Top News:
Jon Street / Mediaite:
Conservative media icon Matt Drudge said he feared the President's “crusade on ‘fake news’” would lead to “all reporters” requiring licenses to work — Conservative firebrand Matt Drudge says he fears that President Donald Trump's frequent attacks …
Discussion:
CNNMoney, @brianstelter, Washington Post, The Hill, Newser, Variety, @joycewhitevance, @elwasson, @repadamschiff, @b52malmet, @davidcorndc, @brendannyhan, @renato_mariotti and @brianklaas
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
21st Century Fox has struck a deal to acquire seven TV stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group for $910M, in key NFL markets, like Denver, Miami, and Seattle — The news of the purchase of stations in key NFL markets, such as Denver, Miami and Seattle, comes after Fox's $52.4 billion December mega-deal …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Wrap, Radio & Television …, Variety and TVWeek.com
RELATED:
Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:
21st Century Fox reports mixed Q3 results, barely beating estimates with $7.42B revenue; revenue down for TV and filmed entertainment, up for cable programming — The conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch earned 49 cents per share with $7.42 billion in revenue.
Discussion:
Reuters, @zeitchikwapo and 21st Century Fox
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: James Murdoch, mentioned as possibly taking a senior position at Disney after it buys 21st Century Fox, plans to strike out on his own if deal closes
Sources: James Murdoch, mentioned as possibly taking a senior position at Disney after it buys 21st Century Fox, plans to strike out on his own if deal closes
Discussion:
Reuters, Recode, Techdirt, CNBC, Multichannel News, CNBC, New York Times, @keachhagey, @jbflint and @jbflint
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple plans to let users buy subscriptions to some third-party video services in its TV app, rather than individual apps, starting next year — - Strategy in development looks a lot like rival Amazon.com's — Apple Inc.'s plan to reinvent cable TV is starting to look a lot like the strategy of its rival Amazon.com Inc.
Discussion:
Engadget, The Verge, MacRumors and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
Kevin Merida / ESPN Front Row:
ESPN is discontinuing its Public Editor position, following a recommendation from the company's editorial board, citing the rise of social media — EDITOR'S NOTE: Kevin Merida, ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief for The Undefeated, also serves as Chair of ESPN's Editorial Board.
Discussion:
HuffPost, @jeremymbarr, @kathyenglish, @willsommer, Deadspin and iMediaEthics
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
NBCUniversal releases internal report on Matt Lauer probe, says “Today” managers had no prior knowledge of inappropriate conduct — NBCUniversal said managers at its venerable “Today” show and at NBC News had no knowledge of inappropriate behavior by star anchor Matt Lauer prior …
Discussion:
Deadline, Broadcasting & Cable, Ad Age, The New York Observer, TVNewser, NewsBusters, NPR, @deggans, The A.V. Club, @lionelmedia, The Daily Beast, @shakestweetz, @raminsetoodeh and The Wrap
Janko Rottgers / Variety:
Roku reports Q1 revenue of $136.6M, beating expectations and up from $100M a year ago, as services outpace hardware revenue; active accounts up 47% YoY to 20.8M — Meet the new Roku: The company best known for its streaming devices made more money with ads and licensing fees than with hardware sales …
Discussion:
Roku, Business Insider and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
The New York Times is partnering with FX and Hulu on a new TV show, “The Weekly”, based on its popular podcast The Daily — FX and Hulu will air a weekly television series by The New York Times. — The show's name, “The Weekly,” links it to the Times' popular podcast “The Daily.”
Linda Vester / Washington Post:
Ex-NBC reporter Linda Vester says she is not filing a lawsuit against NBC News or Tom Brokaw, and was shocked at letter of support from NBC's female employees — Linda Vester is a former NBC and Fox News journalist. — I am the woman who came forward last month to accuse NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw of sexual misconduct.
Discussion:
Politico, Mediaite, BuzzFeed, Fox News, @marksimoneny and @davidfolkenflik
The Guardian:
Olivera Lakic, an investigative reporter in Montenegro, has been shot and injured in an attack, prompting calls for the EU and US to protect journalists — Olivera Laki wounded outside her home in the country's second attack on a journalist in a month — An investigative reporter …
Discussion:
@rferl, @harlemdesir, PEN America, @stefsimanowitz, Committee to Protect … and Politico
Skift:
Lonely Planet CEO Daniel Houghton is leaving for another role; source says parent company NC2 is pursuing a sale five years after purchasing it from the BBC — Lonely Planet has weathered the death of the guidebook better than any of its peers, and its new leader will need to figure …
Discussion:
Bookseller News and Publishers Lunch
Ben Schreckinger / Politico:
Sources: the Qatari government has sought to acquire a major stake in Newsmax, the conservative media company run by President Donald Trump's friend Chris Ruddy — The Persian Gulf state, owner of Al Jazeera, has sought to invest in the conservative news outlet with ties to Trump.