Top News:


Independent and i cut annual losses from £12.3m to £4.6m — The Independent has reported a steep reduction in losses to £4.6m for the year to September 2014. — This compares with an operating loss of £12.3m in the previous financial year and £16.6m in the year before that.
Discussion:
Guardian, London Evening Standard and The Independent


AOL to take over Microsoft ad sales for display, mobile, and video in US and 8 other markets; Bing to replace Google on AOL for search and search advertising — AOL Takes Over Majority of Microsoft's Ad Business, Swaps Google Search For Bing — Microsoft Corp. is stepping back from the advertising business in a big way.
Discussion:
Bloomberg Business, The Fire Hose, MediaNama, Variety, @digitalshields, The Next Web, @mdudas, GeekWire and Fortune


U.S. Advertising Spending Falls 4% in First Quarter — U.S. advertising expenditures dropped in the first quarter, as budgets declined among eight of the ten biggest-spending industries, according to a new report from advertising tracker Kantar Media. — Total U.S. ad spending fell 4% …
Discussion:
Folio, Business Wire and Broadcasting & Cable


Shazam Takes On Apple Music Connect With New Social Features Aimed At Musicians And Their Fans — Music discovery platform Shazam is today rolling out a new feature in partnership with over two dozen artists that will allow Shazam users to see which songs their favorite musicians are listening to on the service.
Discussion:
Mashable, Billboard, Business Wire, Engadget and The Next Web


MediaShift formally spins off from PBS, will continue events, training, and newsletters — MediaShift Spins Off from PBS, Envisions Collaborative Future — When I first started the MediaShift blog for PBS in January 2006, I had a vision for much more than just a one-person blog.
Discussion:
@mediatwit, @jcstearns and @ericnewton1, Thanks:@mediashiftorg


Texas town wants to charge Gawker $79K for FOIA request related to video of police abuse at a pool party; Gawker's appealing — Texas Town Is Charging Us $79,000 for Emails About Pool Party Abuse Cop — Days after McKinney, Texas police officer Eric Casebolt was filmed pointing …
Discussion:
@charlesornstein


Google skews search results in anticompetitive behavior, says new study by Yelp and leading academic Tim Wu — Google's search practices come under scrutiny from leading academic Wu — Tim Wu, author of The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires, argues in a paper …
Discussion:
Fortune, Bloomberg Business and Business Insider


Technology changed films, but the basics of good storytelling and emotion remain essential — Technology and The Evolution of Storytelling — John Lasseter at the 68th Academy Awards in 1996 accepting a Special Achievement award for his leadership of Pixar's “Toy Story” team …
Discussion:
@jbwilke and @heybrucewright


Australia Treasurer Joe Hockey wins defamation suit against Fairfax for “Treasurer for sale” poster and tweets — Treasurer Joe Hockey wins defamation case against Fairfax — Treasurer Joe Hockey has won a defamation trial against Fairfax media.
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Guardian and @buzzfeedozpol


More than 21 million people watched gaming's biggest annual show on Twitch — Streaming video site Twitch said Monday that more than 21 million people tuned in to watch its coverage of this month's major video game convention, the Electronic Entertainment Expo — better known as E3.
Discussion:
The Official Twitch Blog, VentureBeat and GeekWire


Donald Trump hits back at NBC after network cuts ties over immigration comments — Updated at 3:00 p.m. ET to include Trump's comments on NBC's decision — As Donald Trump ramps up his 2016 presidential campaign, the outspoken real estate mogul is facing more and more criticism …
Discussion:
CNNMoney, CNN, TVNewser, NBC News, CNNMoney, New York Times, Politico, Deadline, TVNewser, Forbes, USA Today, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, C21Media, Mediaite, Gothamist, The Daily Beast, The Stranger …, Fusion, USA Today, Salon, Politico, TIME, Chicago, The Huffington Post, Deadline, Daily Mail, @nycjim and Bloomberg Business


Sources: Rebekah Brooks may be offered post as chief executive of News UK, the division that includes The Times of London and The Sun — News Corp. wants Brooks to ‘feel welcome’ — Where will Rebekah Brooks end up next? — The former U.K. newspaper executive who bounced back after being found …
Discussion:
bookforum.com and Media Wire Daily


Discovery acquires exclusive 2018-2024 Olympics broadcast rights for most of Europe for $1.44B, across all platforms — Discovery, Eurosport Snap Up Exclusive 2018-2024 Olympic Rights for Europe — Discovery Communications and Eurosport have snapped up most European multiplatform broadcast …
Discussion:
RTÉ, Advanced Television, bizjournals, Reuters, Bloomberg Business, CNNMoney, Broadcasting & Cable, @chrisvollmer and @margarita
RELATED:

BBC dealt another blow after losing control of TV rights for Olympics
Discussion:
Mashable, @noahchestnut, @s8mb, @glynmoody, @chrisrdonoghue and @owen_g