Top News:
Financial Times:
As ViacomCBS expands CBS All Access with programming from Viacom and Paramount, it is considering rebranding the streaming service to Paramount+ — ‘Paramount+’ tops shortlist as battle with Disney moves centre stage in attempt to lift shares — ViacomCBS is considering a plan to rebrand …
Discussion:
@mattgarrahan, @film_girl, @tvmojoe, @sherman4949, @mgsiegler, @annaknicolaou and The Streamable
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Bloomberg:
ViacomCBS shares rose as much as 5.8% on Friday following a researcher's report that an activist investor may be gathering a significant stake — - Credit Suisse trades hint that shareholder is amassing stake — But any activist would have to win over Shari Redstone
Discussion:
@scottporch
Victoria Song / Gizmodo:
The death of Bon Appétit shows why media companies, which have no idea what makes videos work, failed with their half-baked plans to pivot to video — There are a zillion reasons why I have been mourning the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. The one that hurts most is that the slow …
Jacob Bernstein / New York Times:
W magazine will now be called W Media after being sold to Bustle Media Group and investors including film and TV producer Jason Blum — The movie and television producer Jason Blum, the racecar driver Lewis Hamilton and the model Kaia Gerber will also be investors.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Adweek, @eiffeltyler and @kerrymflynn
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
US Court of Appeals rules Charter can charge Netflix, other streaming services for network interconnection, despite merger conditions prohibiting the practice — Court kills ban on interconnection fees because FCC didn't defend merger condition. — Charter can charge Netflix …
Discussion:
Multichannel News, MediaPost, @karlbode and Fast Company
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Facing saturation and stiff competition in the US, media giants including Fox News and ViacomCBS are planning to launch new streaming services internationally — Facing saturation and stiff competition in the U.S., media giants are planning to launch new streaming services internationally to accrue more subscribers.
Discussion:
MediaPost
CNN:
Interview with Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai, who says his arrest was a “symbolic exercise” by China to show that Hong Kong's new national security law has teeth — Hong Kong (CNN Business)Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has called his arrest a “symbolic exercise” …
Discussion:
@jennicnn and @jgriffiths
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Warner Music acquires IMGN, which creates and tracks viral social media content in categories like e-sports, gaming, and ASMR, source says for just under $100M — It's a whole new playing field these days for music labels and publishers, and today one of the big three made an acquisition …
Discussion:
@briansolis, @montelogik, @noahmallin and @itsthatmanhowie
Kristen Hare / Poynter:
Santa Cruz Local, a startup that focuses on county-level public policy reporting, has grown amid the pandemic to 500 paying members and 3,800 newsletter subs — Santa Cruz Local nearly doubled paying members since the coronavirus pandemic … “Hey everyone.
Discussion:
American Press Institute, @anikaanand00, @phillipadsmith, @sbaxter_sc, @needhibhalla, @kristenhare, @karambutan, @ckrewson, @jmpasko96 and @kdeanct
Press Gazette:
More than 2,000 jobs at UK-based news organizations have been cut during the COVID-19 crisis so far, with a large proportion of editorial staff affected — More than 2,000 jobs at UK-based news organisations have been put at risk during the Covid-19 crisis so far, with more expected to follow.
BuzzFeed News:
Facebook's employees and third-party fact-checkers say Facebook has sometimes overruled decisions on divisive content with little transparency — On May 8, Prager University, a nonprofit conservative media outlet, published a video on Facebook that incorrectly claimed “there is no evidence …
Discussion:
@rmac18, @taraemcg, @prageru, @craigsilverman and @slpng_giants, more at Techmeme »
Elaine Low / Variety:
Len Amato, president of HBO Films, Miniseries, and Cinemax, is leaving, as Cinemax works on phasing out original programming and HBO focuses on acquired content — After 13 years at the premium cabler, president of HBO Films, Miniseries and Cinemax Len Amato is departing.
Discussion:
The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter
Spencer Hsu / Washington Post:
USAGM removed seven top execs on Wednesday after suspending their security clearances, citing security concerns over hiring of foreign workers — Members of Congress on Thursday condemned a leadership purge at the parent agency of Voice of America, escalating criticism that a new chief executive appointed …
Discussion:
@karenkornbluh and @vivian
RELATED:
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
USAGM has hired Frank Wuco, a former talk radio host who has called Obama a Kenyan and Nancy Pelosi a Botox-using Nazi, among other incendiary statements
Discussion:
CNN, @alanmillernlp, @muslimadvocates, @awarriorscholar, Gizmodo, @mmasnick, @schwartzbcnbc, @gavinsblog, @ambdana, @dlippman, @dlippman, @media_evan and The Guardian
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