Top News:
Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke / The New York Observer:
As expensive trial looms, Gawker releases financials: $6.52M in operating income in 2014 on $44.2M revenue — Breaking: This Is How Much Money Gawker Is Making — Despite Hulk of a lawsuit, financials show Gawker making money, moves. — In advance of the now-postponed trial between Gawker …
Discussion:
@alexweprin, @zseward, JIMROMENESKO.COM, @daviduberti, Quartz, Wall Street Journal, @danprimack and @kbsmoke
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Tom Kludt / CNNMoney:
The Hulk Hogan versus Gawker sex tape trial delayed
The Hulk Hogan versus Gawker sex tape trial delayed
Discussion:
Gawker, Tampa Bay Times, Poynter, 10NEWS, @petersterne, Gawker, Reason, @brianstelter and Poynter
Ellen Cushing / BuzzFeed:
On the road with teen social-media stars of DigiTour, estimated to bring in up to $20M in 2015 — On The Road With The Teen Social-Media Sensations Of DigiTour … Hayes Grier is hungry. It's well after 9 p.m., after a two-hour show and a long day, and the dinner delivery guy is running late …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Awl and @digiphile
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
SoundCloud updates iOS app with “play related tracks” feature that creates a stream of songs — In Wake Of Apple Music, SoundCloud Update Focuses On Music Discovery, Better User Experience — All the buzz this week may be about the launch of Apple Music …
Discussion:
SoundCloud, 9to5Mac and Engadget
Greg Gilman / The Wrap:
Salon Media Editorial Staff to Unionize With Writers Guild of America — The editorial department at Salon Media, Inc. is following in Gawker's footsteps by organizing with the Writer's Guild of America, East. — Staff writers announced the decision on Thursday with a letter …
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Lifetime launches SVOD service, drawing on archive of movies, will charge $3.99 a month — Lifetime Digs Into Original Movie Vault to Launch SVOD Service — Lifetime is digging into its library of original movies to launch an SVOD service offering a package of about 30 vintage telepics for $3.99 a month.
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable, Washington Post, Consumerist, FierceCable, Adweek and Wall Street Journal
Andy Cush / Gawker:
Texas town apologizes for sending Gawker a FOIA request bill for $79K related to police abuse video, calls it a mistake — McKinney, Texas, Apologizes for “Erroneous” $79,000 FOIA Bill — Wednesday evening, a spokeswoman for McKinney, Texas, apologized to Gawker for sending a $79,000 bill …
Discussion:
@bubbaprog and @chrisgeidner
Jane Martinson / Guardian:
BBC to cut more than 1,000 jobs in cost-savings push — Managers and back office functions to be cut to make up for a funding shortfall of £150m largely due to the faster-than-expected switch to online viewing — The BBC is to cut more than 1,000 jobs, mainly by slashing layers …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, The Independent, Financial Times, Telegraph, ITV, Sky News, Deadline, Telegraph, Plymouth Herald and Daily Mail
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William Turvill / Press Gazette:
NUJ: BBC ‘sensible’ to target management ‘chiefs’ in latest round of job cuts
NUJ: BBC ‘sensible’ to target management ‘chiefs’ in latest round of job cuts
Discussion:
Variety and National Union of Journalists
Robert Faturechi / ProPublica:
MPAA paid to renovate screening rooms in at least four US embassies in 2014 as it lobbied US government on piracy and copyright rules — As Hollywood Lobbied State Department, It Built Free Home Theaters for U.S. Embassies — Four U.S. Embassies got upgraded screening rooms last year …
Discussion:
@robertfaturechi, @robertfaturechi and @eff
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Prince sends takedown requests to Spotify, Rdio, and Deezer — Prince Won't Stream 4 U (Unless You're On Tidal, Or Maybe Google Music) — Call it the Taylor effect: it looks like another high-profile musician is sharpening his arrows to take aim at how streaming music services pay artists.
Discussion:
Billboard, The Verge, SiliconANGLE, @cjc, BuzzFeed, Forbes, AppleInsider, GeekWire, SlashGear, Bloomberg Business, Variety, Engadget, Radio.com, UPROXX, The Next Web and Stereogum
Jack Marshall / Wall Street Journal:
Digital media M&A grew in first half of 2015, with 1,243 deals globally, up about 24% from 1,000 in first half of 2014 — Digital Media M&A Accelerated in First Half of 2015 — Mergers and acquisitions in the digital media space are accelerating, according to data from investment banking and strategic advisory firms.
Marc Herman / Columbia Journalism Review:
Spain's Citizen Security Law makes it illegal to disseminate content deemed “damaging” to police and security forces — Under Spain's gag law, covering the news could cost you — One evening last month, a police helicopter swooped over my neighborhood of mid-sized apartment blocks in Barcelona.
Eric David / SiliconANGLE:
Reddit's AMA forum falls apart after AMA organizer Victoria Taylor was ‘unexpectedly let go’ — Update: Several other popular subreddits have set themselves to private in protest against Victoria Taylor's removal from the company and due to an “underlying resentment against the admins for running the site poorly.”
Discussion:
Business Insider, @zackwhittaker, @mccanner, @asher_wolf, @wexler and @mikeisaac
Glenn Peoples / Billboard:
Apple Music's Goal: Some Subscribers Now, Lots of Hardware Sales Later — Will Apple Music turn around the record business? Will Apple Music help Apple sell more iPhones and laptops? There are some guesses but little certainty to both questions. — While the music industry …
Discussion:
Variety
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