Top News:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Inside WarnerMedia's transition to streaming: current and former execs say it was marred by rushed decision making, culture clashes, HBO brand confusion, more — - CNBC spoke with more than a dozen former and current WarnerMedia executives to gauge how John Stankey and Jason Kilar are progressing with HBO Max.
Discussion:
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Will AT&T turn WarnerMedia into a new Netflix? Or has buying Time Warner turned into a “making lemonade from lemons” situation? I spent the past two months talking to more than a dozen present and recently departed executives: https://www.cnbc.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: I spoke with more than a dozen current and recently departed WarnerMedia execs about what's been going on there over the past couple years. Here are their thoughts — and some new details about HBO Max, brand confusion, culture clash and strategic haggling https://www.cnbc.com/...
Sam Adams / @samuelaadams: every company becoming a tech company is going to be absolutely fucking ruinous for art https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper: “ultra-rich glib MBA idiot unsatisfied with mere billions in profit tries clumsy imitation of market leader, steps on own dick” is like 75 percent of business now https://www.cnbc.com/...
Matt Rosoff / @mattrosoff: Reading @sherman4949's reporting on HBO, I can't help but think how things would be different if the US government hadn't held up ATT/Time-Warner. Imagine HBO Max launching before Disney+. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life: This story of HBO's CEO suggesting AT&T give HBO more money to buy content and double down on dual cable & HBO Go strategy being ignored so AT&T could launch the confusing HBO Max product to compete with Netflix is classic value destruction by acquisition. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Jordan Novet / @jordannovet: have had zero interest in watching anything on HBO Max. solid reporting on what's been going on at AT&T from @sherman4949 https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: @sherman4949 Amazed at the stupidity of that HBO plan, but my favorite part of the article was the Stephenson gibberish. That is mediaspeak gold.
Derek Kompare / @d_kompare: Fantastic dive from @sherman4949 into the strains in the relationships between AT&T, Warner Media, and HBO. This was always going to be a prickly marriage. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Evan DeSimone / @media_evan: Couple interesting tidbits from the Warner Media overhaul. https://www.cnbc.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jay Yarow / @jyarow: Draftkings was interested in buying Bleacher Report from WarnerMedia https://www.cnbc.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: Another detail — The Bleacher Report executive team was hoping WarnerMedia would sell Bleacher Report to DraftKings in May/June when DraftKings expressed interest in buying it. But AT&T never seriously considered a deal. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: One of my favorite details in here — there has been internal discussion (though nothing actively planned) to change the HBO Max name, either internationally or globally. https://twitter.com/...
Meg Graham / @megancgraham: “...former executives point to Stankey's push to add advertising to HBO Max, slated for [Q2 2021], as potentially ruinous... ‘If HBO stood for anything, it was making a product for the customer, not the advertiser,’” Story by @sherman4949 https://www.cnbc.com/...
Joan E. Solsman / CNET: HBO Max will stream Matrix 4, Dune, all Warner Bros. 2021 movies same day as theaters
RELATED:
Peter White / Deadline:
HBO Max Global head Andy Forssell says the service will expand to Latin America in mid-year 2021 and then Europe in 2021's second half; goal is 190 countries — HBO Max is looking to make original DC Comics-based content outside of the U.S. for the first time.
Discussion:
The Playlist, @richardlnewby, @cbnostalgia, LABS English, CNBC, PR Newswire, Broadband TV News and ScreenRant
Discussion:
Charles Barfield / The Playlist: WarnerMedia CEO Says Controversial HBO Max/WB Release Strategy “The Right Thing To Do” For Fans, Theaters & Filmmakers
Richard Newby / @richardlnewby: Yeah, them working on going global was inevitable. Wish it could be sooner for non-U.S. peeps, but it definitely seems like it'll happen later next year. https://twitter.com/...
Comic Book Nostalgia / @cbnostalgia: Smart move..tons of GREAT content coming from both Europe and Asia so why not. Not to mention we can explore some regional heroes never used before. https://deadline.com/...
João Paulo Pimentel / LABS English: Why HBO Max has chosen Latin America as its first market outside the U.S.
Alex Sherman / CNBC: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar doesn't think he just destroyed the movie theater industry
Angelina Hue / ScreenRant: HBO Max Will Make International Original DC Comics Shows
Jessica Toonkel / The Information:
Sources: WarnerMedia is weighing two new streaming services, with a subscription service based on CNN content in 2021 and a free entertainment service for 2022
Discussion:
@jtoonkel, Engadget, @carlquintanilla, @jayrosen_nyu, @timhanlon, @deepbagchee, @rozzy, @stevekopack, @juancpedreira, @nickwingfield, @scottnover, @jackshafer, @jackshafer, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @readdanwrite, @awallenstein, @jbenton, @brianlring, @benmullin, @loudmouthjulia and The Desk
Discussion:
Jessica Toonkel / @jtoonkel: WarnerMedia is discussing a couple more video streaming services—one around CNN, and one that could be free https://thein.fo/... via @theinformation
Carl Quintanilla / @carlquintanilla: “Alhough Stankey was new to media, he suffered the same disease as every other media executive: Netflix envy.” A richly-reported piece on Warner's ambitions for @HBO. $T https://twitter.com/...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: I was shocked to learn from this article that AT&T plans to put ads into its movies and TV series on HBO Max. https://www.cnbc.com/... That would be the end of my relationship with HBO.
@timhanlon: “AT&T is trading near a 10-year low. Meanwhile Verizon, AT&T's closest competitor, is trading near an all-time high. The most glaring difference between the[m]? Verizon didn't spend $170B buying Time Warner & DirecTV in the past 5 years.” (RT @sherman4949) https://www.cnbc.com/...
Deep Bagchee / @deepbagchee: The thesis was right, John Stankey & @ATT leadership were early to streaming... yet it has failed to deliver on the promise. Great piece by @sherman4949. The brands sure are confusing: HBO Go, HBO Max, HBO Now, AT&T Now, DirecTV Now!! https://www.cnbc.com/...
Ryan Osborn / @rozzy: Genuinely curious how such a well-reported piece isn't behind a paywall https://twitter.com/...
Steve Kopack / @stevekopack: AT&T's “HBO Max experiment isn't going particularly well so far. Only 8.6 million people have signed up to activate the service since it launched in May. Compare this to Disney, which has signed up 73.7 million people for Disney+ in less than a year.” https://www.cnbc.com/...
