Top News:
Christine Schmidt / Nieman Lab:
Media advocacy group Free Press has proposed a tax on targeted advertising to fund noncommercial journalism and support new news distribution models — Facebook and Google aren't going to stop targeting ads to Internet users, and advertisers aren't likely to stop loving the data …
Discussion:
Free Press, @niemanlab, @joeycoleman, @niemanlab, @freepress, @utknightcenter, @rispolimike and @vincecathomas
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Source: Disney is in talks with AT&T to acquire WarnerMedia's 10% stake in Hulu to add to its existing 30% stake and the 30% Disney gains from 20th Century Fox — Disney wants to get even more control over Hulu: The company is in active discussions with AT&T to acquire the 10% stake …
Discussion:
The Verge, /Film, Fortune and Multichannel News
RELATED:
Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:
Arbitrator awards the team behind TV series Bones $179M after ruling that 21st Century Fox execs fraudulently hid profit info from stars and executive producer — In a long-running legal battle over profits from the David Boreanaz-Emily Deschanel hit, an arbitrator's stunning decision calls …
Discussion:
Deadline, The Hill, @pareene, @eriqgardner, @jbflint, @jbflint, @billsimmons, @thrmattbelloni, New York Times, Fortune, TechCrunch, Observer and Wall Street Journal
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
FTC settles with Musical.ly, now TikTok, for $5.7M, over the app's violation of US child privacy laws; TikTok's app updates with a new UX for users under 13 — A significant FTC ruling issued today will see video app TikTok fined $5.7 million for violating U.S. children's privacy laws …
Discussion:
Federal Trade Commission, TikTok Newsroom, @profcarroll, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Sensor Tower Blog, Washington Post, @jwherrman, @shiraovide, @pimpmasteryoda1, @tiktok_us, BBC, Tubefilter, @cheddar, @kerrymflynn, Ad Age, Mashable, Broadcasting & Cable, The Daily Caller, Fast Company, Boing Boing, Engadget, CNET, The Verge, Variety and Tubefilter, more at Techmeme »
Variety:
Brazil's antitrust regulators have approved Disney's purchase of 21st Century Fox assets on condition it sells the Fox Sports channel and related sports rights — Disney took a big step closer to completing its $71.3 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox with Brazil's conditional approval of the deal Wednesday.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Hollywood Reporter, Fantha Tracks, Reuters, Comic Book, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, ScreenRant and Deadline
Marguerite Clark / Radio World:
iHeartMedia, via its subsidiary RCS, has acquired Greece-based Radiojar, which offers tools to transition broadcast radio into digital stations and podcasts — iHeartMedia, through its subsidiary RCS, has purchased Athens, Greece-based online audio technology company, Radiojar Information Technology S.A. (Radiojar).
Discussion:
Engadget, Billboard and Music Ally
Siobhan O'Connor / OneZero:
Medium launches OneZero, a tech and science publication with analysis and commentary, as part of its plan for a portfolio on tech, business, health, and more — Introducing Medium's new tech and science publication — Today, Medium is launching a new forward-looking tech and science publication.
Discussion:
@pacificleo, @dlberes, @dlberes and @dlberes
Thomson Reuters:
Reuters expands its video and photo sports offerings through partnerships with the Players' Tribune, AFLO, Panoramic, Sporting Images, and MB Media — Reuters, the world's largest international multimedia news provider, announced today that it is further expanding its sports content offering …
Jon Lafayette / Broadcasting & Cable:
Sinclair Broadcast Group's Q4 earnings: net income fell to $206.2M from $443.5M last year but revenue was up 25.4% YoY to $893M — Sinclair Broadcast Group reported lower fourth quarter profits despite big gains in revenue, including political advertising.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, StreetInsider.com, PR Newswire, AllAccess.com, Baltimore Business Journal, TVWeek.com and Deadline
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Study estimates Netflix could be losing $192M/month from people who freeload by account sharing, with Amazon losing $45M/month and Hulu losing $40M/month — As many as 1 in 5 people today are mooching off of someone else's account when streaming video from Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Video, according to a new study from CordCutting.com.
Discussion:
Fast Company
Washington Post:
White House excluded reporters from the AP, Reuters, and other outlets from covering Trump's dinner with Kim Jong Un because they had shouted questions earlier — HANOI — The White House abruptly banned four U.S. journalists from covering President Trump's dinner here Wednesday …
Discussion:
@whca, Press Gazette, @johnrobertsfox, NPR, @jdawsey1, @elistokols, Vanity Fair, @nakashimae, @elistokols, @jdawsey1, @susanpage, Politico, @medialawprof, @cgseife, @scarylawyerguy, @peterwallsten, @godcallsbs, @elistokols, @seungminkim, @hadas_gold, @philiprucker, East Bay Times, Mediaite, Committee to Protect … and The Week
Matt Donnelly / Variety:
Oscar winners behind Free Solo on why documentaries are hot now: sophisticated audiences, a “psychotic” news cycle, and big budgets from streaming companies — On a bustling post-Oscar Monday, “Free Solo” co-directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin arrive …
Discussion:
Multichannel News and MediaPost