Mediagazer: IAC May Buy Korean Video Site DramaFever (Peter Kafka/Re/code)

11:25 AM ET, October 9, 2014

Top News:

NBC Wanted to Hire Jon Stewart As Host of Meet the Press — “They were ready to back the Brink's truck up,” one source said — 2.4k — This Sunday marks Chuck Todd's one-month anniversary in the anchor chair at Meet the Press. Despite an opening-week ratings spike from his exclusive sit …

James Poniewozik / TIME:

Could Jon Stewart Have Put Sunday Morning Shows Out of Their Misery? — He reportedly turned down an offer to host Meet the Press. If so, too bad for NBC—but probably best for him — According to New York Magazine, before NBC hired Chuck Todd to take over Meet the Press …

Discussion: @antderosa, @jayrosen_nyu and The Week

Kara Swisher / Re/code:

Twitter News Head Vivian Schiller Out in Media Unit Consolidation — Vivian Schiller, the high-profile NBC and NPR exec who Twitter hired to run its news unit, is leaving the company as part of a consolidation. Adam Sharp will now be in charge of both news and politics at the social messaging company .

Nicole Levy / Capital New York:

At Condé Nast Entertainment, marketing digital video costs as much as making it — Every fall, when broadcast and cable networks premiere a new lineup of television shows, they aren't just investing in the production of pilot episodes—they're also spending millions to market …

Claire Suddath / Businessweek:

The Weather Channel's Secret: Less Weather, More Clickbait — The writers and editors at the Weather Channel's weather.com don't often talk about the weather. They're not meteorologists. They don't mention the forecast or debate whether New York's overcast sky means it's going to rain.

Discussion: TVNewser and The Huffington Post

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Hearst UK sees pre-tax profits fall by more than a quarter — Average print and digital circulation of magazine publisher behind Cosmopolitan, Men's Health and Esquire down by 8.4% — Hearst UK, the magazine publisher behind Cosmopolitan, managed to increase operating profit despite a drop in circulation.

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Ex-News Corp lobbyist Frédéric Michel to work for Sky Italia — Lobbyist's close relationship with culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and his special adviser sparked controversy at Leveson inquiry — Frédéric Michel, the former News Corporation lobbyist whose emails …

Discussion: Poynter

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

At National Press Club, the press is shut out — I'd like to tell you what Robert Ford, former U.S. ambassador to Syria, said at the National Press Club on Wednesday about recent developments in the war against the Islamic State. The diplomat, who resigned in protest earlier this year because he found it …

Discussion: @peterwsinger, @vipalmonga and @mlcalderone

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Last.fm made loss of £2.1m last year — CBS-owned online music service's revenues slumped more than 20% and staff numbers fell from 61 to 35 — Last.fm has moved to a collaboration model — CBS-owned online music service Last.fm made a loss of £2.1m last year …

Discussion: Complete Music Update

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

IAC May Buy Korean Video Site DramaFever — DramaFever, a Web video service that specializes in Korean movies and TV shows, is looking to raise money or sell. — One potential buyer: Barry Diller's IAC. — Sources say DramaFever, which has raised a reported $11.5 million in debt and equity …

Mathew Ingram / Gigaom:

Ongoing crowdfunding sites like Patreon are becoming a source of revenue for journalists — Can Patreon's crowdfunding platform help journalists go direct? Jesse Brown is going to find out — Canadian journalist Jesse Brown decided he needed to get paid for his podcast or give it up …

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Cartoon Network Launches Micro-Network for Smartphones (Exclusive) — Turner's Cartoon Network has debuted CN Anything, a recasting of the network's brand for smartphones stocked with micro-bursts of snackable content — an effort to hang on to its core audience of kids …

Discussion: @ischafer