Juan Carlos Pedreira / @juancpedreira: The end of traditional pay TV era. 👇 WarnerMedia considering two new subscription offering based on content from CNN and another free service carrying programming from its entertainment cable channels TBS, TNT and Warner Bros. film libraries https://www.theinformation.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Nick Wingfield / @nickwingfield: It's a truism that when the Rapture comes, media executives will be judged on the basis of how many streaming services they have launched. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Jack Shafer / @jackshafer: @pkafka I'm old enough to remember CNN's Headline News, which delivered, you know, headline news.
Jack Shafer / @jackshafer: @pkafka A CNN-branded streaming channel that broadcast news instead of talk. I'd subscribe.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: @jackshafer What is this “news” you speak of?
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: All of the big cable properties have the same question: How do you bring your popular TV network to streaming w/out cannibalizing your popular TV network? In most cases it's the same answer: You don't - you bring something else to streaming, for that network's super-fans.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: This wouldn't be a streaming version of CNN, per Jessica, but a CNN branded collection of.... things that aren't on CNN. https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Roberts / @readdanwrite: In The Future, every single channel must have its own streaming service. and you will pay. and end up spending more than you ever spent on cable. but you'll be HAPPIER, damn it. https://go.theinformation.com/ ...
Andrew Wallenstein / @awallenstein: Kilar ain't done disruptin'... https://twitter.com/...
Joshua Benton / @jbenton: WarnerMedia is considering a CNN streaming service To avoid cannibalization, it wouldn't include the linear TV channel — think documentaries and stuff that ran on CNN International https://thein.fo/...
@brianlring: @jtoonkel @theinformation News is so ripe for disruption & new models of monetization. It's so great to see Kilar calling the shots over there. What a freakin' relief for so many of us in this biz on the front lines. Finally some product leadership ffs. Go Kilar!
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: From our story in October: “Mr. Kilar has his own vision for how to expand CNN's business, including the possibility of creating a subscription streaming service that would carry CNN programming.” https://www.wsj.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Pro: CNN has the youngest audience across cable news, digital sites 📈, opportunity to have CNN exist outside declining pay-TV. Cons: More streamers incorporating news into other platforms for free, will people pay when they catch clips on Twitter? https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Matthew Keys / The Desk: AT&T tinkers with idea of streaming CNN-brand service
Julia Alexander / The Verge:
Warner Bros. says it will release every single movie in 2021 simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in the US and stream them for one month
Discussion:
Variety, @brooksbarnesnyt, @thisgrayarea, @yahoofinance, @jasonkilar, Forbes, Hollywood Reporter, @indiewire, Landing & Rolling, @variety, @brianstelter, /Film, The Streamable, @malwarejake, @clarisselou, MediaPost, @winter, @arune, @benparr, @krolljvar, Mediaite, @davidlsims, @davemcclure, @mattbelloni, @gregnibler, @geekvibesnation, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @kiywii, @thestalwart, @fb_bmb, @banditloaf, @mgsiegler, @chrisfralic, @hesherman, @reckless, @skrishna, @zsharf, @lexialex, @richlightshed, @karlbode, @karlbode, @anildash, @pkafka, @petersterne, @parazoner, @bradwestness, @pkafka, @pkafka, @rupertmyers, @mg, @franmirabella, @margari_aziza, @raminsetoodeh, @angelique814, @lons, @angrybiackgiri, @thisisntflying, @kyleorl, @tomwarren, @richardrushfield, @sokane1, @samesmail, @oliverdarcy, @petersterne, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @brianstelter, @loudmouthjulia, @getfandom, @susanlitv, ВІС …, IndieWire, ScreenRant, CNN, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Deadline, CNBC, The Week and Gizmodo
Discussion:
Variety: Hollywood, Theater Owners Sound Off on Warner Bros.' Bold HBO Max Move: 'They're Playing With Fire'
Brooks Barnes / @brooksbarnesnyt: Ouch: “Clearly WarnerMedia intends to sacrifice a considerable portion of the profitability of its movie studio, and that of its production partners and filmmakers, to subsidize HBO Max. As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense.”
@yahoofinance: AMC starts ‘urgent dialogue’ with Warner Bros over its plan to put all its 2021 movies on HBO Max via @readDanwrite https://finance.yahoo.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jason Kilar / @jasonkilar: This one is for the fans. https://medium.com/...
Sheena Scott / Forbes: Warner Bros' Simultaneous 2021 Film Release On HBO Max And Theaters Limited To The U.S.
@indiewire: @hbomax All 2021 films will follow the #WonderWoman1984 model: Open in theaters and stream for one month on HBO Max at the same time. After streaming, films move exclusively to theaters: https://www.indiewire.com/... Warner Bros. 2021 slate includes #Dune, “The Suicide Squad,” and #Matrix4 https://twitter.com/...
PARQOR Substack / Landing & Rolling: Mic Drop #9: HBO Max's “For The Fans” 2021 Plans
@variety: The HBO Max/theaters model is a “unique one-year plan.” Executives at the company have stressed the initiative isn't expected to continue into 2022 or beyond — it's considered a temporary solution in response to the ongoing global heath crisis https://variety.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “Shares of movie theatre operators AMC and Cinemark fell more than 15% on the news.” https://www.cnn.com/...
Hoai-Tran Bui / /Film: AMC is Not Happy With Warner Bros. 2021 HBO Max Release Plans, Other Major Exhibitors React
Stephanie Sengwe / The Streamable: What AMC, Cinemark, & Regal Are Saying About New Release Films Going Straight to HBO Max
Jake Williams / @malwarejake: So Warner Brothers just murdered most of what's left of the movie theater business. https://twitter.com/...
Clarisse Loughrey / @clarisselou: Tbh... this feels like it has more to do with how unpopular HBO Max is vs the effects of the pandemic? https://twitter.com/...
Karlene Lukovitz / MediaPost: Kilar Mum On Whether ‘Hybrid’ HBO Max, Theater Release Policy Is Permanent; AMC Defensive
Alex Winter / @winter: I'm glad the studios are streaming movies safely to audiences. We made a very difficult decision back in March to stream @BillandTed3 and we're grateful the studio agreed. We suspected it could be two years to wait if we held out for theatrical and that has proven to be the case. https://twitter.com/...
Arune Singh / @arune: The game has changed. There's no going back now. My only hope is that this doesn't mean more folks lose jobs. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Parr / @benparr: Wow. That is a BOLD move by @WarnerMedia / @hbomax. All Warner movies on HBO and theaters simultaneous for 2021 Will it work? Possibly. Did they need to break the status quo? Absolutely. https://deadline.com/...
Justin Kroll / @krolljvar: Bold move that will surely help HBO Max subscriptions but I also feel come June and July, WarnerMedia reevaluates this model based on if the vaccine helps get people back to theaters. https://twitter.com/...
