Mediagazer: Facing competition from streaming services like Netflix, Alaska's two Blockbuster stores close, leaving just one store in Bend, Oregon (Julia Jacobs/New York Times)

8:55 PM ET, July 16, 2018

Top News:

FCC's Ajit Pai has “serious concerns” about Sinclair Broadcast Group's acquisition of Tribune Media, worried Sinclair has kept control of “divested” TV stations — Ajit Pai said he is concerned about so-called “side-car deals” that would allow Sinclair Broadcast Group …

Instapaper:

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Kim Chandler / Associated Press:

The estate of John B. McLemore, subject of the podcast S-Town, files lawsuit against creator Brian Reed and others, claiming they exploited him — The estate of the man at the center of the popular “S-Town” podcast is suing the show's creators, saying they exploited details of his private life for financial gain.

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Wall Street Journal:

Netflix reports Q2 membership growth of 5.2M, 1M less than forecast, and a profit of $384M, up from $65M last year; stock down 13% after hours — Video site blamed faulty internal forecasting, not business reasons like price increases — Netflix Inc. missed its own forecasts …

Discussion: The Wrap, Ad Age, Variety, Business Insider, Fast Company, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNNMoney and netflixinvestor.com, more at Techmeme »

Gene Maddaus / Variety:

Weinstein Co. Closes $289 Million Sale to Lantern Capital — A Texas private equity firm has closed its $289 million acquisition of the Weinstein Co., and will seek to revive the studio that was driven into bankruptcy by Harvey Weinstein's sex assault scandal.

Discussion: TVWeek.com, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Vanity Fair and IndieWire

Lucia Moses / Digiday:

The Washington Post is launching a channel on Amazon-owned livestreaming site Twitch, broadcasting two shows initially — The Washington Post is looking to Twitch's livestreaming gamers of all places to reach new video audiences, with a new channel starting this week. — The channel will kick off with two shows.

Discussion: MediaPost, @jordanuhl, Adweek, @smorgasboredom and @mattkmoore

NBC News:

Apple removed QDrops, an app that sent alerts about Qanon conspiracy theory, after months at the top of the App Store; app still available at Google Play Store — One of the App Store's top entertainment apps pushed a conspiracy theory about a child sex ring and a Trump secret police force.

Discussion: @alex__katz, @lanceulanoff, @oneunderscore__ and Media Matters for America, more at Techmeme »

Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:

Hearst Inc reached a $50M settlement of a lawsuit claiming it violated Michigan privacy law by selling its magazine subscribers' personal info — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hearst Communications Inc on Thursday reached a $50 million settlement of a lawsuit claiming it violated Michigan privacy law …

Discussion: @travelfish

Julia Jacobs / New York Times:

Facing competition from streaming services like Netflix, Alaska's two Blockbuster stores close, leaving just one store in Bend, Oregon — The Blockbuster video store in Bend, Ore., stands steely and determined, defending itself against the expanding forces of digital streaming services like Netflix and HBO …

Discussion: IndieWire

Ian Burrell / The Drum:

The BBC's Local News Partnerships scheme generates 3,600 stories a month for its network of local papers, radio, TV stations, independent news sites and the BBC — The BBC has widened its definitions of national news to include such apparently mundane themes as potholes in the road …

Discussion: paulwiltshireblog

Charles Preston / Committee to Protect Journalists:

Profile of Zachary Stoner, an independent music journalist and YouTuber in Chicago who covered the city's neglected black communities before being killed in May — I weighed the possibility of being killed for writing this. Seriously. I know that shedding light on or speaking …

Discussion: @aaschapiro and @jessicajerreat

Sam Forsdick / Press Gazette:

Finland's largest daily newspaper erected ~300 billboards along Trump and Putin's route to Helsinki summit highlighting importance of free press — Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were greeted with almost 300 billboards and posters that bring attention to their “turbulent relations with the press” …

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Beast, Observer, NBC News, Fast Company, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Adweek, Fortune, @garethharding and @pourmecoffee

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