Top News:
Hollywood Reporter:
Sources: Amazon and Apple are competing with Warner Bros. and others for rights to the James Bond franchise and are willing to pay as much as the studio — The franchise, and its future, are up for grabs as Agent 007 is being viewed as one of the last untapped brands that could be a game changer.
Tony Maglio / The Wrap:
Peter Rice has been promoted to president of 21st Century Fox, will retain his roles as chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group — Peter Rice has been promoted to president of 21st Century Fox. He'll keep his chairman and CEO titles for Fox Networks Group as well. — Here's the full media release, more to come:
Discussion:
Broadcasting & Cable and Variety
New York Times:
Sources describe fallout for the new CNN Investigates unit after retracting a Scaramucci story and firing three journalists: scope narrowed, KFILE team moved — Created with much fanfare, CNN's investigative unit was reshaped and its focus narrowed in the wake of a story that led to a retraction and an apology.
Discussion:
@mikiebarb, The Daily Caller, @mlcalderone, @jasonabbruzzese, @buzzfeedben, @yochidreazen, @kelseymsutton and @melbournecoal
Todd Spangler / Variety:
E.W. Scripps' online news network Newsy to launch as a cable TV channel, after Scripps buys carriage contracts from RLTV — As traditional TV players keep hunting for new digital inroads, E.W. Scripps' online news network Newsy is going the other way — it's landing a spot on the cable TV dial.
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, Broadcasting & Cable, TVNewser and @jeremymbarr
Andrew Wallenstein / Variety:
Spotify hires Disney executive Courtney Holt to lead its efforts in original video and podcast programming — Spotify has lured digital-media veteran Courtney Holt over from Disney to lead its efforts around original video and podcast programming, Variety has learned exclusively.
Discussion:
The Wrap
Tim Peterson / Marketing Land:
How media companies including Bustle, New Form Digital, and WeBuyGold are creating episodic series for Instagram Stories — Bustle, New Form Digital and WeBuyGold have started producing original programs for Facebook's other fledgling video service. — At the same time as Facebook …
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Podcast network Gimlet Media raises $5M from ad agency WPP, in addition to the $15M round it raised last month, bringing total raised to $27M — Tack this on to the $15 million it raised last month. — Yet another vote of confidence in podcasting — this time from the people who buy ads for a living …
Discussion:
Fast Company, WPP and @mlieber
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Roku launches its own channel for users of its streaming players, sticks, and TVs, offers ad-supported content, including movies from studios like Warner Bros. — Roku, a company capitalizing on the cord cutting trend to the tune of a $100 million IPO, is today launching its own channel …
Discussion:
The Official Roku Blog, Adweek, Engadget, Hollywood Reporter, Tubefilter and AdExchanger
Shan Wang / Nieman Lab:
The Atlantic launches a paid membership program called Masthead, priced at $10/month or $100/year, offering perks including exclusive content — But not just the diehards — it's also an attempt to forge tighter connections with its growing web audience. “We're trying to create a product that's a supplement, not a replacement.”
Discussion:
Digiday and The Atlantic
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
Axel Springer's Upday news app now has 13M users, up from 8.5M in February, and now drives 4M visitors a day to nearly 3500 publishers — One key plank in Axel Springer's resistance to the duopoly: Upday, an 18-month-old pan-European news app that comes installed on Samsung phones.
Ryan Knutson / Wall Street Journal:
Verizon launches rewards program for customers who agree to share more complete access to personal info, including app usage and browser history — The company offers concert tickets and other rewards in exchange for customers' personal information — A new Verizon Communications Inc. VZ …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @davezatz, MediaPost, Mashable, Fortune and Axios, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube updates iOS app, letting users with 100+ subscribers live stream what's on their iPhone's screen, following Android version — YouTube today is rolling out several features to make itself more appealing to live streamers, including video game streamers, as the battle with rivals …
Discussion:
Adweek, YouTube Creator Blog, Android Police, Tubefilter, BGR, Multichannel News, Polygon, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, Variety, @fullscreennet, @scomo843, @squaredd_, AppAdvice.com and VentureBeat, more at Techmeme »
tronc, inc.:
Tronc acquires outstanding interests of Daily News LP, owner of New York Daily News and NYDailyNews.com — Expands tronc Presence as Provider of Award-Winning Content Across Ten Major U.S. Media Markets — Combined Digital Platform Has Over 80 Million Unique Monthly Visitors
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