Top News:
Stuart Dredge / Music Ally:
Spotify files an anti-trust complaint against Apple with the European Commission, claiming App Store rules limit choice and stifle competition — Spotify is filing a complaint against Apple with the European Commission, accusing the latter company of anticompetitive behaviour in the way it manages …
Discussion:
Spotify, Recode, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Verge, RAIN News, @pkafka, @spotifynews, @jamesliamcook, @neilcybart, @viticci, @m4tt and @guardiannews, more at Techmeme »
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Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple's video service will feature mostly content from partners at launch, with the first slew of its own shows coming later in the year — - IPhone maker is said to push for HBO, Showtime and Starz deals — Magazine bundle, Apple Pay upgrades are also coming this month
Discussion:
USA Today, Fast Company, Business Insider, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, TechCrunch, @markgurman, VentureBeat, Engadget and Fortune, more at Techmeme »
Caroline O'Donovan / BuzzFeed News:
Gimlet Media, the podcasting startup with 83 staff that Spotify acquired for a reported $230M in February, is unionizing with the Writers Guild of America — The 83-person staff of Gimlet Media, a podcasting startup acquired by music streaming service Spotify for $230 million in February …
Discussion:
Fast Company, @gimletunion, Variety, RAIN News, TechCrunch, The Verge, @mattdpearce and Boing Boing
Gaurav Shukla / NDTV Gadgets 360:
YouTube Music, YouTube Music Premium, and YouTube Premium launch in India, joining Google Play Music and Google Play Movies as well as Spotify — YouTube Music (ad-supported), YouTube Music Premium (ad-free), YouTube Premium (ad-free) have been launched in India.
Discussion:
Official Google India Blog, Music Business Worldwide, TechCrunch and Music Ally
Christine Schmidt / Nieman Lab:
Capitol News Illinois, an Illinois Press Foundation service, provides state newspapers with statehouse coverage, joining similar initiatives in OR, FL, and PA — Serving the thousand or so people of Roseville, Illinois, the Roseville Independent is an “occasional” newspaper with 143 subscribers …
Discussion:
@niemanlab and IllinoisPress
Kristen Hare / Poynter:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is finding new audiences online by turning its popular print feature Random Acts of Kindness into a weekly newsletter — A bin of letters sits on Kevin Flowers desk at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The envelopes aren't stuffed with red-pen grammar lessons from retired English teachers.
Discussion:
@meagenfekos and @kristenhare
Todd Spangler / Variety:
AT&T is upping DirecTV prices, with a base package hike of $10/month, for the second time since it argued its Time Warner merger would allow it to lower prices — - AT&T Confirms DirecTV Now Price Hikes, Launches New ‘Slimmer’ Bundles With HBO That Omit Many Cable Channels
Discussion:
Business Insider, MediaPost, Variety, @variety, MacRumors and Fortune, more at Techmeme »
Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:
Disclosures of Trump staffers give a glimpse of opaque Fox News contributor salaries: for eight people, salaries averaged ~$141,000; John Bolton earned $569,423 — At least 10 members of the Trump administration have served as on-air contributors for the network.
Discussion:
Mediaite, @spencerdailey and @davidjoachim
Lucinda Southern / Digiday:
Hearst UK to double its video team in the coming months to create more original content for YouTube, says its on-site pre-roll revenue grew 1000% in 2018 — Hearst UK is investing more in its video team, nearly doubling the headcount from five to nine over the next few months after seeing viewer and revenue gains in 2018.
Etan Vlessing / Hollywood Reporter:
PBS launches video-on-demand platform PBS Living on Amazon's Prime Video Channels for $2.99/month with shows like Antiques Roadshow and No Passport Required — The $2.99-a-month offering, launching Thursday, will feature classic PBS series like ‘The French Chef,’ ‘This Old House’ and 'Antiques Roadshow …
Jason Rezaian / Washington Post:
Judge denies asylum to Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto, citing lack of proof that he denounced corruption despite that being the reason for his escape — In 2008, when Mexican journalist Emilio Gutiérrez Soto made the difficult decision to flee his homeland and seek refuge …
Discussion:
Michigan Daily
Jeanine Poggi / Ad Age:
NBC Universal, CBS, Disney Media Networks, Discovery, AMC, and others launch Project OAR, a consortium to establish an open standard in addressable advertising — NBCU, Turner, CBS, Disney, among media companies forming yet another industry consortium — Yet another consortium …
Discussion:
@digitalshields, Adweek, Engadget, What's New in Publishing and Broadcasting & Cable
Financial Times:
Sources: News Corp and Axel Springer are expected to bid for the financial news company Acuris, which owns Mergermarket and could be valued at more than £1B — Traditional media companies, including Rupert Murdoch's news business, and the world's largest rating agencies are set to enter …
Discussion:
@bondhack, @sirthomaswynne and Talking Biz News