Mediagazer: Disney's Maker Studios Teams with Disney-Backed Fusion to Produce Block of TV Programming (Todd Spangler/Variety)

2:45 PM ET, October 13, 2014

Top News:

Leaning Forward, MSNBC Loses Ground to Rival CNN — Rachel Maddow, the biggest star on the MSNBC cable network, just posted her lowest quarterly ratings results ever. — “Morning Joe,” MSNBC's signature morning program, scored its second-lowest quarterly ratings, reaching an average …

Discussion: The Wrap, TVNewser, Talking Points Memo, @wilkowmajority, @steveweinstein, @twxcorp, @ahmed, @ktumulty, @antderosa, @michaelroston, @stephenreiss, @dkthomp, Inside Cable News, The Daily Caller and New York Magazine

David Carr / New York Times:

YouTube's New York production studio set to open in November with a dedicated space for brands — YouTube Takes Manhattan — A few weeks ago, Zayna Aston, a communications executive at Google, met me at the company's offices in Manhattan to show me around YouTube Space New York …

Discussion: Capital New York, @acoyne and @moth

Simon Van Zuylen-Wood / Salon:

“She's not ducking a fight”: How Margaret Sullivan transformed the role of the NYT public editor — As other ombudsmen fade into oblivion, Sullivan is reimagining the relationship between the Times and its readers — When Alessandra Stanley published her now-infamous essay on Shonda Rhimes …

Discussion: The New York Observer, @emilybell, @mathewi, @jayrosen_nyu, @lbennett and @svzwood

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Disney's Maker Studios Teams with Disney-Backed Fusion to Produce Block of TV Programming — Maker Studios, the YouTube multichannel network Disney acquired earlier this year, has reached another TV deal that falls under the Mouse House's corporate umbrella.

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable, Hollywood Reporter and @alexweprin

Todd Spangler / Variety:

BSkyB invests $500K in web-video aggregator Pluto.tv — BSkyB Invests in Internet-Video Startup Pluto.TV — British satcaster takes $500,000 stake in company, whose other backers include UTA's Jeremy Zimmer and Terry Semel — U.K. satcaster BSkyB has invested $500,000 in web-video aggregator Pluto.TV …

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, MediaTel, Telecompaper, Pocket-lint, Compare Mobile Phones …, Digital Spy, Gizmodo UK, SEENIT and Life Style Extra

Lesley Stahl / CBS News:

60 Minutes talks with James Risen about the publishing of his 2005 call monitoring story and protecting sources — The war on leaks — What happens when the demands of national security collide with the rights of a free press? Lesley Stahl finds out — The following is a script of …

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, @davidbarstow, @peterbakernyt, @sentryeagle, @jesselynradack, @kgosztola and @sulliview

The Nation:
The Government War Against Reporter James Risen

Discussion: New York Times and @thenation

Gary Merson / HD Guru:

Netflix Quietly Raises its 4K Ultra High Definition Subscription Rates — Netflix, the leader in 4K Ultra High Definition streaming services, has raised their rates, while continuing to add more 4K content with the recent additions of The Blacklist and Smurfs 2. — We contacted Netflix today for the details.

Discussion: Multichannel News, Light Reading, Consumerist, Hollywood Reporter and The Verge

Stuart Dredge / Guardian:

James Murdoch attacks Google over piracy links — Former News Corp chairman says search engines such as Google could do more to remove links to piracy sites — James Murdoch has joined the News Corp attack on whether search engines such as Google are doing enough to remove links to piracy sites.

Discussion: C21Media

Wall Street Journal:

Book publishers are using YouTube to identify potential bestselling authors — From YouTube Stars, Literary Lions — Book Publishers Sweep Video Site for a New Wave of Authors — Publishers seeking the next hit author have a new hunting ground: YouTube.

Discussion: @digitalshields and @keachhagey

Lee Hyo-won / Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Korea to Debut Some Films Via Streaming Services — The local premiere of Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler rom-com ‘Blended’ will come on IPTV services — Amid the surge of the South Korean online market for movies in recent years, Warner Brothers Korea will make films without …

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Six Sun journalists go on trial over alleged payments to public officials — News editors and reporters variously accused of plotting with police, armed forces, prison officials and staff at Broadmoor — Six former and current journalists from the Sun newspaper are going on trial …

Patrick Wintour / Guardian:

British police's use of Ripa powers to snoop on journalists to be reined in — Change to surveillance law will mean police will require a judge's approval to access journalists' phone records — The UK government will reform the law to prevent the police using surveillance powers …