Mediagazer: Google revamps its Play Store and Play Movies & TV app to show users where they can stream content from 28 streaming services, not including Netflix (Todd Spangler/Variety)

3:45 PM ET, March 27, 2018

Top News:

Dylan Byers / CNNMoney:

Sources: Mark Zuckerberg will testify before Congress “within a matter of weeks” — Zuckerberg says he's open to testifying before Congress — After repeated calls for him to do so, Mark Zuckerberg has decided he will testify before Congress.

Discussion: The Wrap, TechCrunch, Washington Post, Fast Company, Mediaite, Gizmodo, Recode, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller, GeekWire, Business Insider, Mashable, Engadget, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Verge and Editor & Publisher, more at Techmeme »

Shona Ghosh / Business Insider:

Facebook says Zuckerberg won't answer UK politicians' questions over data scandal, will send CTO Mike Schroepfer and chief product officer Chris Cox instead — - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has refused calls from British politicians to appear before a parliamentary inquiry and explain …

Discussion: Bloomberg, NPR, @mims, Politico, New York Magazine and Gizmodo, more at Techmeme »

Tony Romm / Washington Post:
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman invites top Facebook, Google, and Twitter execs to an April 10 hearing on the “future of data privacy and social media”

Discussion: The Guardian, Bloomberg, CNBC, Slate, CNNMoney, The A.V. Club and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check, more at Techmeme »

Sara Salinas / CNBC:
FTC says it has an open non-public probe into Facebook's privacy practices; a violation of consent decree signed in 2011 could carry a penalty of $40K/violation

Discussion: Bloomberg, Investor's Business Daily, 9to5Mac, Fortune, Ad Age, VentureBeat, the Econsultancy blog, TheBlaze, CNNMoney, The Root, Gizmodo, Business Insider, Fast Company, BloombergQuint, Wired, Slate, NPR, CBS News and TechSpot

BuzzFeed:

The FBI has a report written by ex-British agent Christopher Steele claiming that RT founder Mikhail Lesin's death was not an accident and that he was killed — The author of the famous Trump dossier provided a secret report to the FBI asserting that RT founder Mikhail Lesin was bludgeoned …

Discussion: @verambergen, @drdenagrayson, RedState, @kylegriffin1, @jasonleopold, @vermontgmg, @garretthaake, @schoofsfeed, @bytomfrank, @buzzfeedben, @iowbobseely, @jasonleopold, @passantino, @garossino and @jane__bradley

Joe Nocera / Bloomberg:

Heath Freeman, the 37-year-old president of Alden Global Capital, the firm which recently purchased the Boston Herald, is the Gordon Gekko of newspapers — The reality is even worse: This raider sinks decimated newsrooms' revenue into bad investments. — Heath Freeman, the 37-year-old …

Discussion: @lparsons69, @spytalker, @byrosenberg, @nocerabv, @ehernandez, @rapoportwsj and @noelle_phillips

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Turner Sports is launching Bleacher Report Live, a sports streaming service carrying thousands of live sporting events, in April; pricing to be announced — ‘Queer Eye’ Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix March 26, 2018 — Get the Magazine — The most trusted provider of news and information to the entertainment industry.

Discussion: The Wrap, TechCrunch, Adweek, Broadcasting & Cable and The Hollywood Reporter

Oliver Darcy / CNNMoney:

Aaron Rich, brother of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich, files lawsuit against The Washington Times and number of others for spreading conspiracy theories — This is why the Seth Rich conspiracy won't disappear — The brother of Seth Rich, the slain Democratic National Committee staffer whose …

Discussion: The Hill, Mediaite, The Daily Dot and The Forward

Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:

American Media Inc., publisher of The National Enquirer, has created a ~100 page magazine devoted to fawning coverage of Trump ally Prince Mohammed bin Salman — A nearly 100-page magazine published by Donald Trump's allies at American Media Inc. is providing a different kind of celebrity gossip …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, @davidsirota, @three_guineas, @tomgara, @blogguero, @jdanastuster, @mradamtaylor, @attackerman and @jkempenergy

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Google revamps its Play Store and Play Movies & TV app to show users where they can stream content from 28 streaming services, not including Netflix — Google is promoting Android streaming-media apps from partners — including HBO, Amazon, Hulu, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC …

Discussion: TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Deadline, Fast Company, The Verge, BGR, Engadget and The Keyword, more at Techmeme »

Bloomberg:

Sources: Netflix is frustrating the traditional Hollywood studios by poaching their talent and driving up pay, offering $400K for publicist roles alone — Streaming service rewrites pay rules, aided by soaring growth — Netflix Inc. has turned heads in Hollywood by spending billions …

Discussion: Business Insider, @ourand_sbj, @lucas_shaw and @gerryfsmith

Jon Levine / The Wrap:

Fox News anchor Sean Hannity criticizes “60 Minutes” interview with Stormy Daniels, calls Anderson Cooper “creepy” and Jeff Zucker the “king of porn” — Fox News fire breather Sean Hannity didn't care for Stormy Daniels' interview on “60 Minutes” Sunday.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Beast, @juliethuddytv, @andrewkirell and Rolling Stone

A.J. Katz / Adweek:

Politico unveils its redesigned website, which has seen 30% YoY growth in traffic and averages 26M+ uniques a month — The new site launches today — When Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown returned to the prominent American political journalism outlet as editor in 2016, redesigning Politico.com was near the top of her “to-do list.”

Discussion: @bdayspring and @jeremymbarr

Jessica Davies / Digiday:

Sources: publishers express concern at GroupM request to sign data protection contract that could force them to share audience data with agency group — GroupM wants publishers to sign a new data protection contract that could force them to share control of their audience data with the agency group …

Discussion: Forbes

Michael Safi / The Guardian:

Three journalists have been killed in India after being mowed down by cars in what their families said were deliberate attacks — Sandeep Sharma, Navin Nischal and Vijay Singh claimed to be victims of deliberate attacks … Three Indian journalists have been mown down by vehicles and killed …

Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:

Vice Media says it has appointed Dominique Delport as its chief revenue officer and president of international — The Havas Group veteran will also serve as chief revenue officer and report to incoming CEO Nancy Dubuc. — Vice Media on Tuesday said it has named Dominique Delport chief revenue officer and president of international.

Discussion: Adweek and Variety