Top News:
Tiago Ramos Alfaro / Bloomberg:
UK's Takeover Panel says Comcast emerged as the highest bidder in the auction for Sky, offering $39B — Comcast Corp. offered 17.28 pounds per share in auction for Sky Plc, topping 21st Century Fox's bid at 15.67 pounds per share, the U.K. Takeover Panel announced in a statement on Saturday.
Discussion:
BBC, Variety, Sky News, @sherman4949, Variety, New York Times, The Wrap, @martinsfp, @sherman4949, @edmundlee, New York Times, @amolrajan, @msnabilaahmed, @skynewsbreak, @jimwaterson, @sherman4949, TechCrunch and @sdkstl
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Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Sources: Ben Sherwood, president of Disney/ABC Television Group and Media Networks division co-chair, to leave Disney after 21st Century Fox deal is complete — Ben Sherwood is preparing to leave the Walt Disney Co. after Disney completes its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, @dylanbyers and @rwmead
The Daily Beast:
Sources detail Andy Lack's mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations at Sony Music and how he and other NBC News execs mishandled #metoo stories and cases — A Sony executive who sent porn to women at work. An alleged harasser who reviewed NBC's Weinstein story.
Jon Levine / The Wrap:
CNN political commentator Jason Miller has left the network after court docs allege he secretly administered abortion pills to ex-lover; Miller denies claims — Pro-Trump CNN political commentator Jason Miller announced Saturday that he has “decided to step away” from the network …
Discussion:
@jasonmillerindc, Deadline, Mediaite and @joshtpm
Variety:
Sources: NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt to meet with NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke to work out an exit plan; departure may come as late as May 2019 — Bob Greenblatt is preparing to leave his post as NBC Entertainment chairman after leading the network's turnaround during the past eight years.
Discussion:
Deadline, TVWeek.com, MediaPost, Broadcasting & Cable, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times and The Wrap
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: as financial pressures rise, Mic Network is considering an acquisition offer from a media company, among other strategic options — Mic Network board met last week to consider offer, as financial pressures mount — Digital publisher Mic Network is considering an acquisition offer …
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Apple delayed launch of a streaming video service twice, most recently until March, and spiked a Dr. Dre series as it seeks less edgy content — The tech giant wants to make scripted shows for streaming, only without violence, politics and risqué story lines
Discussion:
Digital Trends, Gizmodo, 9to5Mac, Mashable, Engadget, The Verge and @wsj, more at Techmeme »
Joe Mandese / MediaPost:
Report: U.S. Ad Market Expands 6.1% In First Half, 2018 Poised To Break $200 Billion Mark — U.S. ad spending is expanding at a higher rate than anticipated — jumping 5.8% in the second quarter after rising 6.5% in the first quarter — and is now on pace to reach a new all-time high for full-year 2018 …
Discussion:
Ad Age and TVWeek.com
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
Q&A with Brooke Masters, FT's Comment and Analysis editor about her efforts to diversify the paper's opinion section — “She wrote a fabulous piece that did incredibly well and I think there's no way on earth that (a) she would have submitted or (b) it would have run, before we started this stuff.
Jennifer Pak / Marketplace:
China's “pay-for-knowledge” economy, primarily podcasts with subscription fees, is estimated at $7.3B in 2017, compared to US ad-driven podcast revenue of $314M — Listen To The Story — Marketplace — Chen Jun, 34, rents a small apartment in Shanghai.
Discussion:
@kaifulee
David Beard / Poynter:
How Golf Digest helped to free a wrongfully convicted man who spent 27 years in prison after he wrote the magazine about his collection of golf course drawings — The Poynter Institute's Morning Mediawire breaks down and delivers the most important stories you need to start your day.
Discussion:
@grits4breakfast, @jamilahlemieux, @brennanmgilmore, @heerjeet, @nkjemisin, The Daily Caller, Vrij Nederland and Mental Floss
Russell Brandom / The Verge:
PayPal says it has banned all Infowars-related sites for promoting hate or discriminatory intolerance against certain communities and religions — PayPal will no longer do business with Infowars, according to a post on the conspiracy theory site this morning.
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