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Politico announces it is acquiring E&E News, a high-price subscription trade publication focused on the energy industry and environmental news — Purchase comes as Politico looks to expand its overall professional news business — Politico is adding some energy to its game.
Discussion:
@lydiadepillis, @tmannwsj, @digitalbond, @jaycodon, @bradplumer, @michellemanafy, @bbuchman_cns, @rafat, @yayitsrob, @lalpert1, @joshluger, @harrispolitico, @politicopress, @reddy, @harrispolitico, @timothy_cama, @sammy_roth, @natbullard, @jakesherman, @vtg2, @tonyromm, @bdayspring, @rickdunham, The Hill, @cbudoffbrown, @bkingdc and Talking Biz News


Over Christmas holiday, Apptopia says HBO Max had ~554K app signups; Sensor Tower says Disney+ had ~2.3M global app installations, up 28% from prior weekend — AT&T Inc.'s HBO Max streaming platform set a single-day record for downloads of its mobile app following the release of the superhero sequel …
Discussion:
The Streamable, ScreenRant and Variety
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Profile of Walter Hamada, who runs DC Films and is aiming to release comics-based movies like Batman and Wonder Woman at a much faster pace — Walter Hamada, who runs DC Films, is overseeing a dizzying number of projects, part of a swarm of comics-based stories coming from Hollywood.

AT&T says that nearly half of HBO Max's retail subscribers viewed Wonder Woman 1984 on Friday alone, the same day the movie debuted in theaters
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Slate, ScreenRant, @petersuderman, @cityofthetown, @michael_calia, @edmundlee, The Information, CNBC, Mediaite, The Streamable, Gizmodo, The Playlist, CNET, Bloomberg and MediaPost


First ever NFL game streamed exclusively had an average minute audience of 4.8M on Prime, Twitch, and others, almost as much as traditional TV viewership — The first ever NFL game to be shown exclusively on streaming platforms scored solid numbers, showing encouraging signs for future streaming-only games.
Discussion:
@crupicrupicrupi, The Streamable, Sports Business Daily, @richarddeitsch, MediaPost, @jason_kint and @aquinas82nd


Washington reporters, including Olivia Nuzzi, Jim Acosta, and Yamiche Alcindor, on being recast as “resistance heroes” during the Trump era and what comes next — The day after the 2016 election, I got a phone call from an old friend. Neither of us had slept much …
Discussion:
@kenvogel, @mckaycoppins, @kylegriffin1, @mckaycoppins, @dandarling, @exumam, @jchaltiwanger, @mattdizwhitlock, @jayrosen_nyu, @senhorraposa, @wajahatali, @bobsalera, @mckaycoppins, @stevekrak, @emptywheel, @yossigestetner, @omriceren, @jchaltiwanger, @hadleyfreeman, @holden114, @byronyork, @theatlantic, @schmittnyc, @tzipshmil, @jackmjenkins, @mckaycoppins and Fox News


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is tying the fate of $2,000 stimulus checks to the repeal of Section 230 — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is tying the fate of $2,000 stimulus checks to the repeal of Section 230, an effort that will likely doom both pieces of legislation in the Senate.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @chrismessina, Daily Herald, Al Jazeera, @waveturtlejake, New York Times, Reason, Washington Post, National Review, Gizmodo, CNBC, @jimmy_wales, @jimmy_wales, @lexalexander, @dangillmor, @jess_miers, @jimmy_wales, @yashar, @ryanunderdev, @jank0, Techdirt, @oneunderscore__, @chutry, The Verge, @lpackard, The Guardian, @dangillmor, @dangillmor, @birnbaum_e, @protocol, @oneunderscore__, @dangillmor, @jimmy_wales, @martinsfp, @dangillmor, @jimmy_wales and @jimmy_wales, more at Techmeme »


A loophole in Spotify's copyright infringement detection tactics is allowing unauthorized remixes and bootlegs of songs to be uploaded as podcasts — Spotify has joined the ranks of streaming services like SoundCloud and YouTube as a hub for bootlegs of popular songs.
Discussion:
Engadget and @delgotloud


Ampere: UK streaming subscribers grew 34% YoY in 2020, with a combined 32.4M for Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, the top three services — Britons spent 40% of their waking hours watching TV during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, fuelling the biggest year for new subscribers to streaming services.
Discussion:
Matt on Audio


A sustained cyberattack over Christmas forced several German newspapers published by The Funke Media Group to cancel or curtail editions; the attack is ongoing — Hackers knocked out one of Germany's biggest news organizations over the Christmas holiday. Such criminal attacks …


Filing: Jimmy Lai, who was charged earlier this month with Hong Kong's new national security law, resigned as chairman of Next Digital — - Lai charged with endangering national security under new law — Shares of Next Digital jump 25% in show of support for founder
Discussion:
@gregorhunter


Verizon is telling Fios TV customers that nine local Hearst stations may go dark on Fios on Jan. 1, saying Hearst is demanding carriage fee hikes of 45%+ — In a new end-of-the-year TV carriage fight, Verizon on Tuesday began notifying Fios TV customers that Hearst Television stations …
Discussion:
Radio & Television …


Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Moroccan authorities to release journalist Maati Monjib, arrested amid a money laundering probe — Moroccan authorities must immediately release journalist and press freedom advocate Maati Monjib, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Discussion:
@shanvav, Morocco World News, @aaschapiro, @aaschapiro, @sarahleah1, Africanews and Abdellatif EL Hamamouchi