybits, @williamalden, @gideonresnick, @michaelroston, @erinruberry and The New York Observer

Brian Braiker / Digiday:

Andrew Sullivan on native ads: Journalism has surrendered — Journalist and blog entrepreneur Andrew Sullivan is not one to jump on bandwagons. The outspoken political blogger left the Daily Beast nearly a year and a half ago to launch The Dish, his own subscription-driven news site.

Discussion: @slarkpope, @lindypop, @elongreen, @joshsternberg, @bmorrissey, @raymondsultan and @colindickey

Ben Sisario / New York Times:

Muve Music Service Is Said to Be Up for Sale by AT&T — One of the most successful music subscription services in the United States may be up for grabs. — Muve Music, which is connected to Cricket Wireless, a prepaid wireless phone carrier, will be discontinued by AT&T …

Discussion: Gigaom, Digital Media Wire, Light Reading, Billboard and hypebot

William Alden / New York Times:

YouTube Founders to Sell Delicious, a Social Bookmarking Site — The social bookmarking service Delicious has changed hands twice over the last decade, while failing to attract a mainstream audience. — Now it is being sold again. Science Inc., a technology investment and advisory firm run …

Discussion: The Next Web, VentureBeat, @veen, Re/code, @ourielohayon, @seldo, Mashable and @choosenick

Alastair Reid / Journalism.co.uk:

BBC to launch daily infographics shared on social media — Online visual journalism and social media are playing an increasing role in how the BBC is looking to experiment digitally — The BBC is to launch daily infographics distributed on social media as part of continued experimentation …

Mary Hui / Poynter:

As China's control grows, Hong Kong media freedoms recede — They got him as he stepped out of his car one morning in February. Wielding a meat-cleaver, Lau Chun-to's assailant hacked at his back and legs, then sped away on a motorbike with an accomplice.

Gillian Wong / Associated Press:
China detains veteran journalist for state secrets

Discussion: Amnesty International and Guardian

Maggie Michael / Associated Press:

Egypt's el-Sissi tells media not to push freedoms — You are here — Home » Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi » Egypt's el-Sissi tells media not to push freedoms — CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's top presidential candidate, the former military chief, warned newspaper editors not to press issues …

Adam Lashinsky / Fortune:

Reporter offered pre-IPO shares by Arista Networks, considers it another sign of a tech bubble — Yes, we're in a tech bubble. Here's how I know it — When tech startups are willing to offer almost anyone — even a journalist — shares ahead of an I.P.O., a burst isn't terribly far behind.

Discussion: @rapoportwsj, Gawker, @adamlashinsky, @pkafka, @karaswisher, @ryanchittum, Business Insider, @jonrussell and @rachelmetz

Todd Spangler / Variety:

YouTube Global Creator-Development Lead Bing Chen Resigns — Exec's departure for stealth startup comes after appointment of new YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki — Bing Chen, YouTube's global creator development and management lead, is leaving the Google-owned video powerhouse for an unidentified stealth startup.

Discussion: BING CHEN

David Gelles / New York Times:

Omnicon-Publicis $35B mega-merger called off due to internal differences and regulatory issues — Ad Agency Giants Said to Call Off $35 Billion Merger — Omnicom Group and Publicis have called off their $35 billion merger, bringing a premature end to a deal that would have created …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Wall Street Journal

ABC News:

Australian journalist covering press freedom deported from Myanmar for lacking visa — Myanmar Deports Australian Journalist — Authorities in Myanmar said Thursday they have deported an Australian video journalist for covering a press freedom rally without a proper visa.

Discussion: The Irrawaddy Magazine

Stuart Elliott / New York Times:

For Online Video Publishers, a New Tack on Luring Ad Dollars — AS a well-received annual presentation of new digital offerings to Madison Avenue ends, publishers are seeking to keep the momentum going by making it easier for marketers and agencies to spend advertising dollars on online video …

Discussion: @iab

J.J. Colao / Forbes:

With 18 pending patents, Aereo's options in the case of a Supreme Court defeat are open — If Aereo Loses In The Supreme Court, Can It Rise Again? — Once voluble and full of irreverent talk, Chet Kanojia barely picks at his plate of cheese during lunch overlooking Dupont Circle in Washington …

Discussion: Home Media Magazine and Lost Remote

Edward Wyatt / New York Times:

US House antitrust panel questions Comcast and TWC execs, hears from merger critics like Cogent, RFD-TV — Industry Executives Say Cable Merger Would Hinder Choice — WASHINGTON — Executives from Comcast and Time Warner Cable faced vigorous opposition to their proposed merger on Thursday …

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable, Comcast Voices Blog, TIME, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and Re/code

Associated Press:

CBS Q1: $468M net earnings, 6% higher on license fees; ad revenue falls 12% without SuperBowl — CBS 1Q EARNINGS RISE DESPITE LOWER AD SALES — NEW YORK (AP) — CBS's first-quarter earnings rose 6 percent as higher licensing fees from the company's Showtime network helped overcome …

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable, The Wrap and CBS Corporation

Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:

Quentin Tarantino Withdraws Lawsuit Against Gawker Over ‘Hateful Eight’ Leak (Exclusive) — The sudden reversal comes a week after the director filed a second complaint against the site. — Quentin Tarantino is sheathing his sword. At least for the moment.

Discussion: Variety, Plagiarism Today and UPROXX