Top News:
Michael Hiltzik / Los Angeles Times:
Tribune Publishing's Michael Ferro criticizes Gannett for pressing for board decision on $400M takeover bid before he can unveil strategic plan on May 4 — Tribune Publishing Chairman Michael Ferro says Gannett is ‘trying to steal the company’ — Chicago's Tribune Tower.
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Andrew Ross Sorkin / New York Times:
How Tribune Publishing's non-executive chairman, Michael Ferro, who has virtually no media experience, is expanding his control of the company's board
How Tribune Publishing's non-executive chairman, Michael Ferro, who has virtually no media experience, is expanding his control of the company's board
Discussion:
@kellymcb, MediaPost, LA Observed, Poynter, @activistinsight, @raju, @jimrutenberg, @stephenreiss, @charlesornstein, @brianstelter and @fvogelstein
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Comcast in talks to buy DreamWorks Animation for $3B+, would likely merge DreamWorks with Universal Pictures — Comcast in Talks to Buy DreamWorks for More Than $3 Billion — Deal would join DreamWorks with Comcast's Universal Pictures — Comcast Corp. is in talks …
Discussion:
The Wrap, New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, ZDNet, C21Media, Engadget, Fortune, Light Reading, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, The Verge, brandchannel, Multichannel News, USA Today, @ruiterwrongfan, Philly.com, Forbes, Consumerist, Business Insider, @vinceinthebay, Deadline, @paullferrer, Fast Company and The Week
Peter Sterne / Politico:
Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith resigns after paper prevented him from writing about Sheldon Adelson and another casino owner, Steve Wynn — Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist resigns — Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith resigned from the paper on Tuesday …
Peter Sterne / Politico:
Esquire removes satirical article by “Prof. Jeff Jarvis” after request from real Jeff Jarvis — Esquire removes satirical article after criticism — Late on Tuesday night, Esquire.com removed a satirical article written by Rurik Bradbury that it had published online earlier in the day.
Discussion:
Redefining Rude, Slate, @jeffjarvis, Washington Post, Vox, @jorilallo, @popehat, @saramorrison, @nickmartin, @caseynewton, @petersterne, @ahess247, @jeffjarvis, @chanders, @jeffjarvis, Hit & Run, New York Magazine, Re/code, iMediaEthics, The Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo and bradford-delong.com
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Apple Music now has 13 million paying subscribers, up from 11 million in February — Alongside its announcement of Apple's quarterly earnings, its first revenue decline since 2003, Apple has also announced latest numbers for Apple Music, its $9.99 per month streaming music service.
Discussion:
Apple, Complex, Ubergizmo, The Verge, MacRumors, TechCrunch, AppleInsider and Business Insider
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Twitter reports mixed Q1 with $595M in revenue, up 36% YoY but less than $608M expected, 310M MAUs, up 3% YoY; stock drops 13%+ after hours — Twitter's woes continue on Q1 sales of $595M, a sluggish 310M MAUs and weak guidance — Twitter reported its Q1 earnings today, and they're not great.
Discussion:
Re/code, Adweek, Variety, Re/code, Fortune, VentureBeat, SiliconANGLE, The Verge, Strategy Consulting, Twitter, Fortune, ZDNet, AdExchanger, 9to5Mac, Reuters, @recode, @kurtwagner8, Broadcasting & Cable, @pkafka, CNBC and USA Today
Alexandra Alter / New York Times:
Barnes & Noble's Longtime Leader, Leonard Riggio, Is Stepping Down — When Leonard Riggio bought Barnes & Noble in 1971, it consisted of a single struggling store in Manhattan. Over time, with swagger and an unwavering belief in the value of physical bookstores, he turned it into the country's largest bookselling chain.
Discussion:
Thad McIlroy, Bookseller News and Wall Street Journal
Mike Farrell / Multichannel News:
AT&T Loses 54K Video Customers in Q1 — 328K DirecTV additions can't offset U-Verse TV declines — AT&T lost a total of 54,000 video subscribers in the first quarter, as increases at its DirecTV satellite TV service couldn't overcome continued declines at its U-Verse TV offering.
Discussion:
Home Media Magazine, ZDNet, @thebauminator, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Re/code, Deadline and DSLreports
Colin Lecher / The Verge:
How FCC's reallocation of TV spectrum to the wireless industry over the next few years will work — How the FCC's massive airwaves auction will change America — and your phone service — The system that underpins wireless communication in the United States is about to dramatically change.
Mike Shields / Wall Street Journal:
YouTube capturing only a sliver of TV ad spending, with higher CPMs and content quality among the major concerns for advertisers — YouTube's Quest for TV Advertising Dollars — While the Google platform has had the most success siphoning off some TV ad spending, its challenges offer a cautionary tale for Facebook, Twitter
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Turner Broadcasting to launch ad-free subscription streaming video service, FilmStruck, aimed at film nerds this fall; price still being determined — Time Warner's Turner Appeals to Film Nerds With Web-Only Service — Ad-free FilmStruck will be managed by Turner Classic Movies
Discussion:
/Film, Wall Street Journal, Pocket-lint, Home Media Magazine, New York Times, Tubefilter, @ericdsnider, TechCrunch, Fortune, Ad Age, Variety, The Wrap, CNNMoney, Re/code, Broadcasting & Cable and Engadget
Ivana Kottasova / CNNMoney:
DisneyLife goes offline in China after just 5 months — Just five months after its launch, a streaming video service offered by Alibaba and Disney has gone offline in China. — A spokesperson for Alibaba said the service was “undergoing maintenance” and that customers were being refunded.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, Deadline and Fortune