Zachary Petrizzo / Mediaite: Mark Levin Has Been Claiming For a Month He's Going to Leave Twitter and Facebook (In Repeated Posts on Twitter and Facebook)
David Sims / @davidlsims: I often wonder if anyone in the movie business actually likes going to the movies https://twitter.com/...
Dave McClure / @davemcclure: wow.... shots fired. (@ in-person movie theatres) 💥🎦 https://twitter.com/...
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: C'mon Jason, let's be real: this one's for Wall Street. Disney has successfully convinced the market it's a streaming company, and now it's AT&T's turn.... https://twitter.com/...
Greg Nibler / @gregnibler: This is huge. Now can @disneyplus do the same thing with the @Marvel Movies? https://medium.com/...
Geek Vibes / @geekvibesnation: Principal photography starts on #HouseofTheDragon in a few months and new concept art has been revealed (@jasonkilar | https://medium.com/...) https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Other nuggets: Yes, talent will get a slice of the licensing fee HBO Max is paying Warner Bros. No, it won't the be the same $ they'd get in a pre-pandemic world.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: No word about what this means for 2022. But impossible to imagine Warners goes back to status quo.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Biggest takeaway from my interview with WarnerMedia's Jason Kilar about his relationship with the theater biz: He knows the theater biz hates what he's doing and he's doing it anyway. https://www.vox.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ciarn Giroux / @kiywii: I'll still pick going to the movies every time if the option is available and so should anyone who wants to see movie theaters survive https://twitter.com/...
Joe Weisenthal / @thestalwart: “Such a move would have been considered unthinkable a year ago, but the pandemic has obliterated industry norms.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Mathew Buck / @fb_bmb: Clearly Warner Bros. don't see any return to normality within the next year. Or they want as many HBO Max subscribers as possible. Or both. https://www.indiewire.com/...
Ben Lesnick / @banditloaf: People who are acting shocked about this simply didn't realize the kind of fresh ideas we'd be getting once the Animaniacs were allowed back on the Warner lot. https://twitter.com/...
M.G. Siegler / @mgsiegler: There is but one perfect GIF for this news: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Howard Sherman / @hesherman: First we needed Disney+ for HAMILTON. Now we need HBO Max for IN THE HEIGHTS. https://www.theverge.com/...
Nilay Patel / @reckless: You could also write: AT&T's entire 2021 slate is exempted from its data caps https://www.theverge.com/...
Swapna Krishna / @skrishna: Really excited about this, both as the parent of a young kid and a person who's not going to be comfortable being around people for a good long while. https://twitter.com/...
Zack Sharf / @zsharf: Ok well these Warner Bros films (+ more) start streaming on HBO Max for 31 days on these dates: https://www.indiewire.com/... Sopranos Prequel: March 12 Godzilla: May 21 Conjuring 3: June 4 In the Heights: June 19 Space Jam 2: July 16 Suicide Squad: Aug 6 Dune: Oct 1 Matrix 4: Dec 22 https://twitter.com/...
@lexialex: We will go back to the movies soon...and maybe this has taught some of the big movie theater chains that it's less about $16 popcorn and more about the experience https://twitter.com/...
Rich Greenfield / @richlightshed: Looks like the team at @WarnerMedia is following our strategy to pivot hard into the future with all movies going day and date to @hbomax The pressure is now on all other studios to react Huge @jasonkilar move - clearly has the support of AT&T mgmt to do things differently $T https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: also it's a way to pressure Roku into finally pressuring Ruku in the ongoing AT&T/Roku standoff: https://twitter.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: all it took for this industry to finally abandon the idiotic and antiquated idea of movie release windows is a massive, historic public health and economic crisis https://twitter.com/...
Anil Dash / @anildash: @pkafka It's also striking because the rest of the services are differentiating based on their franchises and costly prestige or licensed content, but if they can be about “real movies” in general, that's a completely different level of distinction.
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Until today, HBO Max didn't have a brand beyond “HBO plus other random stuff”. Now it most definitely has a real brand that makes sense to real people: Big movies in your house, no waiting.
@petersterne: @pkafka It's obviously not sustainable to let all hbomax subscribers watch every new blockbuster WB movie for free. So what happens after the pandemic, a return of the theatrical window or an arrangement similar to Disney's Mulan (an extra charge for a movie on top of hbomax)?
@parazoner: @BradWestness @mikeryan Can't get HBO Max outside the US (not sure about Canada) so worldwide just got all these movies day one via torrent.
Brad Westness / @bradwestness: @parazoner @mikeryan Yeah the real impact of this seems like it'll be not that everyone signs up for HBO Max, but that people will be content to torrent things since there will be high quality rips from HBO Max available opening day and not crappy theatrical camera recordings
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Till then, here's what I said about Warner's previously announced WonderWoman/couch move, which works for today's news as well - just supersized: It demonstrates both the weakness of the theater industry, and Warner/AT&T's desire to jumpstart HBO Max. https://www.vox.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: Do you have questions for WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar about his Very Big Deal all-movies-streaming-from-your- couch move? Me too. Send them along ASAP and I'll try to get you answers.
Rupert Myers / @rupertmyers: This is the end of cinema as we know it - the future is big home TVs and cinema as a niche concern (I will keep going!) https://www.indiewire.com/...
Matt Galligan / @mg: Whoa this is huge! Expect to see more studios follow suit now that the cat is out of the bag. https://twitter.com/...
Fran Mirabella III / @franmirabella: “One-year plan” they say. We'll see. I love movie theaters at the right moments & I love big-budget films but it's hard not to feel movies are held hostage in theaters to the point many skip. Consumers should have access at home way sooner. Gonna be a great, forced experiment. https://twitter.com/...
Margari Aziza / @margari_aziza: I'm gonna to get my stillsuit on and see Dune 5 times!! https://twitter.com/...
Ramin Setoodeh / @raminsetoodeh: The WB news will answer the age-old question: if consumers can get new movies at home—blockbusters they'd be willing to pay $50 (plus popcorn) to see with their family—will they stop going to movie theaters? https://twitter.com/...
Angelique Jackson / @angelique814: Thank the lord for #FilmTwitter so we can all talk about what a massive MASSIVE deal this is https://twitter.com/...
Lon Harris / @lons: “But how did moooo-vay theeeee-turds make money, grandpa? Didn't they have to buy movies?” “Studios kept the box office. Theaters made their profit by selling popcorn.” “...” “See, back when food still grew in the ground, there was this thing, corn.” https://variety.com/...
Brian Koch / @thisisntflying: Look, film Twitter. I love the theatrical experience as much as you do. If there weren't health concerns, I'd be out there yelling “death of cinema!” too. But given the situation, I think any theatrical window right now would honestly be glamorizing an unsafe trip to theaters. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Warren / @tomwarren: big news. This isn't the end of movie theaters, but it's a sign of where things are rapidly heading https://twitter.com/...
