Top News:
Patricia Murphy / The Daily Beast:
WH Press Sec Sean Spicer made repeated, vague references to an Islamist terrorist attack in Atlanta that didn't happen, echoing Conway's Bowling Green statement — Kellyanne Conway's “Bowling Green massacre” isn't the only case of a White House aide pointing to a terror attack that didn't happen …
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Brian Flood / The Wrap:
During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said she did not believe the network was “fake news”, contradicting Trump — Donald Trump's ongoing feud with CNN took an interesting turn on Tuesday when senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway admitted …
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
The New York Times partners with Spotify, giving readers who buy one-year digital subscriptions unlimited access to the music service's premium tier — Joint online news and music subscription costs $5 per week — Publisher seeking to maintain momentum after subscriber surge
Joe Pompeo / Politico:
WSJ editor Gerard Baker to host town hall on Feb. 13 where he will address concerns about Trump coverage, amidst growing disquiet and anger in the newsroom — Amid growing newsroom discontent over his perceived resistance to critical coverage of Donald Trump, Wall Street Journal editor …
Discussion:
Adweek, @lheron and The New York Times Company
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Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
The New York Times hires Rebecca Blumenstein, deputy editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, as a deputy managing editor
The New York Times hires Rebecca Blumenstein, deputy editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, as a deputy managing editor
Discussion:
New York Times, @alansmurray, Observer, Cision, Fox News Insider, Politico, Talking Biz News, @rblumenstein, @nycscribe, @benmullin, @melbournecoal and @nycscribe
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
HBO Now, HBO's standalone digital streaming service, has surpassed 2M subscribers, Time Warner Chief Jeff Bewkes told investors on Wednesday — HBO's stand-alone digital streaming service has surpassed 2 million domestic subscribers, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes told investors Wednesday.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Fast Company, Broadcasting & Cable, Broadcasting & Cable, TechCrunch, VideoNuze Analysis, Engadget, Fortune and The Verge
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Reuters:
Time Warner beats Q4 estimates, reports quarterly revenue up 11.5% to $7.89B, says AT&T merger still on track to close later this year — Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter results, largely due to box office hits such as the “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.”
Discussion:
Bloomberg, MarketWatch, TheStreet.com, RTÉ, Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, @jtoonkel, Fortune, Deadline, Variety and The Drum
Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: White House Correspondents Dinner has yet to find a comedian headliner, with many celebrities choosing to avoid the event — “I see it as a huge opportunity for a comedian to do something interesting," says Larry Wilmore, who headlined 2016's dinner, as the host gig goes unfilled …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair and @thrmattbelloni
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
Flipboard debuts personalized Smart Magazines, which aggregate stories on various topics, available today — Flipboard is releasing a big update today, which introduces “Smart Magazines” — a new way for people to find news stories and other content tied to their interests.
Discussion:
Forbes, Adweek, VentureBeat, Fortune, Engadget and Fast Company
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Apple has hired Timothy D. Twerdahl, director of Amazon's Fire TV business, as VP of Apple TV product marketing; Twerdahl worked at Netflix and Roku in the past — Former Amazon executive also held roles at Netflix and Roku — The hire lets company to beef up team seeking content deals
Discussion:
USA Today, Variety, Ars Technica, BGR, VentureBeat, Axios, Fast Company, Fortune, GeekWire, @tapbot_paul, @markgurman, Engadget, Daring Fireball, Business Insider, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, MacRumors and The Verge
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Netflix is hiring an executive to oversee an expansion into branded merchandise, including the licensing of shows for books, comics, and more — Streaming giant to hire executive to oversee product division — Hot Topic selling T-shirts, mugs tied to hit ‘Stranger Things’
Discussion:
Business Insider, Tubefilter, Mashable, Refinery29, Vanity Fair, CNNMoney and Engadget
Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:
Sources: Condé Nast has been in talks to purchase The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard for a number of months though it is unclear whether a deal will happen — The Hollywood Reporter is considering a sale, and Condé Nast is a suitor. — Several months ago …
Discussion:
LA Observed
Alberto Nardelli / BuzzFeed:
Laura Boldrini, President of the Italian Parliament's lower house, is launching a campaign to raise awareness about online misinformation and its consequences — In an exclusive interview, Laura Boldrini, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, told BuzzFeed News why she is fighting back against disinformation and violent abuse.