Top News:
Bloomberg:
21st Century Fox has agreed to buy Sky for $13.51 per share in cash valuing the broadcaster at $22.6B; Sky's share price jumps more than 26% — 21st Century Fox Inc. reached a preliminary deal to acquire full control of Sky Plc, valuing the pay-TV provider at 18.5 billion pounds ($23.2 billion) …
Discussion:
corporate.sky.com, The Wrap, BBC, Sky News, The Guardian, Engadget, @jake_kanter, @business, @tomgara, @lucas_shaw, @djack_journo, @mediaguido, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @cnbc and StreetInsider.com
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
As media faces more criticism and fake news causes real trouble, it's tempting to tune out, but this moment requires keen awareness and critical thinking — In another strange time in American history, the counterculture guru Timothy Leary urged people to “turn on, tune in, drop out.”
Discussion:
Shorenstein Center, @craignewman, Media Nation, TODAY.com, Washington Post, Vox, @edyong209, @reporterporter, @joanwalsh, @jswatz, @austinramzy, @sulliview, TwitLonger, Fortune, Mother Jones, Mashable and bookforum.com
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Trump will remain executive producer of Celebrity Apprentice, getting royalties through MGM, likely in the low five figures per episode — Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC's “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is returning Jan. 2 after a two-year hiatus with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Discussion:
Washington Post, New York Times, Broadcasting & Cable, Hollywood Reporter, @clarajeffery, Western Journalism, Gothamist, CNNMoney, Vanity Fair, @corybooker, VICE, AOL, The Week, Mother Jones, Fortune, FTVLive, Media Matters for America, @maggienyt, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Mashable, The Verge, @mizque, @kurteichenwald, @brendanreichs, @nycsouthpaw, Business Insider, Politico, @jamilsmith, TheBlaze, @adamserwer, @jfagone, @poniewozik, Mediaite, @poniewozik, KXAN-TV, @braddjaffy, @alex, @sophiabush and Media Law Prof Blog
John Markoff / Backchannel:
Twenty-eight year veteran NYT tech reporter John Markoff to retire, will remain on contract for more stories, and become writer in residence at Berkeley in 2017 — I'm retiring from the greatest job I ever knew—but I still believe that journalism will thrive … Yes, I'm retiring from the New York Times.
Discussion:
@timoreilly, @john, @dangillmor, @guykawasaki, @jswatz, @carlmalamud, @annaleen and @backchnnl
Peter Sterne / Politico:
BuzzFeed adds Tampa Bay Times' Anthony Cormier, a Pulitzer winner, to its investigative unit, and hires Daily Beast's Nancy Youssef to cover the Pentagon — Buzzfeed News is adding Anthony Cormier to its Investigative Unit and Nancy Youssef to its World team, the company was set to announce on Friday.
Shan Wang / Nieman Lab:
Wall Street Journal grows digital subscriptions from 948K in August to 1M+ now, pitching subscriptions when staffers or subscribers share non-paywalled links — Despite a bad fall shadowed by news about ad revenue declines and layoffs, the Journal has ridden what seems to be a post-election wave of interest in paid media.
Discussion:
@jackshafer, @laurahazardowen, @thenewcharlotte and @niemanlab
Sarah Ellison / Vanity Fair:
Despite an offer of more than $20M to stay on at Fox News, sources say Megyn Kelly is still fielding bids from ABC, NBC, and CNN — Despite an offer of more than $20 million from Fox, Kelly appears to be listening to some surprising suitors. — On Wednesday morning …
Discussion:
Mediaite, USA Today, TVNewser, FTVLive and TVWeek.com
Ian Mohr / New York Post:
In unusual deal, New York Observer offers subscribers Star Magazine after folding print edition; a source says Kushner is close with Star publisher David Pecker — More On: — Some erudite subscribers to the New York Observer have been surprised by the shuttering print publication's juicy final offer …
Discussion:
Media Wire Daily, FishbowlNY and @jill_jorgensen
TNM Staff / Talking New Media:
BuzzFeed reporter Rosie Gray is joining The Atlantic's politics and policy team; she will focus on the global rise of populist nationalist movements — Reporter Rosie Gray is coming to The Atlantic as part of its growing Politics & Policy team. Gray will cover global affairs and U.S. politics …
Discussion:
FishbowlNY, Politico, @jackshafer, @nolandmccaskill and @rosiegray
Joseph Lichterman / Nieman Lab:
A new study finds that the Associated Press' automated coverage of company's earnings releases has increased firms' trading volume and liquidity — The Associated Press' automated coverage of company's earnings releases has increased firms' trading volume and liquidity …
Discussion:
@niemanlab, @_sidverma, @nickreading1, @mediagazer and @patwhite70
Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
Breaking News, NBC News' alert app, to shut down at the end of the year due to lack of revenue; all 20+ staff to remain on payroll until January 20 — Breaking News, the popular alert app from NBC News, is shutting down at the end of the year. — The entire staff at Breaking News …
Discussion:
Politico, Nieman Lab, @ckanal, TechCrunch, @niemanlab, @pbump, @corybe, The Wrap, @corybe, @mpoppel, Fast Company, GeekWire, TVNewser, @benmullin, @bristei, @poynter, @brizzyc, @corybe, @corybe, @corybe, @corybe, @moneyries, @oliverdarcy, @ethanklapper, @brianstelter and @journodave
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Sources: Nielsen in advanced talks to acquire media data firm Gracenote, one source says deal could be between $450M and $500M — Nielsen is in advanced talks to acquire Emeryville, Calif.-based media data specialist Gracenote from Tribune Media, Variety has learned from multiple sources.