Ankler Rushfield / @richardrushfield: There's a lot of implications but if you see this as anything other than an announcement from ATT that they are getting out of the theatrical business, youare willfully blind at this point. https://twitter.com/...
Sean O'Kane / @sokane1: can't wait to watch dune on my phone. might even break it up into quick bites. https://www.theverge.com/...
Sam Esmail / @samesmail: This is a controversial but exciting development. My hope is more studios will follow suit. Don't get me wrong, I love movie theaters. But I absolutely despise the theatrical windows nonsense. https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Tucked away at the end of @jasonkilar's post here is new concept art for the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon.” https://medium.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@petersterne: There's really no reason why movies should be distributed and shown exclusively in theaters. Theaters will continue to exist, since there is something to be said for the experience of watching a movie alongside other people in person, but they won't be as ubiquitous.
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: I wrote about this simultaneous/shift just last week on Musings on Mouse!! This makes sense for 2021, when things are still so uncertain but they have to get things out, and need to push sub growth. They're not abandoning theaters, just shifting strat. https://musingsonmouse.substack.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: The other thing about this news: prepare for more — not exactly the same — but more of it. When? I imagine Disney's investor day on December 10th is going to be very, very interesting. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: A huge move by Warner Bros — https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: When AMC made deals with Universal, big thing AMC CEO Adam Aron reiterated was that AMC is also getting reimbursed for having the shorter window. I imagine that theaters and WarnerMedia have a deal in place that doesn't make this the end of theaters — but it is a massive shift.
Fandom / @getfandom: Warner Bros. will debut entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max & theaters simultaneously 😱 • ‘The Suicide Squad’ • ‘Matrix 4’ • ‘Dune’ • ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ • ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ • ‘Mortal Kombat’ • ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ (via @Variety | https://variety.com/...) https://twitter.com/...
Susan Li / @susanlitv: I guess that might justify an #HBOMax subscription #streaming $t https://twitter.com/...
Zack Sharf / IndieWire: ‘Dune,’ ‘Matrix 4,’ and Every 2021 Warner Bros. Film to Debut on HBO Max and in Theaters at Same Time
Fareid El Gafy / ScreenRant: Cinemark Responds To WB's 2021 Movies Releasing On HBO Max
Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Smashes Box Office Windows, Will Send Entire 2021 Slate to HBO Max and Theaters
Jeremy Fuster / The Wrap: AMC Theatres Starts ‘Urgent’ Talks With Warner Bros. to Renegotiate Terms After HBO Max Deal
Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline: Warner Bros Sets Entire 2021 Movie Slate To Debut On HBO Max Along With Cinemas In Seismic Windows Model Shakeup
Todd Haselton / CNBC: Warner Bros. will launch every 2021 movie on HBO Max at the same time they hit theaters
Jeva Lange / The Week: The daily gossip: George Clooney's twins speak in secret code (Italian), Warner Bros. is going all-in on streaming debuts, and more
James Whitbrook / Gizmodo: Every 2021 Warner Bros Film Will Stream on HBO Max for Free
Peter Kafka / Vox:
Q&A with WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar on the logic behind simultaneous release of movies to HBO Max and theaters, economic fallout for talent, and Roku progress
Discussion:
Deadline, The Atlantic, The Playlist, CNET, Deadline, Otium, The Verge, @tvgrimreaper, Sparrow One, Light Reading, Decider, @sherman4949, @loudmouthjulia, @jimmaiella, @arlolikesmovies, @keithcalder, Polygon, Hollywood Reporter, @carlquintanilla, @deadline, The Ringer, @pkafka and Context is King
Discussion:
Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar On How Groundbreaking HBO Max Theatrical Window Strategy Will Optimize Revenues
Joan E. Solsman / CNET: HBO Max exec on Roku deal: 'We'll get it done'
Anthony D'Alessandro / Deadline: AMC Boss Adam Aron Slams Warner Bros HBO Max 2021 Theatrical Window Concept: Studio Sacrificing “Considerable” Profit
Tiago Campany / Otium: Conectando os pontos #003
Mitchell Clark / The Verge: Hope you weren't planning to watch Wonder Woman 1984 with an HBO Max free trial
TV Grim Reaper / @tvgrimreaper: “The headlines will be the number of new HBO Max subs we get. The amount of money we've lost on our movies by doing this will be impossible for the idiot press to quantify. That's why I'm a genius.” - Jason Kilar [unsaid] https://twitter.com/...
Sparrow Advisers / Sparrow One: Marketing as the harbinger of business agility
Jeff Baumgartner / Light Reading: WarnerMedia's bold movie move will help HBO Max... at a price
Alex Sherman / @sherman4949: I spoke with WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar about his huge movie announcement. Well, everyone thinks it's huge except him: https://www.cnbc.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Good convo on the topic. Hoping very smart people can help me out — if the backend deal is something like “we paid large upfront, and that will be shared among talent” how is that comparable to percentage of a movie that generates $800M-$1B+ at box office? https://www.vox.com/...
Jim Maiella / @jimmaiella: This @pkafka Q&A with @jasonkilar on the day's big @hbomax news is excellent and worth your time just for a line that should immediately become a staple of communications briefing books everywhere. “I'll answer the question I would have preferred you ask.” https://www.vox.com/...
@arlolikesmovies: No fan of studio execs, but I'm really struggling to understand the ire here (generally, not just from Sims). We're in the middle of an out of control pandemic, with no real end in sight. I would much rather see movies in theaters, but when would that happen safely? 2022? 2023? https://twitter.com/...
Keith Calder / @keithcalder: There are some vague answers in this interview, which is honestly very interesting but also raises more questions for me. Fascinated to see how this all plays out. https://www.vox.com/...
Carl Quintanilla / @carlquintanilla: AMC CEO: “Clearly, Warner Media intends to sacrifice a considerable portion of the profitability of its movie studio division.. to subsidize its HBO Max start up. As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense.” https://deadline.com/...
Deadline Hollywood / @deadline: “We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business” “We have already commenced an immediate and urgent dialogue with the leadership of Warner on this subject” https://deadline.com/...
Alison Herman / The Ringer: Sifting Through the Fallout of Warner Bros.'s Paradigm-Shifting Announcement
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: You guys had great qs - Thank you! But I could only get to a few - and only got some of the answers. But here you go. Obviously lots of follow up to come. https://www.vox.com/...
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / Context is King: The Revenge of Jason Kilar
Hamed Aleaziz / BuzzFeed News:
ICE has issued a subpoena demanding BuzzFeed News identify its sources for emails sent to ICE attorneys; EIC “emphatically rejects” requests for source info — “This is embarrassing for ICE,” the former acting director of the agency said. “When you're trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line.”
