Top News:
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Meredith has sold the Sports Illustrated IP rights to Authentic Brands for $110M, will pay a licensing fee to run editorial operations for at least two years — Sports Illustrated over the decades has chronicled stellar match-ups, blow-outs, squeakers, sudden deaths and photo finishes.
Discussion:
Digiday, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, American Press Institute, Poynter, @bristei, Axios, Washington Post, @christophclarey, @joshuakusnick, @howardeskin, @strobist, Deadspin, MediaPost, Adweek, TVWeek.com, The Week, @amondalek, @hannahrkeyser, @djbentley, @alexweprin, @davidfolkenflik, Associated Press, @wsj, Media Star, The Wrap, Awful Announcing and Editor & Publisher
Evan Sernoffsky / San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco police obtained search warrants targeting journalist Bryan Carmody's phone records before their raid on his home and office — San Francisco police executed seven search warrants as they tried to find out who leaked a police report to a freelance journalist …
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Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
Google's Digital News Initiative is expanding its funding to North America, opening application for an “innovation challenge” offering projects up to $300K — Projects, which should be related to local news or revenue generation, can receive up to $300,000 in funding.
Discussion:
The Keyword, @googlenewsinit and @peggyktc, more at Techmeme »
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
CNN told staff it's preparing to potentially cut dozens of employees at its London-based news operation; CNN International will produce less material in London — Surprise announcement likely to result in at least a dozen employees losing their jobs — CNN is preparing to make substantial cuts …
Discussion:
Variety, @finplankaluaja, @moorehn, Digital TV Europe, Deadline, Mediaite and TVWeek.com
Matthew Wall / BBC:
Since GDPR, Ireland's Data Protection Commission says it has launched 19 cross-border investigations, 11 of which focus on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram — Social media giant Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp have been the subject of most data investigations in the Republic …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, Ius Laboris The Word, @niemanlab, MediaPost, @jason_kint, Fortune, Data Protection Commission, Telecompaper and Axios
Li Jin / Andreessen Horowitz:
The state of the podcasting industry in 2019, including key trends and monetization strategies of audio apps in China — In the world of podcasting, the flywheel is spinning: new technologies including AirPods, connected cars, and smart speakers have made it much easier for consumers to listen …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @niemanlab, @noahpinion, @definefinancial and @trengriffin
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
UK's The Times and Sunday Times say the number of subscription cancellations fell by 49% among users receiving AI-created tailored email newsletters — Digital subscriber cancellations at the Times and Sunday Times fell by half during a trial of new artificial intelligence software …
Variety:
Netflix says it would reconsider its investment in Georgia, where film production costs are low, if the state's anti-abortion law goes into effect — Many of Hollywood's most powerful content companies have maintained a deafening silence on the raging abortion legislation debate that's sweeping …
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Memo: TruTV lays off programming and marketing staff as it is consolidated with WarnerMedia's TBS and TNT; source: less than 50 are affected — TruTV has laid off most of its programming and marketing staffers as oversight of the WarnerMedia cabler is consolidated into the broader Turner entertainment group.
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, Cord Cutters News, Multichannel News, Deadline and The Wrap
Jessica Davies / Digiday:
Four German publishing groups, Axel Springer, Funke Mediengruppe, RTL, and Gruner+Jahr, will sell their combined ad inventory in an effort to combat Big Tech — Four big German publishing groups are collaborating in order to fight the market power of tech platforms.
Discussion:
World News Publishing Focus … and @raju
David Uberti / VICE News:
Researchers say Facebook has weakened or disabled tools they use to track political ads and content on the platform, just as 2020 campaigns ramp up ad spending — The Iowa caucuses are still eight months away, but the Facebook primary has already begun. — President Donald Trump has poured …
Discussion:
@vicenews, @jason_kint, @ghoshd7, @digiphile, @eff, @daviduberti, @fabiochiusi, @daviduberti and @daviduberti, more at Techmeme »
Amy X. Wang / Rolling Stone:
A look at the effects of cheap music marketplaces and sampling on copyright after the rise of Lil Nas X, who bought Old Town Road's beat for $30 on BeatStars — Inside the new world of cheap music marketplaces that has the music industry scrambling — No one saw Lil Nas X coming.
Discussion:
@amyxwang and @rollingstone
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