Mediagazer: Bill Simmons will not appear again on ESPN platforms, including Grantland (Richard Deitsch/SI.com)

4:15 PM ET, May 15, 2015

Top News:

Richard Deitsch / SI.com:

Bill Simmons will not appear again on ESPN platforms, including Grantland — ESPN president John Skipper addresses Bill Simmons' departure … There will be no farewell columns, podcasts or television appearances for Bill Simmons on ESPN. — SI has learned that ESPN and Simmons have worked …

Discussion: New York Times, Mediaite, Variety, Business Insider, UPROXX, Poynter, The Big Lead, Bleacher Report and The Week

Jack Marshall / Wall Street Journal:

For some publishers, delegating the sale of Instant Articles ads to Facebook could make sense — With Facebook's Instant Articles, Publishers May Find 70 Cents Is Better Than a Dollar — Publishers are still digesting the details of Facebook's new “Instant Articles” initiative …

Discussion: New York Times, Poynter, @jackmarshall, @perlberg and TechCrunch

Mathew Ingram / Fortune:
Instant Articles' friendly terms for news outlets create tougher competition for Twitter, as well as Pinterest and Snapchat

Discussion: Vox, @sunilksaini01, @vivian and Fortune

Corey Hutchins / Columbia Journalism Review:
Facebook publishing for local news outlets could arrive ‘in the coming months’

Discussion: PRNewser, E&, The Content Strategist, Street Fight, @nspa, @shaunarempel, American Press Institute, Forbes, Gawker, New York Times and The Whip

Tom Kludt / CNNMoney:

Sources: Al Jazeera America's Ehab Al Shihabi is gone despite saying last week he would remain as COO — News executive who refused to leave is gone — The ousted boss of Al Jazeera America who declared last week that he would remain at the company as chief operating officer has not been seen …

Discussion: TVNewser, Politico, The Wrap and Poynter

Jacob Silverman / The Baffler:

Twitter's new features have all favored advertisers and made it more unsuitable for genuine user interaction — Tweet If You Love the Sweet Sound of Advertising — Almost all of Twitter's recent changes have favored advertisers. / Adobe — According to Wall Street, we haven't been clicking and tweeting nearly enough.

Discussion: @thebafflermag

Bloomberg Business:

Netflix in talks with Jack Ma-backed Chinese media company Wasu, others, as it tries to enter the country's $5.9B online video market — Netflix Said in Talks to Enter China With Jack Ma-Backed Wasu — Netflix Inc. is in talks with a Chinese media company backed by Jack Ma …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Wrap, Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, Ars Technica, StreamDaily, Deadline, Softpedia News, Hollywood Reporter, Advanced Television, The Drum, @lucas_shaw, International Business Times, Bloomberg View, Variety, VatorNews and Techcircle.in

Lloyd Grove / The Daily Beast:

A Weak Apology Won't End George Stephanopoulos' Clinton Problem — George Stephanopoulos cloaked his undisclosed Clinton Foundation donations in charity. That half-hearted apology isn't going to suffice if he wants to keep his anchor chair. — You see, Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Mediaite, New York Times, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, @instapundit, NewsBusters, Los Angeles Times, Hot Air and Politico

Jack Shafer / Politico:
Stephanopoulos has destroyed his journalism-cred and forgotten the political savvy he learned in Clinton's inner circle

Ernesto / TorrentFreak:

Anonymously run music service using “Grooveshark” name is sued by record labels, loses domains, then moves to new domain — Record Labels Sue ‘New’ Grooveshark, Seize Domains — Earlier this month the long running lawsuit between the RIAA and Grooveshark came to an end.

Discussion: The Next Web

Guardian:

Pro-Scottish independence paper The National expands to 6 days per week, adds Saturday edition — The National launches Saturday edition in wake of SNP election success — Pro-Scottish independence newspaper to publish six days a week from Saturday — Pro-Scottish independence newspaper …

Variety:

Sources: New York Times is considering Jonathan Mahler, David Folkenflik, and Sarah Ellison to replace David Carr as media columnist — New York Times Ramps Up Search for David Carr's Replacement (EXCLUSIVE) — Senior Film and Media Reporter @BrentALang

Discussion: @sfiegerman, FishbowlNY, @hadas_gold, Talking Biz News, @agolis and @jyarow

Emma Bazilian / Adweek:

Lonely Planet Will Launch Its First U.S. Magazine as Interest in International Travel Grows — This fall, travel guide publisher Lonely Planet will become the latest entrant in the travel magazine space with the U.S. launch of Lonely Planet Magazine. Edited by Lauren Finney …

Discussion: Publishers Weekly and Talking New Media

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Amazon's Twitch Now Streaming on Roku — For Free — Amazon's Twitch live videogame-casting service is now available for free on Roku platforms. — Twitch, starting Thursday, is available on Roku media players in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Ireland, as well as on Roku TV models in the U.S. and Canada.

Discussion: PC Magazine, PC Magazine, Multichannel News, The Next Web, Engadget and SlashGear

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Andy Coulson pleads not guilty to perjury in Scotland court — Trial of David Cameron's former communications chief opens in Edinburgh high court over charges related to Tommy Sheridan case — David Cameron's former media chief Andy Coulson has gone on trial in Scotland for alleged perjury.