Discussion:
@felixsalmon, The Wrap, @bartongellman, @shaneferro, @bradmossesq, @goldengateblond, @tomnamako, @seamushughes, @pebonilla, @shaneferro, @brfreed, @mariasacchetti, @arawnsley, @henryjgomez, @sikhprof, @byrontau, @oneunderscore__, @anaceballos_, @shaneferro, @haleaziz, @jameeljaffer, @aurabogado, @jimneff4, @marioboonetv, @mattkatz00, @shaneferro, @kylegriffin1, @tierney_megan, @schoofsfeed, @alt_uscis, @haleaziz, @tomnamako, @peretti, @lailalalami, @rmac18, @haleaziz, @brittny_mejia, @45thabsurdist, @dlind, @aflores, @aurabogado, @paulszoldra, @hannahd15 and INSIDER
Discussion:
Felix Salmon / @felixsalmon: Someone at ICE thought it would make sense not only to subpoena BuzzFeed asking them to reveal confidential sources, but also to ~request~ that they not report on the subpoena. Lol. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
J. Clara Chan / The Wrap: BuzzFeed News Subpoenaed by ICE in Attempt to Uncover Sources
Barton Gellman / @bartongellman: ICE is not subject to the DOJ guidelines on news media investigations. https://twitter.com/...
Shane / @shaneferro: This is bad and, as someone pointed out in the story, embarrassing for ICE. But it's also important to note that this is NOT a subpoena signed by a judge, it's a scare tactic https://twitter.com/...
Bradley P. Moss / @bradmossesq: What on earth does ICE think it is doing? https://twitter.com/...
Shauna / @goldengateblond: and ICE said “thou shalt not reveal the existence of this subpoena” and Buzzfeed said “lo, bite me” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Tom Namako / @tomnamako: “BuzzFeed News emphatically rejects any requests for information about possible sources and methods of our reporting,” said Editor-in-Chief @SchoofsFeed. .....
Seamus Hughes / @seamushughes: ICE: Buzzfeed, we request you don't reveal the existence of the subpoena against your journalist. Buzzfeed: https://twitter.com/...
Peter Bonilla / @pebonilla: ICE: “You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time.” Buzzfeed: GFY. https://twitter.com/...
Shane / @shaneferro: The subpoena power is pretty broad but I'm still unsure how shaking down Buzzfeed for its sources falls under enforcing the INA https://www.law.cornell.edu/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Benjamin Freed / @brfreed: BuzzFeed rightly and promptly told ICE to get rekt https://twitter.com/...
Maria Sacchetti / @mariasacchetti: So, the agency that won't tell the public who it arrests or fulfill FOIAs is attempting to force a reporter to reveal sources. ICE involved Homeland Security Investigations in this—where agents wanted to split (Repost w/link) https://www.google.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Adam Rawnsley / @arawnsley: Such a lame effort to whine and cry and stamp their feet to look tough. All the legal weight of children's letters to Santa https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Henry J. Gomez / @henryjgomez: “This is embarrassing for ICE. I think it is a weak effort to intimidate the press,” said John Sandweg, former acting director of the agency. “When you're trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line. It is something that the agency should never do.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Simran Jeet Singh / @sikhprof: “ICE investigators issued a subpoena this week demanding BuzzFeed News identify its sources — an extraordinary attempt by the government to interfere with a news outlet acting under the protections of the First Amendment.” -@Haleaziz https://buzzfeednews.com/...
Byron Tau / @byrontau: ICE subpoenas BuzzFeed, demanding the news outlet turn over information about its sources in one of the most brazen attempts in recent memory of a government agency trying to force the press to divulge sources. BuzzFeed says it will not comply. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Ben Collins / @oneunderscore__: Hamed is a tremendous reporter and this is an unambiguous assault on the free press by the U.S. government. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Ana Ceballos / @anaceballos_: “This is embarrassing for ICE,” the former acting director of the agency said. “When you're trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Shane / @shaneferro: A weird legal thing that I think is not well explained in the media is that there are different kinds of subpoenas. Ones that are signed by a judge are serious and you have to comply. Ones that are not... eh, well, let's just say that *I* have subpoena power
Hamed Aleaziz / @haleaziz: “You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time. Any such disclosure will impede this investigation and thereby interfere with the enforcement of federal law,” it also states.
Jameel Jaffer / @jameeljaffer: ICE's “request” that Buzzfeed not disclose that ICE served it with this subpoena is an additional and independent First Amendment violation. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Aura Bogado / @aurabogado: ICE's attempt to try to come after @Haleaziz for doing his job and practicing press freedoms feels reckless. To try to get him to be silent about the fact the agency even issued a subpoena is such a dangerous reach. Looking forward to reading the OIG report about this next year.
Jim Neff / @jimneff4: This won't stand. @rcfp ICE Is Trying To Force BuzzFeed News To Divulge Its Sources https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@marioboonetv: Somebody at .@ICEgov has to know they can't win this battle: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Matt Katz / @mattkatz00: Solidarity with @Haleaziz, a tremendous journalist/scoop machine, as he stares down an unacceptable subpoena from ICE https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Shane / @shaneferro: As the subpoena itself says, the only thing that can happen if you ignore an ICE subpoena is that ICE then can go to a federal judge and whine that you ignored the subpoena and ask the judge to hold a hearing, and... good luck with that on this one
Kyle Griffin / @kylegriffin1: ICE is trying to force BuzzFeed News to divulge its sources. “This is embarrassing for ICE,” the former acting director of the agency said. “When you're trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Tierney Sneed / @tierney_megan: wow. Outrageous. https://twitter.com/...
Mark Schoofs / @schoofsfeed: ICE is trying to force BuzzFeed News to divulge its sources though a subpoena. Let me be clear: We emphatically reject any requests for information about possible sources and methods of our reporting. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... @haleaziz @BuzzFeedNews
ALT-immigration / @alt_uscis: Welcome to the club https://twitter.com/...
Hamed Aleaziz / @haleaziz: “This is embarrassing for ICE. I think it is a weak effort to intimidate the press,” said John Sandweg, former acting director of the agency. “When you're trying to intimidate the press, you cross a line. It is something that the agency should never do.”
Tom Namako / @tomnamako: “We do not confirm or discuss confidential sources, and this subpoena is an outrageous overreach by the federal government. It's fundamentally at odds with the US Constitution and will not have any impact on our journalism,” Schoofs added.
Jonah Peretti / @peretti: ICE Is Trying To Force BuzzFeed News To Divulge Its Sources https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ... via @haleaziz https://twitter.com/...
