Mediagazer: FCC proposes expanding definition of pay-TV providers to include internet TV services (Amy Schatz/Re/code)

7:50 PM ET, December 19, 2014

Top News:

FBI:

FBI concludes that the North Korean government is responsible for Sony Pictures hack — Update on Sony Investigation … Today, the FBI would like to provide an update on the status of our investigation into the cyber attack targeting Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE).

Mary Bruce / ABC News:

Sony Hacking: Obama Says Sony Made ‘Mistake’ in Canceling ‘The Interview’ — President Obama says Sony Pictures Entertainment made a “mistake” in canceling its planned release of the movie “The Interview” following a destructive cyber attack the U.S. government says was launched by North Korea.

Discussion: The Wrap, Ars Technica, @monicacrowley, New York Times, NBC News, abc7.com, Bloomberg.com, @awallenstein, USA Today, @brianstelter, Vox, @awallenstein, Associated Press and US News

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney.com:

In new email sent to Sony executives, hackers threaten further release of “sensitive data” pending any “additional trouble” — Source: Hackers send new message to Sony — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The hackers behind a devastating cyberattack at Sony Pictures …

Discussion: TVNewser, @reuters, Washington Post, The Wrap, Business Insider, Daily Mail, BuzzFeed, @zekejmiller, Mashable, @joebelbruno, The Next Web, Hit & Run, Gizmodo, UPROXX, Variety, Engadget, Re/code, WGBH News, TechCrunch, @charlesarthur, Gawker, Broadcasting & Cable, The Verge, Reuters, Forbes, The Verge and Washington Times

Jordan Chariton / The Wrap:

Sony CEO Michael Lynton to President Obama: ‘We Have Not Caved’ (Video) — Sony CEO Michael Lynton fired back at President Obama's calling his decision to cancel “The Interview” a mistake, saying, “We have not caved” to terrorists. — “We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered, and we have not backed down.

Discussion: CNNMoney.com, The Wrap, Deadline, Deadline, TVNewser, AdAge, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Not A Blog, @pkafka, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Variety, @pkafka, @pkafka, @jboorstin, @kenli729, @megjameslat, @pkafka and TechCrunch

Brent Lang / Variety:
Sony Pictures could lose $75M on “The Interview”, which cost $44M to make, $30M to promote

Discussion: The Wrap, Multichannel News, Business Insider, Home Media Magazine, /Film, The New York Observer, Forbes, Mediaite, Bloomberg and Associated Press

Russell Brandom / The Verge:

Google sues to block Mississippi AG Jim Hood's “burdensome, retaliatory” subpoena of records, issues a document preservation notice to MPAA — Goliath strikes back: Google takes legal action against Mississippi State Attorney General Jim Hood — Last Friday, The Verge published …

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Ars Technica, The Hill, Techdirt, The Huffington Post, Techdirt, @reckless, @normative, WebProNews, Electronista, Variety, Google Public Policy Blog and TechCrunch

Andy / TorrentFreak:
MPAA says Google positioning itself as a defender of free speech is shameful

Discussion: @google, Business Insider, CNNMoney.com, Forbes, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, Engadget, Press Association, Re/code, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter

Roy Greenslade / Guardian:

New York Times to set up digital hub in London — US newspaper plans to move 100 staff into refurbished UK headquarters — The New York Times is making a big move into London. It has agreed to rent new headquarters in Bloomsbury and is expecting to fill it with up to 100 staff in the new year.

Discussion: @oliverburkeman, Poynter, @mstandaart and @ckrewson

Ravi Somaiya / New York Times:

Nikki Finke, Hollywood Chronicler, Said to Be in Talks With Politico — Politico has been in talks to hire the Hollywood journalist Nikki Finke to write about Washington as a political columnist, people familiar with the discussions said Friday. — Ms. Finke has visited Washington to meet …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, @rafat, @lucas_shaw, @kateaurthur and Gawker

Craig Silverman / Poynter:

The year in media errors and corrections 2014 — Correction of the Year — This New York Times correction combines Kimye, butts and a writer treating a fake news website and a fake radio station as real. Bravo: … Runner Up — The Sun (U.K.) offered a correction that detailed …

Discussion: @miriamkrule, @poynter, @sethsolomonow, @rossalynwarren, @docfreeride, @louisehosie, @flashboy, @mjbroersma, @edyong209, @craigsilverman and FishbowlNY

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

New York Magazine reporter who wrote about fake high school stock whiz won't move to Bloomberg — Jessica Pressler staying at New York — Jessica Pressler, the New York magazine reporter who found herself embroiled in a journalism controversy just days after Capital reported she would be joining …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Politico and Talking Biz News

Jane Martinson / Guardian:

Guardian and Observer journalists to get vote on next editor-in-chief — Winning staff ballot will guarantee place on shortlist, but ultimate decision on who replaces Alan Rusbridger will be made by owners Scott Trust — The process to appoint the next editor-in-chief of the Guardian …

Discussion: @arusbridger, @henrymance, Press Gazette, @jeffjarvis, @alexwtw and @dansabbagh

Eric Blattberg / Digiday:

How Vessel will fare in a YouTube-dominated world — Flush with $75 million in venture capital funding, Vessel, the video startup led by former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, poses a direct challenge to YouTube. — Vessel officially unveiled its offering on Wednesday, a platform around …

Discussion: ReadWrite

Amy Schatz / Re/code:

FCC proposes expanding definition of pay-TV providers to include internet TV services — FCC Launches Effort to Help Online Video Providers Compete With Cable Guys — Federal regulators released new proposed rules Friday designed to make it easier for online video providers to get access …

Discussion: Variety, The Wrap, Multichannel News, Washington Post, Mashable and FierceOnlineVideo News