Top News:
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Sources: CNN head Jeff Zucker expected to expand his portfolio to lead AT&T's Turner Sports as part of AT&T's restructuring of WarnerMedia — Jeff Zucker, the leader of cable-news outlet CNN, is about to add sports to his portfolio, giving him expanded oversight of more of the most valuable content …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, @awallenstein, @brianstelter, Mediaite, CNN, Ad Age, The Wrap and Awful Announcing
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Peter Kafka / Recode:
Plepler and Levy's exits indicate that AT&T plans to combine HBO and Turner into one entity, contrary to previous comments, which will be run by Bob Greenblatt
Plepler and Levy's exits indicate that AT&T plans to combine HBO and Turner into one entity, contrary to previous comments, which will be run by Bob Greenblatt
Discussion:
@profgalloway, @joehagansays, @jadande, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, The Guardian, @lucas_shaw, Quartz and Business Insider
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Alpha, a niche streaming service focusing on TV, pop-culture, sci-fi, comics, video games, and more is shutting down on Mar. 31 — Another overly niche streaming service is closing up shop. On Friday, Alpha - a geek-friendly streaming service that focused on TV, pop-culture, sci-fi …
Discussion:
Variety
Gavin J. Blair / Hollywood Reporter:
In Japan, Disney and mobile carrier Docomo are launching a streaming service in March with the latest content from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney Studios — Content from all four Disney studios will be available next month in preparation for 5G. Japan's other two main carriers are already partnered with Netflix.
Anne Thompson / IndieWire:
With reports that Spielberg will urge the Academy to block streaming services like Netflix from Oscars, some fear indie movies can end up as collateral damage — Post “Roma,” the Academy will discuss rules that would level the playing field — but adjusting for Netflix could affect indie titles as well.
Discussion:
Vulture, Deadline, Variety, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Vanity Fair, The A.V. Club, The Playlist, Observer and /Film
Amanda Kooser / CNET:
Reddit is testing tipping users starting with a single user, shittymorph; the user, Reddit, and card processor Stripe receive 78.5%, 18.5%, and 3%, respectively — Enlarge Image — Reddit has several ways you can express your appreciation of a good post or comment.
The Guardian:
Uganda says the number of internet subscribers in the country declined by 2.5M in the three months following the introduction of social media tax last July — Economic fears raised as online subscriptions plummet in months following launch of levy created to curb ‘gossip’
Discussion:
New York Times, @meadovian, @fp2p, @glynmoody, Daily Mail and Techdirt, more at Techmeme »
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
To increase its media rights value, Spain's soccer league La Liga is creating a media business that includes long-form productions for streamers and TV networks — The European soccer league that's home to Real Madrid and Barcelona is making a bigger media play in the U.S. …
Andrew McCormick / The Atlantic:
How Radio Free Asia's Uighur journalists based in Washington are painstakingly reporting on China's internment of hundreds of thousands of the country's Muslims — Radio Free Asia's Uighur journalists report on China's internment of hundreds of thousands of members of the country's Muslim minority …
Lara Takenaga / New York Times:
Fifty years after the publication of A Day in the Life of the New York Times, a chronicle of 24 hours at the paper in 2019 starting at 3 AM ET in Hong Kong — The book “A Day in the Life of The New York Times” chronicled 24 hours at the Gray Lady 50 years ago.
Discussion:
@readercenter
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Hulu's live online TV service has about 2M subscribers while YouTube TV has crossed 1M — - Analyst says their services shine versus Sling, DirecTV Now — Slicker, modern-looking interfaces give upstarts a leg up — Hulu and YouTube together have signed about 3 million subscribers …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Wrap, Fortune, Engadget, The Verge, 9to5Mac and 9to5Google
Caysey Welton / Folio:
Dennis Publishing, the UK-based owner of The Week, has acquired 99-year-old Kiplinger Washington Editors Inc.; Kiplinger's COO will become its CEO — Dennis Publishing, the U.K.-based owner of The Week, has acquired 99-year-old Kiplinger Washington Editors Inc. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Discussion:
Adweek and New York Post
Molly Langmuir / ELLE:
Profile of New Yorker's Jane Mayer, one of the most prominent investigative reporters in the US, who most recently broke the Kavanaugh accusations story — It's a few weeks after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court, and — , one of the most prominent investigative reporters in the country …
Discussion:
@thomas_drake1, @grybowski, @amyxwang, @stevekolowich, @ellemagazine and Poynter