Laila Lalami / @lailalalami: This is pure intimidation. We need immigration reporters like Hamed now more than ever. https://twitter.com/...
Ryan Mac / @rmac18: It sucks getting subpoenaed as a reporter, but if you're going to try to intimidate us, you're going to need to try harder. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Hamed Aleaziz / @haleaziz: The subpoena appears to be an escalation of the Trump administration's efforts to track down the identities of people who provide information to news outlets.
Brittny Mejia / @brittny_mejia: Uhhhh meanwhile FOIA requests to ICE can go unanswered for years... https://twitter.com/...
@45thabsurdist: Alternate headline, translated for our readers in 2008: “Popular internet listicle outlet subpoenaed by the Bureau of Orphan Creation, Involuntary Hysterectomy Task Force, and the Racial Profiling and Ethnic Hygiene Administration” https://twitter.com/...
Dara Lind / @dlind: This isn't okay or cool! https://twitter.com/...
Adolfo Flores / @aflores: ICE investigators issued a subpoena this week demanding @BuzzFeedNews identify its sources, an escalation of the Trump administration's efforts to track down the identities of people who provide information to reporters like @Haleaziz. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Aura Bogado / @aurabogado: ICE subpoenas for agency sources and tells BuzzFeed it wasn't allow to even “disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time,” suggesting/threatening obstruction of justice charges for doing so. @Haleaziz does the right thing, protects agency sources: https://twitter.com/...
Paul Szoldra / @paulszoldra: “You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time. Any such disclosure will impede this investigation and thereby interfere with the enforcement of federal law.” Request denied. Sincerely, @BuzzFeed https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
Tribune Publishing, part-owned by Alden Global Capital, is closing the Hartford Courant's newsroom on Dec. 27; journalists will work remotely into 2021 — The Hartford Courant, the Connecticut newspaper that has been in print since 1764, when it chronicled the locals' dissatisfaction with British rule …
Discussion:
@courantguild, @alecmacgillis, @rachaelpacella, @andrewdasnyt, @davidjlynch, @ctblogger, @vdelatorre, @allyjarmanning, @samstein, @dennishousetv, @senblumenthal, @picardonhealth, @lizbowie, @bruceputterman, @frankiegrazie6, @mattlesser, @mayorbronin, @boston1775, @pdavis_llc, @bjbetheltweets, @bretteats, @davidchang, @xshularx, @mmcintire, @kgmcwilliams, @hayley__harding, @i_m_m, @tomkrazit, @matt_velazquez, @saragregory, @bookgirl96, @edokeefe, @repjohnlarson, @mcfarland_shawn, @courantguild, @brian_donlon, @tomforemancnn, @courantguild, @wolfe321, @katie_robertson and The Hill
Discussion:
@courantguild: Today is a sad day in The Hartford Courant's history. We were just told @tribpub will close our Broad Street office, with no plan to find us a new one. We are indefinitely without an office.
Alec MacGillis / @alecmacgillis: The largest newspaper in Connecticut, in the state capital, no longer has a newsroom. https://twitter.com/...
Rachael Pacella / @rachaelpacella: Tribune was wrong for taking the Annapolis newsroom away from shooting survivors who never wavered in the face of immense grief and trauma. It makes me sick to think of more cuts. https://twitter.com/...
Andrew Das / @andrewdasnyt: Took a field trip to this building in elementary school. Got my first byline in it in college. What a terrible, sad day for an institution that's older than the United States. https://twitter.com/...
David J. Lynch / @davidjlynch: I grew up reading this paper. Eventually, knew a few good journalists who worked there. I believe it laid claim to being the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. Sad day. https://twitter.com/...
Alfonso Robinson / @ctblogger: This is disgraceful! All I want for X-mas is for @tribpub to sell @hartfordcourant to someone who respects journalism. https://twitter.com/...
Vanessa de la Torre / @vdelatorre: In the Hartford Courant newsroom, reporting on a charter school scandal in 2014. The shredded paper I hauled from front curb of charter HQ... Editor was getaway driver. #newsroomnostalgia https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ally Jarmanning / @allyjarmanning: I learned how to be a reporter by eavesdropping on colleagues' interviews and getting tips from my desk mates who overheard what I was working on. How will our next generation of reporters learn without a newsroom? https://twitter.com/...
Sam Stein / @samstein: the country's oldest newspaper in continuous publication has literally no home. https://twitter.com/...
Dennis House / @dennishousetv: Saddened to hear this. I've had many friends at the @hartfordcourant over the years and I feel for them tonight https://www.google.com/...
Richard Blumenthal / @senblumenthal: A gut punch for the employees & readers of America's oldest newspaper. Community outrage, or a new owner, need to keep it the HARTFORD Courant. https://twitter.com/...
Andr Picard / @picardonhealth: “For all we know at this moment, the plan is for us to be remote forever” — The @HartfordCourant's newsroom is closing down, and other newspapers🗞️may follow suit, by @katie_robertson https://www.nytimes.com/... via @nytimes @charlesornstein #journalism #PandemicJournalism
@lizbowie: The Baltimore Sun is now one of the last @TribPub papers with a physical newsroom. Are we next? @TribPub has $90 million in cash on hand, no debt and is profitable, yet they will close the Hartford Courant's newsroom. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Bruce Putterman / @bruceputterman: We grieve with our colleagues at @hartfordcourant, and hope Alden finds its way to understanding the value of place and physical connection as key to innovation and growth. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Frankie Graziano / @frankiegrazie6: These guys won't get something that I daydream about on a daily basis — getting to see my co-workers IRL when this is all over — is gross. I'm sorry to my brothers and sisters at the Courant. @CourantGuild https://twitter.com/...
Sen. Matt Lesser / @mattlesser: What a travesty. The hedge fund owner of @tribpub is obviously not fit to own a newspaper. We need local news, now more than ever. https://twitter.com/...
Luke Bronin / @mayorbronin: My thoughts on the announcement today about the @hartfordcourant newsroom/HQ: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
J. L. Bell / @boston1775: The Hartford Courant began as a weekly titled the Connecticut Courant in 1764. The first publisher was Thomas Green, from the large Green family of printers. https://twitter.com/...
Phil Davis / @pdavis_llc: Tribune's a wealth management company that also employees journalists, at this point. https://twitter.com/...
BJ Bethel / @bjbetheltweets: Local journalism is in the ICU. Despite the heroic efforts of local reporters. https://twitter.com/...
Brett Anderson / @bretteats: Shocking - if not surprising - journalism news: the newspaper in the capital city of one of the country's richest states doesn't have a newsroom anymore. ht @CKummer https://twitter.com/...
