Mediagazer: Simon & Schuster allows libraries in UK, Australia, and New Zealand to lend full 14K ebook catalog (Lisa Campbell/Bookseller News)

8:25 AM ET, December 24, 2014

Top News:

Sony announces The Interview will play in select theaters Christmas day, on-demand release also expected — Multiple Theaters Say They Will Screen ‘The Interview’ — Sony did not yet respond to a request for comment — Sony's The Interview may be getting its day in theaters after all.

Maryann Yin / GalleyCat:

PEN American Center Posts Letter Advocating For Free Speech to Sony Pictures CEO — The hackers behind The Interview incident have elicited both anger and fear throughout the country. The PEN American Center has sent a letter addressed to the CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Michael Lynton …

Discussion: PEN American Center, FishbowlNY, Variety, Media & Entertainment, Latest News & Headlines, Home Media Magazine, Inside Movies and AdAge

David Zurawik / Baltimore Sun:

WBFF apologizes for misleading edit on videotape of protest chant — WBFF (Fox45) apologized Monday night online and on-air for misleadingly editing and airing a video Sunday of a protest march in Washington to make it seem as if protesters were chanting “kill a cop.”

Discussion: @visionnehemiah, @theyesmen, The Huffington Post, @ggreeneva, Media Nation and WBFF-TV

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:

Fox Affiliate Edits Protest Chant to Sound Like ‘Kill a Cop’ — Three times over the last 24 hours, Baltimore Fox affiliate WBFF has played a misleadingly edited clip from last week's National “Justice for All” March in Washington, D.C. to make it sound like protesters were calling on people to “kill a cop.”

Discussion: Raw Story, Variety, @becketadams, @drewunga, FTVLive, Gawker and TVSpy

Nellie Bowles / Re/code:

Mic tailors news topics and format for millennials, aiming at college-educated 25-year-olds — Mic.com, the Most Earnest Millennials in the Room — One thing that has become clear this year is that we, the millennials, like our news in special millennial-friendly packaging.

Discussion: @jallenj, @cwarzel, @mikeisaac, @mccarthyryanj and @rafat

Peter Greste / Sydney Morning Herald:

Peter Greste sends greetings from a cell in Cairo — I write to all our friends and supporters from my jail cell in Mazraa Prison, Cairo. — As we approach Christmas and the rather inauspicious anniversary of our arrest on December 29, there is a temptation to become morose over our continued detention.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TVNewser, @janecat60 and @davidfolkenflik

Diana Mehta / Canadian Press:
Imprisoned Al Jazeera journalist warned network of potential trouble with Egyptian government

Discussion: TVNewser

Lisa Campbell / Bookseller News:

Simon & Schuster allows libraries in UK, Australia, and New Zealand to lend full 14K ebook catalog — S&S UK permits library e-lending for all titles — Simon & Schuster UK is to allow libraries to lend its full catalogue of nearly 14,000 e-book titles, effective immediately.

Discussion: LJ INFOdocket

Todd Spangler / Variety:

DirecTV, Disney Ink Multiyear Pact That Includes Internet-Video Rights — The Walt Disney Co. and DirecTV have reached a multiyear distribution deal, which gives the No. 1 satellite TV broadcaster rights to ESPN, ABC and Disney Channel online-video services.

Discussion: ESPN MediaZone, Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, Gigaom and Broadcasting & Cable

Bloomberg:

Sony explored selling its music publishing division that includes Sony/ATV and EMI, represents works by the Beatles, Michael Jackson, others — Sony Planned to Sell Music-Publishing Unit Owning Beatles — Sony Corp. was considering the sale of its music-publishing business …

Discussion: @chrispalmeri, @pkafka, New York Times and @peterlauria3

Billboard:

Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 Now Incorporates Spotify Listening — Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 chart now officially incorporates data from Spotify, which launched in the country last Sept. Nielsen began tracking the data in October, which also takes into account physical and download track …

Chris O'Brien / VentureBeat:

Meet Val Broeksmit, the rock singer Sony is threatening to sue over his hacking tweets — Just when you think nothing else about the Sony hacking episode can surprise you, along comes another bizarre twist. — The latest involves Sony making legal threats against indie singer …

Discussion: Boing Boing, Gigaom, Ars Technica, Inc.com, PandoDaily, @marciahofmann, @bradmossesq, @_cypherpunks_, @kashhill and @declanm

Nancy Scola / Washington Post:

FCC accidentally omitted 680,000 Open Internet comments from public record due to technical error, will post new, complete file in new year — More than half a million net neutrality comments went missing from the FCC's downloadable public record — The Federal Communications Commission …

Discussion: FCC.gov, TechCrunch and The Hill

Ira Teinowitz / The Wrap:

Dish to FCC: Comcast Deal Would Cause Competitors ‘Irreparable Harm’ — Dish Network is insisting on its opposition to Comcast's deal to buy Time Warner Cable, telling the FCC the deal would cause “irreparable harm” to the entertainment industry and consumers while providing “no discernible benefits.”