Top News:
Peter Elkind / Fortune:
Instead of hardening security defenses, Sony Pictures focused on offending North Koreans less, and was more afraid of security costs than risks — Part 2: The storm builds — We will take “a merciless counter-measure.” — On June 17, leaked emails show, Sony's appetite for mocking a “real persona” instantly diminished.
Discussion:
@danprimack and @fortunemagazine
RELATED:
Alan Murray / Fortune:
Fortune spent six months investigating Sony Pictures hack to warn other companies about the importance of cyber defense — How Fortune got inside the Sony hack — We have devoted 12,000 words in our July 1 issue to an extraordinary story by Peter Elkind on the now infamous cyber-attack …
Discussion:
@danprimack, Deadline, Business Insider, The Wrap, Fortune and FishbowlNY
Cecilia Kang / Washington Post:
Interconnection fees for companies like Netflix remain an issue in last-minute talks with regulators for AT&T-DirecTV deal — Why the government is about to approve the AT&T and DirecTV mega-deal - and the one thing that remains a big concern — A decision on AT&T's merger with DirecTV …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and Broadcasting & Cable
RELATED:
Lucia Moses / Digiday:
Heftig, Upworthy clone and third-largest German media company on Facebook with 1.7M fans, faces uncertain future as Facebook begins favoring original content — German site Heftig modeled itself after Upworthy, and what happened next will blow your mind — Three years ago …
Ben Sisario / New York Times:
Sirius XM settles licensing suit for pre-1972 songs with Sony, Universal, Warner Music, and ABKCO for $210M — Sirius XM Settles Royalty Dispute Over Old Recordings — Sirius XM, the satellite radio service, will pay $210 million to the major record labels to settle a lawsuit over royalties …
Nikhil Pahwa / MediaNama:
The Wall Street Journal to shut its India edition, downsize India ops — The Wall Street Journal is downsizing its India operations and will pull the plug on its Indian edition, three sources have confirmed to MediaNama. The India website, http://www.wsj.com/india, will be merged into its global website.
Discussion:
FishbowlNY and @aruproy2611
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Bloomberg TV's New Show 'What'd You Miss' Aims for Broader Crowd — Bloomberg LP, one of the biggest names in buttoned-down business talk, is about to unveil a new TV show seeking instead to push the limits on a more broadly appealing kind of financial chatter.
Discussion:
Media Wire Daily, @jyarow, @antderosa and Talking Biz News, Thanks:@amandabcowie
CBS News:
Family of missing journalist Austin Tice applauds new US ransom policy that helps families negotiate with kidnappers — Tice family: New hostage policy “excellent step forward” — Shares - — The new hostage policy announced Wednesday is a landmark shift in how the U.S. government …
Discussion:
Houston Chronicle, @jecon and Associated Press
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Spotify acquires analytics firm Seed Scientific that included Beats Music as a client, will exclusively get access to services — Spotify Buys Beats' Analytics Provider Seed Scientific — Spotify wants to own big data about bands. Today it acquired analytics firm Seed Scientific to forge …
Discussion:
Bloomberg Business, RAIN News and Media & Entertainment
Noor Zainab Hussain / Reuters:
Trinity Mirror to double cuts to £20m to offset falling print revenues — Trinity Mirror warns on revenue, to cut costs further — British newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror Plc (TNI.L) said it was targeting to double cost savings for the year from its earlier plans as weak print advertising took a toll on first-half revenue.
Discussion:
Guardian, HoldTheFrontPage, The Drum, Independent.ie, Life Style Extra, nechronicle and The Irish Times
Edmund Lee / Re/code:
Barry Diller's IAC plans IPO for its Match Group; Joey Levin named IAC CEO, joins board — Barry Diller's IAC Plans to Spin Off Its Match and Tinder Business in an IPO — Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC, will spin off the company's online dating business into a separate publicly traded company by the end of the year.
Discussion:
IAC, Talking Biz News, New York Times, Digiday, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune and Business Insider
Sahil Patel / VideoInk:
Cinedigm Invests in Shout Factory, Will Reboot Its OTT Video Channel — Cinedigm has taken a minority investment in Shout Factory as the two companies expand their existing film-and-TV distribution partnership and plan for a digital future. — Per the terms, the companies …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter and Broadcasting & Cable