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Cecilia Kang / New York Times:
FCC votes to dismantle Obama administration net neutrality rules in a 3-2 vote — WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to dismantle landmark rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet, granting broadband companies power to potentially reshape Americans' online experiences.
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Nilay Patel / The Verge:
The inability of Ajit Pai and Republican FCC commissioners to make a fact-based case for repeal of popular net neutrality rules will be a problem for GOP — Killing net neutrality isn't just bad policy, it's bad politics — Well, it happened. — Republican Ajit Pai's FCC voted 3-2 …
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The Walt Disney Company:
Disney to acquire 21st Century Fox, including stakes in Sky and Hulu, after spinoff of certain businesses like Fox News, for $52.4B in stock — 21st Century Fox to spin off Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network to its shareholders
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Amy Chozick / New York Times:
With Disney deal, Murdoch's decades-long acquisition streak comes to an end in the face of the rise of streaming, despite past and current efforts to scale — For a while, Rupert Murdoch seemed invincible. — First, the mogul emerged relatively unscathed from a 2011 phone hacking scandal involving …
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David Folkenflik / NPR:
Disney-Fox deal gives Disney controlling Hulu stake, a Sky stake, a network of local sports cable channels; Fox gets to cash out and resolve succession plans — Ultimately, it was the Mouse that roared — and the Fox that beat a retreat from the global stage.
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Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, Variety, The Wrap, Deadline, New York Times, The Wrap, Radio & Television …, Variety, Forbes, @davidfolkenflik, Deadline, @hblodget, Splinter and @brianstelter
Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
Post-merger, “New Fox” to include live news, sports, and the Fox brand, as a return to “our roots as a lean, aggressive, challenger brand”, per Lachlan Murdoch — Sale of 21st Century Fox assets includes stakes in Sky in the UK and Hollywood film studio as tycoon focuses on Fox News and newspapers
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Michael Farrell / Broadcasting & Cable:
“New Fox” might add to portfolio of local TV stations, Rupert Murdoch says in analyst call; it now owns 28 stations in 17 markets, comprising 37% of US TV homes — Murdoch says any deals would depend on price — The new 21st Century Fox could add to its TV station portfolio …
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Multichannel News and Crain's New York Business
Sydney Ember / New York Times:
Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. to retire as New York Times publisher on Dec. 31 but remain as chairman, as his son, Arthur G. Sulzberger, replaces him — In a generational changing of the guard, Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, 37, will become the publisher of The New York Times on Jan. 1.
Discussion:
Ad Age, The Wrap, @nytimes, @joshmalina, @sewellchan, @nickkristof, @gabrielsnyder, Publishing Executive and Business Insider
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Sources: NYT investigation of WH correspondent Glenn Thrush is winding down, after Vox post on “unwanted groping and kissing”, with result expected by Christmas — Some three dozen detailed interviews will determine whether the star White House correspondent will keep his job …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Business Insider, @vanityfair, @emilylgoodin, @thomaswilburn, @moorehn, @dylanmatt, @moorehn, @jabogen, @mlcalderone and @amandaccoyne
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Jason Schwartz / Politico:
NYT hires fact-checker for DC desk, an unprecedented move for a newspaper, in response to political weaponization of reporting errors and the volume of news — As news errors become fodder for Trump's attacks, the venerable daily makes an extra push for accuracy.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook confirms it will stop subsidies for Facebook Live publishers, encouraging them to use mid-roll ads, and says pre-roll ads are coming to Watch — Everyone's least favorite ads are coming to Facebook, but six-second pre-rolls will only appear on original Watch tab videos you purposefully view and not in the News Feed.
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Ben Fox Rubin / CNET:
Amazon says it will start selling Apple TV and Google Chromecast again, two years after removing them — The e-commerce powerhouse adds five Apple TV and Chromecast devices to its online store, offering an olive branch to both Google and Apple. — Amazon said Thursday that it will again …
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Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Business Insider to drop “business” from its name in January to expand beyond corporate and financial news; Insider to launch niche verticals like Insider Wine — The company will rebrand as Insider Inc. as part of a strategy to expand into niche coverage areas on social media and elsewhere
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@jackmarshall, Business Insider, @stevekovach and @4evrmalone