Mediagazer: Ex-Atlas Obscura CEO David Plotz is launching City Cast, a national network of daily local podcasts, this winter; Graham Holdings owns the for-profit outlet (David Plotz)

3:55 PM ET, October 20, 2020

Top News:

Alana Wise / NPR:

Debate commission announces new rule where only the candidate with the floor will have an open mic during new two minute sessions of uninterrupted speaking time — The Commission on Presidential Debates announced changes to the debate rules ahead of Thursday's final presidential debate.

Discussion: New York Times, @nbcnews, @sdp, New York Times, Vanity Fair, @asteadwesley, Fortune, @nprpolitics, Mediaite, The Wrap, CNN, Fox News, CNN, Forbes and The Guardian

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

The news media is biased in Trump's favor because the only way to cover his lies and misconduct is to create a different, lower standard than other presidents — Going into his NBC town hall, President Trump decided, for some reason, that his thematic message would be his unfair treatment …

Discussion: Washington Post, @jonathanchait, @bernybelvedere, @jayrosen_nyu, @johnjharwood, @nprinskeep, @john_sipher, @jessewegman, The Guardian, Mediaite, TVLine, New York Post, Reuters, WAVY-TV and Fox News

Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Trump campaign wants Thursday's debate to focus on foreign policy, protests possible rule changes like muting candidate's mics by an “unnamed person”

Todd Spangler / Variety:

ViacomCBS promotes Pluto TV CEO Tom Ryan to president and CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming, overseeing the future Paramount+ and Pluto TV — ViacomCBS has restructured its streaming operations with a global lens: Tom Ryan, currently CEO of Pluto TV, will assume the role of president and CEO …

Discussion: Adweek, Hollywood Reporter, MediaPost, Light Reading, The Desk, WORLD SCREEN, MarketWatch, Deadline, The Streamable, Business Wire and Cord Cutters News

Steven Perlberg / Digiday:

The Atlantic has new NY offices and had record subscriptions but is stuck in a long CEO selection process and has been posting losses since its staff expansion — During a rambling press conference last month, U.S. president Donald Trump blasted the Atlantic as “a second-rate magazine,” …

Discussion: @ckrewson, @perlberg, @scottnover, @bgrueskin and @raju

Mike Madarasz / Digiday:

Jim Cooper named editor-in-chief of Digiday, which he joined in June as managing editor — Quality over quantity is a core value at Digiday Media. We're relentlessly focused on making sure that comes through in everything that we do and oftentimes, that starts with our editorial coverage and design.

Discussion: Talking Biz News, @nickfriese, @joshsternberg, @jcoopernyc and @jasonlynch

David Plotz:

Ex-Atlas Obscura CEO David Plotz is launching City Cast, a national network of daily local podcasts, this winter; Graham Holdings owns the for-profit outlet — Our worlds have shrunk in the pandemic. I used to spend hours every week Amtraking up and down the East Coast.

Discussion: Hot Pod News, @harrysiegel, @mathewpassy, @davidplotz, @davidplotz, @npraudie, @dankois and @jessgrose

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

Survey: Republicans who most trust Fox News as a TV news source are far more likely to approve of Trump compared to those who don't — From the outset of his presidency — or, really, his 2016 campaign — President Trump's approach to politics has been to get those who agree with him to agree with him more and more and more.

Discussion: @pbump, @radiofreetom, @flossobama, @karoli, @jeffjarvis, @getwired, @jeffjarvis and @octonion

Todd Spangler / Variety:

WarnerMedia debuts WarnerMedia Ride, a free video service for smartphones and tablets connected to in-car WiFi via AT&T's unlimited data connected-car plans — Are we there yet? — WarnerMedia is bringing its premium video programming to bored kids and other road-weary passengers …

Discussion: Light Reading, The Streamable, CNET and Cord Cutters News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Pandora has completed its acquisition of Stitcher and has now launched Stitcher's podcasts across all tiers of its service — SiriusXM today completed its previously announced $325 million acquisition of podcast platform Stitcher from E.W. Scripps, and has now launched Stitcher's podcasts …

Discussion: The Desk and RAIN News

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Subscription podcast company Quake launches today for $4.99/month, with $2.5M in seed funding and shows hosted by Laura Ingraham, Soledad O'Brien, and others — Quake, a subscription podcast company founded by media veterans, launched on Tuesday with $2.5 million in seed funding, executives tell Axios.

