Top News:
Tony Maglio / The Wrap:
The 2020 Oscars drew 23.6M viewers, an all-time low and down 20% YoY; the 2018 Oscars held the previous all-time low of 26.5M viewers — Audience for 92nd Academy Awards declines 20% — The 2020 Oscars drew 23.6 million viewers on ABC, down a whopping 6 million viewers — or -20% from last year.
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Piya Sinha-Roy / Hollywood Reporter:
A series of wins and performances helped redefine the 2020 Oscars after a nominees list that was the least diverse since the 2015 #OscarsSoWhite backlash
A series of wins and performances helped redefine the 2020 Oscars after a nominees list that was the least diverse since the 2015 #OscarsSoWhite backlash
Discussion:
The Stranger, The Week, Quartz, BuzzFeed News and BBC
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
Netflix won only two Oscars despite 24 nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Laura Dern and Best Documentary Feature for American Factory from Obamas' studio
Netflix won only two Oscars despite 24 nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Laura Dern and Best Documentary Feature for American Factory from Obamas' studio
Discussion:
@barackobama, The Wrap, CNBC, @scottfeinberg, Business Insider, @lawrence, Ad Age, Broadcasting & Cable, @stevepasquale, @web, @jonerlichman, The Wrap, @sarahwhit10, /Film, The Root, Breitbart, The Streamable, Variety, Observer and Wall Street Journal
Liam Knox / NBC News:
Black News Channel, a 24/7 cable channel featuring black anchors and co-founded by former Republican congressman J.C. Watts, launches in select US markets — The Black News Channel, founded by a former Republican congressman, will try to win the growing Black cable news audience.
Discussion:
Fox Business, NPR, @placebo90511492, BBC, CNN, @nbcblk, The Root, @mayaaking, The Hill, @spj_tweets, @eviefordham, @mvgal92691, @ronkelawal, @liamhknox and Mashable
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
WaPo's digital subscriber growth doesn't seem to be making expected gains on NYT despite a mass-oriented strategy, and WaPo hasn't posted the numbers since 2018 — But will the Journal and The Washington Post be able to catch up to the market leader going forward? Or is the Times preparing to lap the field?
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Emily Bell / The Guardian:
NYT's success in hitting a target of $800M annual digital revenue, while young startups struggle, lays bare media's disastrous winner takes all state of affairs — A handful of legacy institutions thrive as digital startups face increasing pressures — The financial health of journalism …
Discussion:
@gregory, @mimapamundi, @scmitchp, @petergreste, @nicnewman, @garyfoskett, @ndhapple, @baekdal, @wblau, @chriselliott57 and THEFUTURE
Adam Sherwin / inews:
Sources: the BBC is almost certain to appoint its first female Director-General, with Elisabeth Murdoch and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall as two top contenders — Prospect of Rupert Murdoch's daughter running the BBC will unnerve staff - but she has the right credentials for Downing Street
The Information:
Sources: YouTube is considering a competitor to Amazon and Apple TV channels for accessing premium video subscriptions from other companies — YouTube is sending signals that it wants to become a destination site for every part of the TV universe. — The Google-owned video giant …
Discussion:
@alexeheath and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
David Streitfeld / New York Times:
After Amazon removes Nazi and neo-Nazi books, some third-party booksellers say it seems to operate under vague or nonexistent rules regarding prohibited books — The retailer once said it would sell “the good, the bad and the ugly.” Now it has banished objectionable volumes …
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
CBS Sports strikes a deal with British bookmaker William Hill, making it the official provider of sportsbook and wagering data across all CBS Sports properties — CBS Sports is making a bid to one-up its competitors in the rapidly developing arena for U.S. sports betting.
Discussion:
Axios, MediaPost, @alexweprin and Broadcasting & Cable
Marc Tracy / New York Times:
Profile of New Hampshire Public Radio's Lauren Chooljian, whose Stranglehold podcast has made her a divisive figure due to its unflattering look at NH's primary — The podcaster Lauren Chooljian has irked some people in the state with “Stranglehold,” a close look at an all-important contest.
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @tonyjarnold, @nytimesbusiness, @jaxalemany, @meg_heckman, @connorobriennh, @marcatracy, @emma_hurt and @nytimesbusiness
Mike Canan / Trusting News:
WCPO exec on why the Scripps-owned Cincinnati TV station now only uses mugshots selectively and why it's important to tell viewers about big policy changes — Last summer as part of our station's efforts to examine our policies — especially when it comes to how we cover minority communities …
Discussion:
@grant_blank_, @jimmacmillan, @spj_tweets and @niemanlab
Elaine Low / Variety:
Sony Pictures Television Chairman Mike Hopkins will exit this month to oversee Amazon's video entertainment operations, including Amazon Studios and Prime Video — Sony Pictures Television Chairman Mike Hopkins is departing his post at the industry's largest independent TV studio later …
Discussion:
Deadline, Wall Street Journal, Engadget, Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, The Wrap, IndieWire and The Streamable
daytondailynews:
Cox Enterprises buys back Dayton Daily News and two other Ohio daily papers from Apollo Global Management, ensuring they can continue 7-day publication — Cox Enterprises Inc. has repurchased the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News from Apollo Global Management, the companies announced Monday.
Discussion:
@sgdoesit, @sensherrodbrown, @hollyzachariah, @joshsweigart, @scalzi, @daytonb2b, @madbair, @lynnhulseyddn and @larryobhof