Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
AT&T's WarnerMedia, which includes HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros., scales back its participation in SXSW, saying it decided “not to move forward with activations” — UPDATED: AT&T's WarnerMedia scaling back its participation in SXSW 2020 in Austin, Texas, joining a growing list …
Discussion:
@cnnpr, Washington Post, ABC News, Dallas Morning News, @nineinchnails, CNET, @ceonyc, @jacknicas, Engadget, /Film, Stereogum, NME and KXAN-TV
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Elaine Low / Variety:
Source: Netflix cancels five film screenings and a panel planned for SXSW, joining others who have canceled screenings, including Apple and Amazon Studios
Source: Netflix cancels five film screenings and a panel planned for SXSW, joining others who have canceled screenings, including Apple and Amazon Studios
Discussion:
NPR, /Film, The Playlist, NME, Hollywood Reporter, @drericding, @jasonosia, @joeleydon, @martyswant, @wajahatali, @kelseymsutton, @xpangler, The Week, @kerrymflynn, Wired, @thr, @kerrymflynn, Multichannel News, CNN, Deadline, Variety, IndieWire, The Wrap, Variety and San Antonio Current
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Twitter expands its rules around hateful conduct to include language that dehumanizes people on the basis of their age, disability, or disease — Last year, Twitter expanded its rules around hate speech to include dehumanizing speech against religious groups.
Discussion:
Twitter, Adweek, Engadget, @terrortola, @_cingraham, The Verge, @whatthebit, @bubola, Boing Boing and Mashable, more at Techmeme »
Jon Lafayette / Broadcasting & Cable:
Negotiations break down as YouTube TV drops the YES Network along with some, but not all, Sinclair RSNs — YES Network said it is no longer on YouTube TV, which might signal a breakdown in talks between Sinclair Broadcast Group, which acquired a group of regional sports networks …
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube TV and Sinclair sign a deal for 19 RSNs, but the streamer won't carry the YES Network, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, and Fox Sports West, which airs LA games — YouTube TV and Sinclair Broadcast Group reached a deal covering most of the Fox regional sports networks …
Discussion:
sbgi.net, @xpangler, @randball, Tubefilter, Engadget and Awful Announcing
Dominic Patten / Deadline:
Dozens of Hachette Book Group staffers stage a walkout over an imprint's plans to publish Woody Allen's memoir, in solidarity with Ronan and Dylan Farrow — Just over a month before an imprint of Hachette Book Group is set to publish Woody Allen's memoir, dozens of employees of the company have staged a walkout in New York City today.
Discussion:
Page Six, @publisherswkly, Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, @kieleraymond, @kbeccaandrews, NPR, Vox, @maddiecalls, @ceciliatan, Publishers Weekly, @levine_alison, @mcsnugz, IndieWire, @pronounced_ing, Vanity Fair, @ponderosa121, @levine_alison, @dongwon, @rereadsclosely, EW.com, @clarajeffery, Jezebel, Slate and New York Times
Financial Times:
UK's Independent is profitable for a third consecutive year with profit of £2.3M on revenue of £27M, up 9% YoY; it ended its print edition four years ago — Digital-only strategy pays off for first major UK newspaper publisher to close printing presses
Discussion:
Press Gazette, @tiagodf, @paulwrblanchard, @jeffjarvis, @jbenton, @jamesrbuk, @markdistef, @rasmus_kleis and @stevejonespa
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
New UK culture secretary says that it would “be crazy to throw [the BBC] away” but that it missed key recent political trends, likely referring to Brexit — Oliver Dowden says BBC should be cherished but must also do more to represent whole of UK
Discussion:
Press Gazette, @tom___scott, @mandoline_blue and @jimwaterson
Danny Ross / Forbes:
Interview with Jeremy Erlich, Spotify's new co-head of music strategy, about its 3,000 curated playlists, Spotify's role in playlisting and editorial, and more — Whether it's New Music Friday or Ultimate Indie, a Spotify playlist selection can quite literally change an artist's career overnight and reel in significant revenue.
Michael H. Keller / New York Times:
Five Eyes nations release guidelines for platforms to fight child porn; US senators introduce a bill to remove Section 230 for failure to police such content — Legislation announced on Thursday aimed at curbing the spread of online child sexual abuse imagery would take the extraordinary step …
Casey Michel / The Daily Beast:
Portable.TV, a news streaming app available in the App Store, masks its ties to RT, whose content it runs exclusively and with which it shares a parent company — The app bills itself as a “one-of-a-kind free streaming service & TV library of news programs.” But every single show is from Kremlin-backed TV channel.
Discussion:
@noahshachtman, @walker_ct and Raw Story
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
James Murdoch's Lupa Systems and Betaworks to fund an accelerator for start-ups to tackle disinfo; they plan to invest $100K in 10-20 projects in the first year — The former Fox CEO commits millions to battle against disinformation — James Murdoch, the younger son of Rupert Murdoch …
Discussion:
Render-from-betaworks, @lisatozzi, @k8em0, @brooklynmarie, @christinemc6, @melissameehanau, @rossdawson, @markdistef, Variety, @moorehn, @yashar, @pistachio, @tiagodf and @matthartman
Joe Otterson / Variety:
Pop TV cancels three original TV shows that were produced by outside studios as ViacomCBS prioritizes IP owned by the company — Pop TV is paring down its scripted programming commitments as dust continues to settle from the Viacom-CBS merger. Variety has learned exclusively that three original series …
Discussion:
TV Insider, @brianstelter, The Wrap and Variety