Mediagazer: VentureBeat raises $2.6 million to launch ‘App Store’ for research (Cromwell Schubarth/Silicon Valley …)

9:15 AM ET, July 16, 2014

Top News:

Time Warner rejected $80B takeover bid by Murdoch's 21st Century Fox last month, no longer in discussions — Rupert Murdoch Said to Have Made Offer for Time Warner — Twenty-First Century Fox, the media empire run by Rupert Murdoch, made an $80 billion takeover bid in recent weeks …

Richard Smirke / Billboard:

Global Indie Sector Unites To Launch ‘Fair Digital Deals Declaration’ — Over 700 indie labels have given their backing to a major new initiative promoting fair and transparent accounting to artists and music companies in respect of digital revenues. Representatives of Domino, Cooking Vinyl …

Discussion: Pitchfork, Guardian, Consequence of Sound, Stoney Roads, musicfeeds.com.au, Voxy.co.nz, @dariusjagjag, Digital Music News, FasterLouder and Los Angeles Times

Cosmopolitan:

Jill Abramson: “I'm Not Ashamed of Getting Fired” — When Jill Abramson was appointed the first female executive editor of The New York Times, it was a big deal. When she was fired only two and a half years into the gig for her “brusque management style,” it was an even bigger deal, making headlines across the globe.

Richard Lawler / Engadget:

Netflix already stopped mailing DVDs on Saturdays, but you probably didn't notice — The USPS may not have gone forward with its plans to kill Saturday mail delivery, but Netflix isn't waiting. A few customers have noticed it's no longer processing shipments on Saturdays, opting for a five day schedule instead.

Discussion: Re/code, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Cinema Blend, fox59.com, Betabeat, Gizmodo and SeekingAlpha.com

BBC:

BBC journalists are to go on strike on the first day of the Commonwealth Games next Wednesday. — BBC journalists are to go on strike on the first day of the Commonwealth Games next Wednesday. — The walkout will start at midday on 23 July and last for 12 hours.

Discussion: Scotsman, BECTU, Daily Mail, @andrewjkeir, @bbcgaryr, allmediascotland, BelfastTelegraph.co.uk, dailyrecord, The Drum, The Independent and National Union of Journalists

Vivian Yee / New York Times:

Corner Media Expands Its Network of Brooklyn Blogs — By now, the neighbors know exactly where an associate publisher of one of Brooklyn's biggest media conglomerates works (about three feet from his bed, most days) and what he looks like. That is the way he likes it.

Discussion: @raju, @juliemmoos, @grdodgemedia, @michaelroston and FishbowlNY

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Tribune Publishing confirms Aug. 4 spinoff date — Tribune Publishing will spin off from Tribune Co. on Aug. 4, the new publishing company confirmed Tuesday. Tribune Publishing has applied to have its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TPUB” and expects to begin regular trading on Aug. 5.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Politico, LA Observed and Variety

Dave Lee / Medium:

Technology journalists are facing extinction — Very soon I won't be needed. — One of the first ever online journalists for the BBC is a close colleague of mine. These days, you'd say he was the most experienced member of the team. — But back in the 90s, when the BBC …

Discussion: @adders, @martinstabe, @davelee, @jayrosen_nyu, @nathanjurgenson, @fmanjoo, @kvetchup, @mattlynley, @digiphile, @lukeplunkett, @megangarber, @jamesrbuk and @sfiegerman

Greg Bensinger / Wall Street Journal:

Amazon Is Now in Talks With Simon & Schuster — Hachette is not the only book publisher facing down Amazon.com . — The country's largest bookseller is also in talks with Simon & Schuster, said Leslie Moonves, CEO of the publisher's parent CBS Corp. at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen …

Discussion: Reuters, bookforum.com and Digital Book World

John Glenday / The Drum:

BBC director general argues against license fee reform — BBC director general Lord Hall has defended the contentious license fee by declaring it 'ain't broke' in an argument against reform of the revenue model. — The intervention effectively sets out the corporations stall on reform of the system …

Discussion: Telegraph, blogs.lse.ac.ukpolicyproject, Broadband TV News, Digital TV Europe, Lincolnshire Echo and Guardian

Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times:

Immigration activist and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas released after being detained in Texas — Jose Antonio Vargas' detention casts spotlight on issue he championed — When Jose Antonio Vargas was stopped at an airport Border Patrol checkpoint as he attempted to fly …

Discussion: TVNewser, @ryangrim, New York Times, @thisisfusion, @adamconner and TIME

Cromwell Schubarth / Silicon Valley Business Journal:

VentureBeat raises $2.6 million to launch ‘App Store’ for research — VentureBeat, the Silicon Valley technology news site, has raised $2.6 million to fund an “App Store"-style marketplace for industry research. — The San Francisco-based media company said it will launch VB Insight in three to five weeks.

Discussion: Folio, @vbinsight and Re/code

Dominic Rushe / Guardian:

FCC extends deadline for user comments on net neutrality — Systems overwhelmed by surge in submissions protesting against plan to allow cable companies to open up ‘fast lanes’ — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was forced to extend the deadline for comments over its controversial plans …

Discussion: The Verge, Politico, @anon_govwatchca, @om, @jayrosen_nyu, @gigibsohnfcc, New York Times, BetaNews, Daily Dot, Washington Post, Public Knowledge, Reuters, Free Press Blog, Wall Street Journal, Variety and @anonyops

Jason Koebler / Motherboard:
No, the FCC Didn't Lose Your Net Neutrality Comment

Discussion: Esquire, Re/code, Washington Post, @digiphile, @dangillmor, @bobmcmillan, @motherboard, The Week, ZDNet and Technocrat

Alex Wilhelm / TechCrunch:

Yahoo Q2 earnings: $1.04B in revenue vs. estimated $1.08B, $0.37 EPS, $436M in display revenue — Yahoo Misses In Q2 With Revenue Of $1.04B, EPS Of $0.37 — Today after the bell, Yahoo reported its second-quarter financial performance, including revenue (excluding traffic acquisition costs …