Discussion: @sarafischer and @sarthakgh

Josef Adalian / Vulture:

Peanuts holidays specials won't air on a free network for the first time ever as Apple buys rights to them, but they'll be free on Apple TV+ for a limited time — Want to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown this Halloween? Or A Charlie Brown Christmas? There's an app for that— specifically Apple TV+.

Discussion: @bmoatx, @ihnatko, @businessinsider, @ladyfyrez, @appletv, Adweek, @skee_dubs, @ddupreejr, @samuelaadams, @ihnatko, @chaddukes, @snoopy, The A.V. Club, Polygon, WAVY-TV, Variety and TVLine

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Stir, which helps creators split revenue from online collaborations on platforms like YouTube and Patreon, raises $4M in seed funding and launches a public beta — Stir, a service that lets creators on new online platforms manage their businesses, has raised $4 million in seed funding, executives tell Axios.

Discussion: @jarroddicker, @apompliano, @stevenkwlim, Joseph Perri Albanese, Tubefilter, @hunterwalk, @ryanvailbrown, @blakeir and @homebrew

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More News:

Tim Ingham / Music Business Worldwide:
Vivendi, parent of Universal Music Group, says it aims to take UMG public in 2022; a Tencent-led group has acquired 10% stake in UMG and an option for 10% more

Discussion: Variety, The Wrap and Reuters

Dave McNary / Variety:
AMC Theatres says it may have to file for Chapter 11 in SEC filing about an agreement to sell up to $15M in shares

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Instagram rolls out premium badges on Instagram Live, giving fans a way to support creators and stand out in the comments

Discussion: Adweek, @chrismessina and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Sara Fischer / Axios:
VENN, the free TV network focusing on video games and esports, raises $26M Series A and partners with investor Nexstar to distribute its content on linear TV

Discussion: Variety, The Wrap, TechCrunch and Sportico.com

Julia Alexander / The Verge:
Moonbug, which has 235M subs for its YouTube channels for kids, says Cocomelon became one of Netflix's three most-watched shows in the US after its June debut

Discussion: @loudmouthjulia, @richlightshed and @emohorgan

Ben Thompson / Stratechery:
Twitter blocking NY Post's story, driven by unfair blaming of tech for the media's 2016 mistakes, undermined its role as a facilitator of information sharing

Discussion: @leonidobusch and @carnage4life

Earlier Picks:

Patrick Brzeski / Hollywood Reporter:
China overtakes North America as biggest Box Office globally in 2020, reaching $1.988B on Sunday, surpassing North America's total of $1.937B

Discussion: Forbes, Variety, The Wrap, Business Insider and TechCrunch

Laura Wagner / VICE:
The New Yorker suspends reporter Jeffrey Toobin, sources say after he masturbated during a Zoom call; Toobin says he did not realize his video was on

