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Sources: Amazon is in exclusive talks to buy Wondery, in a deal valuing the podcast network at $300M+; Wondery's on track to increase revenue to $40M+ this year — Venture-backed podcast company is in talks to be sold with a valuation of more than $300 million
Discussion:
@benmullin, Bloomberg, @chrismessina, @raghunotragu, @rafat, @johnmoe, @brianstelter, @pkafka, @lucas_shaw, @thememorypalace, Engadget, Variety, The Hill, TheStreet, Business Insider, The Wrap and Reuters, more at Techmeme »


Watchdog finds “substantial likelihood of wrongdoing” at VOA parent agency under Michael Pack; sources say they fear Pack will do more damage before he departs — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog, disclosed Wednesday that it had found “a substantial likelihood …
Discussion:
@thesteveholzer, @oneunderscore__, @npr, @davidfolkenflik, @radiofreetom, @ncvates, @debmorello and The Hill


Profile of Anand Patwardhan, a leading documentarian in India, who says he is now forced to hold screenings in secret due to threats from Hindu nationalists — Anand Patwardhan spent decades tracking the rise of Hindu nationalism. And now, under an increasingly repressive government, he holds his screenings in secret.
Discussion:
@tomlasseter, @sominisengupta, @beenasarwar, @kenroth and The India Cable


HK activist Jimmy Lai has been charged with fraud over the lease of the building that houses his Apple Daily paper; its daily operations shouldn't be impacted — HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was denied bail on Thursday on a charge …
Discussion:
The Guardian and Al Jazeera


US pay-TV subscribers will soon start receiving refunds and credits from providers, compensating them for the year's pandemic-related sports cancellations — - Customers are to get back the value of games that never aired — Credits and ‘courtesy adjustments’ will show up on bills soon


Ex-Pando journalist Paul Carr is starting a news site, Techworker; contributors include Google Walkout organizer Claire Stapleton, Pando founder Sarah Lacy — - Former TechCrunch and Pando journalist Paul Carr believes Silicon Valley's top execs are misbehaving and need to be held to account by their employees.


Sundance Film Festival replaces its Park City, Utah, event with a virtual festival that will take place from Jan. 28-Feb. 3 on a custom-designed online platform — In an attempt to maintain a sense of community at a time when large gatherings are impossible, the Sundance Film Festival …
Discussion:
@jenny8lee, @jasonhirschhorn, The Playlist, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Collider and Variety


A look at the disconnect between how the Black community sees Charlamagne tha God and how white media portrays him as that community's political voice — On election night, amid the slow trickle of results, Stephen Colbert checked in with a guest familiar to viewers of his deeply uncomfortable 2016 election night show.


Trump lawyer Joseph diGenova, who suggested an ex-government official be executed, resigns under pressure from The Gridiron Club, a Washington media social club — The elite Washington journalism social organization asked the Trump campaign lawyer to step down
Discussion:
The Hill, Poynter, @mrbromwich, @fxmacro, @elaheizadi, @elaheizadi, @jeremymbarr and Business Insider


Hulu's Watch Party feature is now expanding to all subscribers, allows up to seven other subscribers to join, and will have a “click to catch up button” — Hulu was first among the big streamers to embrace the co-watch trend during quarantine — Hulu was first among …
Discussion:
Variety, more at Techmeme »


Politico's Tim Alberta told RNC that Ronna McDaniel was not asked for comment on his Michigan election story because she has been dishonest and untrustworthy — Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta packed a lot into his sizzling Nov. 24 feature, “The Inside Story of Michigan's Fake Voter Fraud Scandal.”
Discussion:
@deanluk, @johnddavidson, @oliverdarcy, @brucebartlett, @jayrosen_nyu and Fox News


Google says News Showcase will soon add free access to select paywalled articles, and it has doubled publisher partners to ~400 since its launch in October — Google News Showcase visitors will soon be able to read select paywalled articles at no extra charge.
Discussion:
What's New in Publishing, MediaNama, The Keyword, @glenngabe, @chrismessina, The Verge, Engadget and 9to5Google, more at Techmeme »