Top News:
Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:
Writing in the BBC's annual report, the corporation's Chairman David Clementi says British content faces a threat from the “west coast of America” — The U.K. public broadcaster in its annual report says BBC Worldwide, which after the end of the fiscal year was merged with its production arm …
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The Guardian
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Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
BBC's annual report reveals that just two of the corporation's top 20 highest paid stars are female, despite efforts to address gender pay gap — Corporation faces criticism as large gender pay gap persists in latest annual report — The BBC is facing a backlash after revealing …
Washington Post:
UK watchdog gives Facebook a preliminary fine of about $664,000, the maximum allowed, for letting Cambridge Analytica access data about millions of people — Facebook is staring down its first fine for allowing Cambridge Analytica to improperly access data about millions of people …
Steven Perlberg / BuzzFeed:
Sources: Sinclair to launch STIRR, a new streaming VOD app, which would include a 24/7 news channel, TV shows, movies, and sports, by year-end — The local TV giant expects to release the streaming app this year, according to sources familiar with the project.
Discussion:
FierceCable and @amy_siskind
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
Mark Halperin and John Heilemann are in negotiations over material for a follow-up “Game Change” book and TV-mini series, most of which Halperin holds — Until their split last year, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann were the golden boys of American political journalism.
Discussion:
Mediaite, @dankennedy_nu, @grahamdavida and @owillis
Joe Mayes / Bloomberg:
21st Century Fox Inc. boosts its bid for Sky TV, offering £14 per share and valuing the company at £24.5B, topping Comcast's offer of £22B — - Offer is now 12 percent higher than Comcast's bid for Sky — Sky is part of a wider battle between Comcast and Disney
Discussion:
Press Gazette, Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, Fortune, The Wrap and Reuters
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Facebook will roll out news shows for Facebook Watch from July 16, with the lineup including shows from CNN, Fox News, Quartz, Bloomberg, Univision, ATTN:, Mic — Facebook will launch a slate of video shows on its video platform, Watch, on July 16. — Why it matters: The tech giant …
Discussion:
Facebook Watch, The Wrap and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
Pranav Dixit / BuzzFeed:
Netflix launches Smart Downloads feature to automatically retrieve your next episode for offline viewing on Android, will launch on iOS later this year — Netflix is automating downloads of series so you can binge-watch shows off-line without even pressing a button.
Discussion:
VideoNuze Analysis, Netflix Media Center, BGR, Media Update, VentureBeat, MacRumors and 9to5Mac
Lucia Moses / Digiday:
The relationship between The New York Times and Facebook has been fraught, with the Times' CEO Mark Thompson repeatedly attacking the social network — Facebook has been taking fire from all sides lately, but few have been more outspoken and consistent of late than Mark Thompson, CEO of The New York Times.
Discussion:
@digiday and @bmorrissey
Sarah Hagi / Hazlitt:
Ex-Vice journalist and Canadian writer Sarah Hagi recounts her experience of being laid off from a large media company — When I need comfort and familiarity, I cycle through five or so different movies I've seen at least a half dozen times each. Nora Ephron's 1998 classic You've Got Mail is a frequent go-to.
Discussion:
@mattdpearce and @nicole_soojung
Lucas Matney / TechCrunch:
Penrose Studios, which makes narrative-based VR content raises $10M Series A led by TransLink Capital with Marc Benioff, Will.i.am, and others participating — It's been an interesting past few years for the virtual reality industry and while there is still plenty for insiders to pin their hopes on in 2018 …
Discussion:
VentureBeat and Variety, more at Techmeme »
Syria Direct:
At least 270 Syrian journalists and media activists are trapped in rebel-held sections of southwest Syria as Russian-rebel reconciliation deal unfolds — Displaced Syrians along the Syrian border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in July. Photo by Mohamad Yusuf/AFP.
Discussion:
syja.org, Anadolu Ajans Güncel Haberler and Committee to Protect …