Top News:
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, Splinter, Newser, Deadline, @thegarance, @kath_krueger, @joshtpm and @kyliesparks
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, @sherman4949, Sky News, @amolrajan, @msnabilaahmed, @sherman4949, @martinsfp, @sdkstl, @sherman4949, @marksweney, @jimwaterson, @skynewsbreak, @edmundlee, Adweek, New York Times, TechCrunch and The Wrap
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.
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:
@rwmead, @dylanbyers, Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap
Joseph Bernstein / BuzzFeed News:
Profile of Marc Randazza, a lawyer who advocates for the online free speech of clients that include neo-Nazis and white supremacists — The new speech wars are a push and pull between individuals, governments, and platforms. At the center of this is attorney Marc Randazza, fighting for Nazis, satanists, and unapologetic trolls.
Discussion:
@bernstein, @katienotopoulos, The Verge, @rmac18, @atossaaraxia and @bernstein, more at Techmeme »
Nyay Bhushan / Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A: Amazon Prime Video India head Vijay Subramaniam on Indian content for worldwide audiences, sparking conversation, and passing on film production for now — Led by Vijay Subramaniam, the service has been aggressively ramping up its slate with a mix of fiction and unscripted shows …
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
Pluto TV's partner content providers say it has become a “consistent and reliable” source of ad dollars; sources say Pluto TV's total revenue is up 100%+ YoY — Unlike its namesake planet, video streaming startup Pluto TV hasn't been relegated to the shadows …
Discussion:
@digiday, @danielpmcdermot, @digiday and @spencershanson
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
Mary Louise Kelly / NPR:
After a visit to North Korea, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly recounts all the ways that her North Korean minder acted as a one-man journalism prevention service — If, on a recent Wednesday morning, you had happened to find yourself in the cavernous lobby of Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel …
Discussion:
@jchengwsj, @eosnos, @nprkelly and @becsully
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
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