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Sources: Facebook puts off its effort to build ads into WhatsApp as it focuses on B2C communications, but will sell ads in WhatsApp's Status at some point — Social-media giant scraps earlier strategy, seeks other ways to monetize messaging service used by 1.5 billion


Deborah Dugan, hired as CEO of the Recording Academy to address issues of gender bias, suspended one week before the Grammys after allegations of misconduct — Recording Academy head Deborah Dugan has been placed on administrative leave, ten days ahead of the Grammy Awards.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Variety, BBC, New York Times, The Guardian, Deadline, The Wrap and AllAccess.com


NBC says Peacock will launch on July 15 and have a free tier with limited programming and two premium tiers, at $4.99/month with ads and $9.99/month with no ads — Comcast is introducing three different subscription tiers — NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock …
Discussion:
Variety, Adweek, Observer, TechCrunch, Ad Age, The Wrap, The Wrap, The Wrap, Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, Vox, NBCUniversal, @rafat, @frankpallotta, @pkafka, @pkafka, @loudmouthjulia, @ranimolla, @peacocktv, @pkafka, @pkafka, @xpangler, @frankpallotta, @ranimolla, @zeitchikwapo, @opinion_joe, @sourceryan, @pkafka, @xpangler, @pkafka, @xpangler, @pkedrosky, @ranimolla, @bmccandless, @frankpallotta, MediaPost, @digitalshields and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
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Peacock announces six series in its development slate, produced via Universal as well as from outside studios; Hatching Twitter will be the basis for one series
Discussion:
Variety, The Verge, CNET, @nickbilton, @cschleichsrun, @kantrowitz, @ltm, @thr, The Week, Deadline and Engadget


Following a BBC investigation, Twitter apologizes for letting ads be micro-targeted using keywords like “transphobic”, “white supremacists”, and “anti-gay” — Twitter has apologised for allowing adverts to be micro-targeted at certain users such as neo-Nazis, homophobes and other hate groups.
Discussion:
@joetidy, The Verge, @fraying, @marietjeschaake, @dhh, @tarletong, @kreissdaniel, @marechalphd, @flyosity, @joetidy, @kreissdaniel, @sundersays, @zoejardiniere, @rasmus_kleis, Input, Adweek, Engadget, CNET and Telegraph, more at Techmeme »


In an attempt to diversify into non-politics coverage, Fox News' streaming service Fox Nation will add programming for country music, hunting, fishing, and more — Expansion into country music and fishing reflects an effort to go beyond politics — Since its early days …


Sources: DOJ is organizing meetings with publishers including News Corp., Condé Nast, and NYT, seeking info about how Google operates in the digital ad market — The U.S. Justice Department is organizing meetings with large publishing companies to seek information …
Discussion:
@larakiara


Sources: DOJ is investigating a years-old leak about a Russian intelligence document, focusing on whether James Comey illegally supplied details to reporters — An inquiry into years-old disclosures of classified information is highly unusual and leaves law enforcement officials open to accusations of politicizing their work.
Discussion:
@mlcalderone, Vanity Fair, @susan_hennessey, @joycewhitevance, @jbenton, @eisingerj, @adamgoldmannyt, @bradmossesq, The Week, Law & Crime and Talking Points Memo


Telegraph Media Group pulls out of ABC circulation audit, will publish subscriber numbers each month as it aims for 10M registered users, 1M subscribers by 2023 — Telegraph Media Group, publisher of the Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, is pulling out of the ABC newspaper circulation audit …
Discussion:
American Press Institute and @thejoelycarey


Forecast: Netflix will spend ~$17.3B on content in 2020, up from ~$15.3B in 2019, mostly on originals; Disney has said it will spend ~$1B on Disney+ originals — Netflix is keeping its foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal in the streaming-video road race. — The streamer will invest …
Discussion:
The Guardian, @steph_i_will, @paul_sacca, VICE, The Wrap, Observer, Multichannel News, The Playlist, The Streamable, The Wrap and Fortune


Hulu to debut an ad format that will let viewers choose between ads from a brand, and a format allowing viewers to get additional brand info on their phones — Hulu is preparing to roll out new forms of advertising this year — one which will allow viewers to have more say in the ads that plays …
Discussion:
Fast Company, Axios, MediaPost and The Streamable


South Bend Tribune staff move to form a union, a year after the paper was sold to GateHouse; staff say they fear Gannett's reputation for layoffs — Staff at the largest newspaper in South Bend announced Wednesday they hope to become the fourth in the state to unionize.
Discussion:
@sbnewsguild and @sbnewsguild


Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch urges the UK government to speed up plans for an online regulator as a bill to grant interim powers to Ofcom is introduced — Sky's chief executive has urged the Government to speed up its plans for an online regulator as a bill to grant interim powers to Ofcom was introduced in the House of Lords.