Mediagazer: Music Groups Urge D.C. Lawmakers to Revamp Licensing Laws (Ted Johnson/Variety)

10:30 AM ET, June 11, 2014

Top News:

David Streitfeld / New York Times:

Amazon Stops Taking Advance Orders for ‘Lego’ and Other Warner Videos — The Everything Store is shrinking again. Amazon customers who want to order forthcoming Warner Home Video features, including “The Lego Movie,” “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Winter's Tale” and “Transcendence,” are finding it impossible to do so.

Ralph Cipriano / Big Trial:

Lenfest to buy out Drew Katz to take sole control of Philly Daily News, Inquirer, websites — The Partnership That Didn't Last Twenty Minutes — Auction winners Gerry Lenfest and Lewis Katz — for Bigtrial.net — In the moments after Lewis Katz and H.F. “Gerry” …

Discussion: Philadelphia Magazine, Poynter, Philly.com, The Huffington Post, @carrierickey, @davidleepreston, @will_bunch, @taramurtha and Philly.com

Sam Kirkland / Poynter:

Fortune magazine triples amount of online content even as Time Inc. cuts costs — As the newly standalone Time Inc. looks to cut costs by 25 percent and media writers [Bloomberg, The Atlantic, Nieman Lab] outline the magazine publisher's tenuous digital prospects, Fortune and Money …

Discussion: Digiday

Alexis C. Madrigal / The Atlantic Online:

2014's most talked-about media startups aren't distinguished by the what, but the how — With the launch of new site after new site in 2014, it's been a fascinating time to watch digital media try to figure itself out. Amid the turmoil of disruption, buffeted by tech companies' control …

Discussion: The New York Observer, @conorsen, @mathewi, @jayrosen_nyu, @jimtankersley and @jkavanagh

Ted Johnson / Variety:

Music Groups Urge D.C. Lawmakers to Revamp Licensing Laws — Characterizing the current system as outdated as the heyday of vinyl records and 8-track tapes, representatives for musicians and music publishers called on Congress to overhaul laws governing how songwriters and others in the industry …

Discussion: Washington Post, Latest News & Headlines, The New York Observer, Mediaite, FishbowlDC, Billboard, San Diego Jewish World, radioworld.com and New York Times

Hadas Gold / Politico:

Fox News pushes back on Gawker report — Fox News says it has not retracted its claim that former executive Brian Lewis submitted fraudulent expense reports, despite a Gawker report alleging otherwise. — On Tuesday, Gawker unearthed a document filed in court appearing to state that the network …

J.K. Trotter / Gawker:
Fox News Retracts Fraud Claim Against Former Executive

Discussion: @davidfolkenflik, @gabrielsherman and @ericboehlert

New York Times:

Hong Kong Media Worries Over China's Reach as Ads Disappear — HONG KONG — In what may be a major escalation of pressure by mainland China on Hong Kong's independent-minded news media, two major British banks have stopped advertising with one of the city's biggest newspapers, a top media executive said.

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Mirror group faces new phone-hacking claims — Cilla Black, Christopher Eccleston, Alan Yentob and Davina McCall among new claimants for compensation — The publisher of the Sunday Mirror is facing compensation claims over alleged phone hacking from at least a dozen new litigants including Cilla Black …

Discussion: UK - The Huffington Post, broadcastnow.co.uk, @davidfolkenflik and Guardian

Ernesto / TorrentFreak:

RIAA Revenue Drops to Record Low — The RIAA has submitted its latest tax filing to the IRS, covering the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, which provides some background on how the organization is faring. — Continuing the trend from recent years the total revenue of the anti-piracy group dropped once again, to $24.2 million.

Discussion: VentureBeat and Music Week

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

Stars from YouTube and Vine capitalize on internet success with live festivals and concerts — Performing Without Net: Stars of YouTube Take to the Stage — A capacity 12,500 tickets have been sold. More than 70 performers are appearing on three stages.

Maxim Eristavi / Columbia Journalism Review:

Reporter forced to leave Eastern Ukraine after Russian journo accuses him of “spreading lies” — In Eastern Ukraine, one journalist turns on another — A German reporter is forced to flee after a Russian counterpart denounces him on social media

Discussion: Poynter

Stuart Kemp / Hollywood Reporter:

Oliver Stone Options Novel by Edward Snowden's Russian Lawyer — The filmmaker and his producing partner have acquired movie rights to “Time of The Octopus” by Anatoly Kucherena, set to be published later this year. — Oliver Stone and his producing partner, Moritz Borman …

Discussion: Variety and Media Law Prof Blog

Alex Weprin / Capital New York:

The Vice-Time Warner deal, HLN, and CNN — With the news that Time Warner is seeking a major investment in Vice, the possibility of HLN's involvement raises a number of questions. — HLN has been teased as possibly going to Vice as part of the deal, though there was enough wiggle room …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, TheStreet.com, Wall Street Journal, TVNewser, Inside Cable News, @antderosa and Sky News

John Eggerton / Broadcasting & Cable:

Industry body representing Microsoft, Google, Facebook and others opposes Comcast/TWC merger — CCIA Opposes Comcast/TWC — Association says it threatens innovation and should be blocked — The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) has come out against the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger.

Discussion: Variety, Techdirt and The Wrap