Top News:
Megan Graham / CNBC:
Ad tech companies Rubicon Project and Telaria have merged, creating a major independent sell-side ad platform — - Public ad tech companies Telaria and Rubicon Project have agreed to merge as they try to make a stronger play in the growth of connected television and bring an alternative to walled gardens like Google and Facebook.
Discussion:
AdExchanger, Digiday, ir.tivo.com, Broadcasting & Cable, Adweek, Business Wire, @cnbctech and @davemorgannyc
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
TiVo announces a ~$3 billion merger with Xperi, a company that sells audio, imaging and computing tech, scrapping its plan to split into two companies — TiVo has scrapped plans to split itself into two separate companies, and instead announced a $3 billion merger with Xperi …
Kayleigh Barber / Digiday:
Snopes to launch a new membership model in early 2020 with access to Snopes editors via a community board; prices start at $30 per year — Fact-checking site Snopes is hoping to transition away from its dependence on advertising. So it is asking its supporters to help the brand grow in 2020.
Aminda Marqués González / Miami Herald:
Miami Herald to drop Saturday print edition starting March 21 in favor of expanded Friday and Sunday editions — To our readers: — The Miami Herald is changing to meet the needs of our readers and the communities we serve long into the future. Providing the news that's essential to your life …
Discussion:
Poynter, MediaPost and Talking Biz News
Colin Stutz / Billboard:
Billboard parent company Valence Media to acquire media consumption analytics platform Nielsen Music, which fuels its charts data — Billboard parent company Valence Media is acquiring the Nielsen Music insights and product suite that fuel its charts data, it was announced Wednesday (Dec. 18).
Discussion:
@aureliaot7, @britenation and RAIN News
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: several companies have expressed interest in buying Univision Communications, including Hemisphere Media Group and private equity firm Platinum Equity — Hemisphere Media Group and Platinum Equity have made overtures — Several firms have expressed interest in acquiring Univision …
Discussion:
@felixsalmon, @benmullin, @raju, Multichannel News and Forbes
Raissa Robles / South China Morning Post:
Philippine court finds an ex-mayor and four family members guilty of murder of 57 in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, which included a large group of journalists — Ampatuan political dynasty sought to quash an election challenge by rounding up rivals and journalists, killing them and dumping bodies …
Discussion:
RAPPLER, Inquirer News, philstar.com, BBC, ABS-CBN News, Committee to Protect …, Agence France-Presse, New York Times, cnn, ABS-CBN News, Inquirer News and cnn
Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
Imax surpasses $1B in ticket sales for the second year in a row with release of the new Star Wars film — Imax is powering to a record year at the box office, crossing $1.035 billion in global ticket sales through Tuesday. — With two weeks left in the year, those figures already cement …
Discussion:
The Wrap
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Spotify is prototyping Tastebuds, a social feature that allows users to interact with and discover music by searching the people they follow — Spotify is prototyping a new way to see what friends have been listening to, called “Tastebuds.” Despite how discovering music is inherently social …
Discussion:
9to5Mac, @renkiger, Engadget, Digital Trends, Android Police and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Bloomberg:
Sources: Fox declined to run ads for Bombshell on its network, though Lions Gate did not attempt to advertise directly on Fox News — - Lions Gate sought to promote the film on Fox network — Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp. declined to run advertisements for “Bombshell,” …
Trey Williams / The Wrap:
TikTok rival Triller announces investments from notable music industry figures totaling $10M+, source says; Triller says it has 26.5M MAUs in the US — Triller, a music-focused social video platform rivaling TikTok, has secured strategic investments from major music industry figures amounting to more than $10 million.
Paul Bond / Hollywood Reporter:
Sinclair increases minimum wage for its employees to $15 per hour, affecting ~15% of its workforce, amid introduction of other employee-retaining benefits — The move is expected to give raises to about 15 percent of the 9,500 workers at Sinclair, one of the nation's largest TV broadcast companies.
Discussion:
Baltimore Business Journal, Broadcasting & Cable, PR Newswire and Cord Cutters News
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