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, Fox News, @jason_koebler, @jason_koebler, Mediaite, @karaswisher, Fast Company, The Wrap, Discourse Blog, Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The Rush Limbaugh Show, @ashleyfeinberg, New York Times, Best Evidence, CNN, The Desk, Columbia Journalism Review, Newser, Deez Links, Washingtonian, @mollyemccluskey, Poynter, The A.V. Club, @s_m_i, Ad Age, @sykescharlie, @nehashastry, @poniewozik, @espiers, @jackmirkinson, @grace_panetta, @fmanjoo, @gmpaiella, @caseyjohnston, @msteib, @pinboard, @pinboard, @barry, @motherboard, @karenhunter, @drewmagary, @motherboard, @weareyourfek, @jonostrower, @markharrisnyc, @mathewi, @thestalwart, @fmanjoo, @hshaban, @gaberivera, @davidlarter, @gregpinelo, @jackmirkinson, @leshorn, @liz_franczak, @ashleyfeinberg, @josephfcox, @ashleyfeinberg, The Guardian, New York Post, The Cut, Gizmodo, PAPER, Variety, New York Times, TVLine, Los Angeles Times, TVNewser, The Hill, HuffPost, TMZ.com, Deadline, The Week and Hollywood Reporter

@sacbeeguild:
In a letter, Sacramento Bee News Guild asks McClatchy's new CEO to reconsider a proposal to tie journalists' annual performance reviews and raises to page views

Rick Porter / Hollywood Reporter:
Channing Dungey, most recently VP of original series at Netflix, will succeed Peter Roth as chairperson of Warner Bros. Television Group

Discussion: New York Times, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, @lucas_shaw, @snoodit, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Adweek, C21Media, Bloomberg, Deadline and Variety

Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Sources: NY Post's article about Hunter Biden was written mostly by Bruce Golding, who did not allow his byline to be used amid doubts in the tabloid's newsroom

Discussion: Politico, Axios, The Guardian, MediaPost, Forbes, The Wrap, Washington Post, Redneck, @yashar, @politifact, Tangle, Political Currents, @thekjohnston, The Daily Beast, Seriously Risky Business, Mediaite, Media Matters for America, @benyt, Columbia Journalism Review, bookforum.com, @ilvestoomas, @clairecmc, @kylegriffin1, @jonfavs, Slate, @mattgertz, @amy_siskind, @colbyhall, @oliverdarcy, @harrysiegel, @nprinskeep, @kyledcheney, @alexmleo, @brhodes, @jonfavs, @frankrichny, Vanity Fair, Newser, @bgrueskin, @petersterne, @bgrueskin, @petersterne, @nycsouthpaw, @juliancastro, @oneunderscore__, @steveschmidtses, @peterwsinger, @yashar, @timobrien, @petersterne, @caseynewton, @donmoyn, @eshap, @fordm, @greenfield64, @kylegriffin1, @fawfulfan, @hemantmehta, @timodc, @samesmail, @dnvolz, @glennkesslerwp, @stephgracela, @ericpaine, @maxboot, @katie_robertson and @cmclymer, more at Techmeme »

New York Times:
A look at a pay-for-play network of ~1,300 sites and some papers that fills a local news void in the US with propaganda ordered by GOP and corporate PR groups

Discussion: New York Times, @daveyalba, @seanilling, @anneapplebaum, RTDNA Recent Articles, MediaPost, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @thisiscamaron, @jacknicas, @jacknicas, @vivian, @nickconfessore, @rottenindenmark, @louisathelast, @nandoodles, @mathewi, @janetadamy, @annehelen, @daveyalba, Poynter, @jason_kint, Table For One, Axios, The Rural Blog, @ddale8, @johnbattelle, @markmaxwelltv, @damemagazine, Scene and Heard, @jonathanalter, @bypatrickgeorge, @jjohnsonlaw, @nils_gilman, @arjunbasu, @sandofsky, @mollyjongfast, @banikarim, @davidsirota, @dcherring, @eotaxprof, @alison__berg, @ehernandez, @mckaycoppins, @fawfulfan, @mattyglesias, @bryanboy, @slpng_giants, @nickconfessore, @glenbmulcahy, @nicoleperlroth, @photospice, @terryteachout1, @aaronworthing, @vindugoel, @raju, @therobwalton, @kemc and @tvietor08

From Techmeme:

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
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The Information:
Sources: OpenAI considered developing a browser, discussed deals to power AI features on Samsung devices and search on sites and apps from Condé Nast and others

Tim Hardwick / MacRumors:
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