David Chang / @davidchang: First Hartford let the Whalers leave, then they shut down the Jai Alai, then this... https://twitter.com/...
Daniel Shular / @xshularx: Vulture capital parasites are intentionally killing America's oldest continuously published newspaper https://twitter.com/...
Mike McIntire / @mmcintire: This is criminal. I worked there for 10 years and can't believe it's come to this for the country's oldest continuously published newspaper. https://twitter.com/...
Kathleen McWilliams / @kgmcwilliams: This is devastating news for our city's paper and the reporters covering our communities. A new low for the absolutely shameful leadership @tribpub (and that's not saying much). https://twitter.com/...
Hayley Harding / @hayley__harding: I will forever remember the Broad Street office as the place where I got to file a story and then walk past the presses printing it an hour later. Thinking about my friends in Hartford who, like so many papers around the country, have lost their home base. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Ian MacDougall / @i_m_m: This is the end game for the hedge funds/PE firms that are buying up local and regional papers: after bleeding them dry, unload the often valuable real estate they own. https://twitter.com/...
Tom Krazit / @tomkrazit: I knew what I wanted to do with my life around the age of 12 after spending a night during a school break watching my dad and his colleagues put out a paper in that building. https://twitter.com/...
Matt Velazquez / @matt_velazquez: This is decidedly quite bad and I don't like it at all. https://twitter.com/...
Sara Gregory / @saragregory: Tribune started 2020 by closing @virginianpilot's newsroom, shutdown five others mid-year and is ending it by closing @hartfordcourant's. Banner year for our hedge fund owners. Bad news for our communities. https://twitter.com/...
Kathleen Schmidt / @bookgirl96: This is very bad. https://twitter.com/...
Ed O'Keefe / @edokeefe: Connecticut's largest newspaper is now without a newsroom. Are we okay with things like this happening in city after city across the country? https://twitter.com/...
Rep. John Larson / @repjohnlarson: I hope @tribpub reverses this decision. https://larson.house.gov/... https://twitter.com/...
Shawn McFarland / @mcfarland_shawn: “We've been in that office for decades. We all value having the physical space, we value each other's company,” said @AlexPutterman. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@courantguild: Via @nytimes: The Hartford Courant, the Connecticut newspaper that has been in print since 1764, when it chronicled the locals' dissatisfaction with British rule, is the latest daily that will try to cover the news without a newsroom. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Brian Donlon / @brian_donlon: If anyone cares about the future of news read this piece about these giants of #journalism - Alden Globa Capital — and their approach to news. It is enough to make you sick https://www.vanityfair.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Tom Foreman / @tomforemancnn: Books will be written one day about how business folks grappled with the idea of folks working from home during this period and beyond - for good and for bad. https://twitter.com/...
@courantguild: This is what happens when hedge funds own newspapers. It's why we need new ownership immediately. Please visit https://saveourcourant.org/.
Lauren Wolfe / @wolfe321: Another media hit: The closing of the @hartfordcourant's physical newsroom was “a decision about real estate needs amid a difficult and challenging time on both the public health and economic fronts.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: The Hartford Courant told staff today their office would be shut permanently from Dec 27. One reporter said: “For all we know at this moment, the plan is for us to be remote forever.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Celine Castronuovo / The Hill: Connecticut's largest newspaper loses its newsroom
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
OnlyFans says it will generate $2B+ in sales in 2020, now has 85M users, is adding around 500K users a day, and is paying out $200M+ a month to its 1M+ creators — As Cardi B prepared the release for her new song “WAP,” she checked off all the usual components of her promotional plan …
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @eshap, @artjonak, @lucas_shaw, @anshelsag, @mathewi, @johnjedwards3 and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: I wrote about the rise of @OnlyFans, a massive media business that wants to shed its reputation for naked women and position itself as the next big social network. https://www.google.com/...
@eshap: “I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing, than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing.” - @titleofshow The exploding trend of Artist To Fan (A2F) content platforms such as @Patreon and @OnlyFans, in a musical theater lyric. https://www.bloombergquint.com/ ...
Art Jonak / @artjonak: OnlyFans: • $2+ BILLION in sales in 2020 • 85 MILLION users • Adding 500,000 users A DAY • Pays $200+ MILLION A MONTH to their creators Low friction onboarding + focus on slick UI/IX + user-friendly dashboard = side-hustle economy accelerators https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Some facts that may not surprise you about OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely: > His first company was called GlamWorship, and it specialized in “financial domination.” (Google it) > His second site, Customs4U, enabled fans to pay porn stars for custom videos. https://www.google.com/...
Anshel Sag / @anshelsag: This is pretty crazy, but I won't lie I was also expecting it to be making more than $200M/Mo with 85M users https://twitter.com/...
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: OnlyFans is only four years old, and is adding up to 500,000 users a day and paying out more than $200 million a month to its creators https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @business
John J. Edwards III / @johnjedwards3: A service adding as many as 500,000 users a day that you've never heard of, or tell people you've never heard of. https://twitter.com/...
Emily Bell / Columbia Journalism Review:
The remit of Facebook's Oversight Board is narrow by design and its 90-day time frame per case is too long, hindering its ability to have any lasting impact — This week saw the long-awaited public debut of Facebook's Oversight Board, a group of 20 eminent lawyers, human-rights experts …
Discussion:
Nieman Lab, @campuscodi, @cjr, VentureBeat, Foreign Policy, Business Insider and Oversight Board, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab: Facebook will spend less time policing “Men are trash” content, more time taking down “Worst of the Worst”
Catalin Cimpanu / @campuscodi: tl;dr: Facebook's new Oversight Board is just for show. Dicators can organize three genocides a week on Facebook and the company won't do anything about it. https://twitter.com/...
@cjr: New from @emilybell on the Facebook Oversight Board: “The hardest decisions for Facebook will not be taken by a toothless advisory council, but by the operational board of the company itself.” https://www.cjr.org/...
Kyle Wiggers / VentureBeat: Avaaz: Facebook continues to fail at flagging false and misleading posts about U.S. elections
Jacob Mchangama / Foreign Policy: How to Judge Facebook's New Judges
Newslaundry:
India's Times Group says it will stop the publication of Pune Mirror and will relaunch Mumbai Mirror as a weekly, but both will have a “strong digital presence” — As 2020 draws to a close, the latest casualty in the rampant layoffs and closures in the print media is Mumbai Mirror and Pune Mirror.
