Mediagazer: ‘Australia tax’ and Foxtel monopoly mean consumers pay 400 per cent more for digital programs, Choice says (ABC)

10:50 AM ET, September 11, 2014

Top News:

Spin Media lays off 19, kills Vibe print edition — Spin Media Group eliminated 19 positions on Tuesday, C.E.O. Stephen Blackwell told Capital in a phone interview. — Blackwell told Capital that Tuesday's “reduction in force” affected about 14 percent of the company's 127 staff members …

Discussion: New York Post, FishbowlNY, @numerogroup, @maura, @sisario, @en_cohen and FishbowlNY

El Universal:

IAPA: Press freedom in Venezuela goes through “its saddest hours” — The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) remarked on Wednesday in a communiqué that press freedom in Venezuela is going through “its saddest hours,” since the government has announced the creation of new media outlets …

Associated Press:
Venezuela's oldest paper, El Impulso, shuts down amid newsprint shortage, failing advertising

Discussion: World Bulletin, iafrica.com and Reuters

Peter Hamby / CNN:

Carney: Obama would give more speeches if networks would let him — Washington (CNN) — Former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney — a longtime journalist before he joined the Obama administration in its infancy — is back in the media game as a political analyst for CNN.

Discussion: Mediaite

Joel Simon / Committee to Protect Journalists:
We must fight to preserve journalists' right to report in digital age

Discussion: msnbc.com and The Raw Story

Annie Lowrey / New York Magazine:

The latest list of “media disruptors” spawns other, more diverse lists and a call for quotas — Why Disruptors Are Always White Guys — We don't think of women and minorities when we think of bosses and entrepreneurs. — Shares — It's happening again. There's a list of “media disruptors.”

Roy Greenslade / Guardian:

David Cameron's Daily Telegraph article broke editors' code of practice — At its final meeting a week ago, the Press Complaints Commission ruled that an article written for the Daily Telegraph by the prime minister, David Cameron, breached the editors' code of practice.

Discussion: Press Complaints Commission, New Statesman, Press Association, Press Gazette, UK - The Huffington Post, Full Fact and Left Foot Forward

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Channel 4 to replace 4oD with new online hub All 4 — New site will offer live and on-demand streaming, exploiting growing trend in viewing on tablets and smartphones — The All 4 online hub will feature all of Channel 4's TV networks as well as its on-demand service 4oD

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, TechRadar.com, BBC, Pocket-lint, Compare Mobile Phones …, CR Blog, IAB UK, Cable UK News, KitGuru, Telecompaper, CNET, Digital TV Europe, The Next Web, Broadband TV News, The Drum, Engadget and broadcastnow.co.uk

Andrew Cunningham / Ars Technica:

New U2 album gets pushed to iTunes users by default, may appear on your iPhone automatically — U2's new album is showing up on your iPhone whether you want it or not — Here's how to hide it if you don't want it showing up in your shuffle mix. — I'm not here to tell you what music …

Discussion: Billboard, TechCrunch, @nickwingfield, @sisario, @glennf, @dsilverman, @ethanklapper, Los Angeles Times, 9to5Mac, BGR, AppleInsider, Softpedia News, Gigaom, VentureBeat, Engadget, MediaNama and Cult of Mac

Hollywood Reporter:

Promised layoffs at the studio and Turner units come as the Time Warner CEO trims to boost value. Is HBO in play? — Promised layoffs at the studio and Turner units come as the Time Warner CEO trims to boost value. Is HBO in play? — Welcome to the incredible shrinking Time Warner.

Discussion: MediaWire Daily

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

Secret state: Members of armed forces must notify press officers even if they meet a journalist socially — New official guidelines impose strict controls on anyone from the armed forces making contact with journalists, even in a social setting. — The rules state that when a member …

Discussion: Guardian, @simondebrux, @jamesrbuk, @fleetstreetfox, @benfarmerdt and @fleetstreetfox

ABC:

‘Australia tax’ and Foxtel monopoly mean consumers pay 400 per cent more for digital programs, Choice says — Australians are paying up to 400 per cent more than viewers in the US and UK to watch popular digital programs, consumer group Choice says. — Choice said the mark-up on Foxtel …

Discussion: International Business Times, Sydney Morning Herald and CNET

Guardian:

Guardian strengthens focus on European comment and analysis with appointment of former Le Monde chief, Natalie Nougayrède — Guardian News & Media has today announced the appointment of Natalie Nougayrède as columnist, leader writer and foreign affairs commentator.

Discussion: Agence France-Presse and The Local