Discussion:
@raju, @nandiniramnath, @jencyjac, @spignal, IJR, @alishacoelho, @ranaayyub, @dpanjana, @vijaylokapally, @dire_nair, exchange4media and Scroll.in
Discussion:
Raju Narisetti / @raju: India's largest newspaper conglomerate, Times Group, will stop publication of Pune Mirror and turn its fiesty @MumbaiMirror into a weekly in print. A significant blow to urban, local/community newspaper journalism in Western India. https://www.exchange4media.com/ ... via @e4mtweets
Nandini Ramnath / @nandiniramnath: The best thing the TOI group ever produced, steered by my first boss and first-class editor @writemeenal. Kudos to her and her wonderful team: Mumbai Mirror and Pune Mirror to stop publication, Times Group says Indian economy in recession https://scroll.in/... via @scroll_in
Jency Jacob / @jencyjac: If there was any reason to continue to subscribe to a TOI paper, it was @MumbaiMirror. News of the Mirror shutting down is a shock. The mirror editions were led by some cool editors and journalists. Will miss the paper and their stories a lot 😞
Stanley Pignal / @spignal: Sad to hear Mumbai Mirror is ending daily print. Best part of my time in India was reading the advice of its 96-year-old “sexpert”. Her approach to most problems was vigorous masturbation.
Churumuri / IJR: Times Group says “Indian economy now officially in recession” to pull the curtain down on its tabloid ‘Mumbai Mirror’
Alisha Coelho / @alishacoelho: Mumbai Mirror is one of the cruelest casualties of 2020. As a journalist, it was the paper that I looked forward to and dreaded the most because of the stories they broke (and in turn, the explanations I'd have to give my editor for missing the scoop).
Rana Ayyub / @ranaayyub: I am going to miss the dogged reporting on local issues and some brilliant writing under the leadership of @writemeenal. Hope these bylines find an alternate space soon. Will miss you Mumbai Mirror
Deepanjana / @dpanjana: Mumbai Mirror shutting down is terrible, terrible news. It's done so many great stories, it didn't hesitate to take a principled stand on so many subjects and quickly became a favourite for city readers. Fingers crossed for everyone in Mirror's team.
Vijay Lokapally / @vijaylokapally: Very sad, disturbing and depressing news. I have so many friends working in these newspapers. How are they going to manage? https://twitter.com/...
Roshni / @dire_nair: Wtaf? This is the only Times publication with a sliver of journalistic integrity. Mumbai Mirror has some badass reporters who break news and write some of the best stories, day after day. Turning it into a weekly is giving it a slow and certain death. https://www.mxmindia.com/...
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
Mitch McConnell has moved to end debate on a Trump nominee that would deadlock FCC when Biden takes office and for months after, setting up a vote next week — Cloture motion could end debate and advance nominee to Senate vote next week. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) …
Discussion:
Karl Bode / @karlbode: Aside from the core policy wonks working hard to delay or shift the vote here, there's very few Democrats making any meaningful noise about the fact the GOP is preparing to cripple the nation's top telecommunications regulator, for potentially years.
Karl Bode / @karlbode: McConnell's (read: AT&T and Comcast's) quest to appoint an unqualified nitwit to the FCC then mire the agency in gridlock by blocking Biden from appointing a new boss will take another step forward next week: https://www.reuters.com/...
Karl Bode / @karlbode: The GOP is pandering big telecom, which is terrified the FCC will restore the agency's consumer protection authority (and net neutrality). So they're pretending they're doing this to prevent “billions in economic damage,” which is gibberish and bullshit. https://arstechnica.com/... https://twitter.com/...
William Saletan / Slate: The GOP Is the Party of Civil War
David Shepardson / Reuters: U.S. Senate set to vote on Trump FCC nominee as soon as next week
The Daily Beast:
Fox staffers say Porter Berry, EIC of FoxNews.com and former Hannity producer, has shifted the site's tone to mirror the channel's opinion content — According to insiders, Hannity and the network's right-wing opinion side have managed, as if by proxy, to influence the content of FoxNews.com, the channel's website.
Discussion:
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / Context is King: Serving Two Masters — FOX's identity crisis between its TV positioning and website perspective …
@thedailybeast: Sean Hannity is already one of Fox News' loudest voices. Now, his influence has spread to the once-independent digital news operation, staffers say, and it's largely thanks to a little-known former Hannity producer named Porter Berry. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Noah Shachtman / @noahshachtman: Sean Hannity isn't just something of a shadow White House Chief of. Staff. In many important ways, he's essentially taken over for Roger Ailes at Fox, too. https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Sean Hannity's producer took over Fox's websites in 2018. Staff say he's pushed the sites even further right, and is still informally acting as an informal “shadow” producer for Hannity's show. Our look at Fox News digital EIC Porter Berry: https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ...
Alex Norcia / Columbia Journalism Review:
Profile of Enrique Abeyta, a metalhead former hedge fund manager who has bought Revolver, Inked, and The Hard Times, expanding e-commerce with long-term goals — Enrique Abeyta, a former hedge-funder, goes all in on metalhead media — Matt Saincome was used to ignoring people.
Discussion:
Mathew Ingram / @mathewi: Great story on Enrique Abeyta, a former hedge-fund manager and metalhead who started his own stable of media outlets targeted at metal fans https://www.cjr.org/...
Matt Saincome / @mattsaincome: Life is boring without characters. Here's a great article about a deal I did with one of my favorite characters. https://twitter.com/...
@cjr: Enrique Abeyta, a former hedge-funder goes all in on metalhead media: “Everybody wants a bad guy,” he said. He doesn't believe he is one. https://www.cjr.org/...
@cjr: @abestreep @johnmrod @shinheeeee @d_holli @mayabinyam @jnoisecat @Oaklandside @jherrerx @tasneemraja @chameauleon @ruthmargalit @mikerosenwald “At my last firm, they called me the master of the ‘Game of Thrones,’ because...I had a great ability to identify moves in the media space by thinking strategically.” @Alex_Norcia profiles Enrique Abeyta, a heavy-metal hedge-funder turned media-investor https://www.cjr.org/...
Kayleigh Barber / Digiday:
Wired says 30% of revenue now comes via subscriptions and affiliate revenue, up from 20% earlier in 2020, as Black Friday and Cyber Monday boosted subscriptions — Black Friday and Cyber Monday (which has been stretched into a Cyber Week this year) were expected to be bountiful for Wired's affiliate e-commerce business.
Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:
Zephr, a London startup that offers a no-code tool publishers can use to increase subscription revenue, raises $8M Series A led by Bertelsmann Digital Media — Zephr has raised $8 million in a new funding round led by Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (owned by media giant Bertelsmann).
Discussion:
Zephr / @zephrglobal: With the announcement of our Series A funding, our CEO & co-Founder @JamesJHenderson takes a moment to reflect what the #funding means & how the future looks like for us. Read the post here: https://www.zephr.com/...
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