Top News:
ABC:
Australia says Facebook agreed to reinstate news content in Australia in the coming days after the government promised amendments to its proposed media bill — We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
Discussion:
New York Times, @kantrowitz, news.com.au, Australian Financial Review, Bloomberg, @mikeisaac, NBC News, The Wrap, Washington Times, CNET, Gizmodo Australia, Axios, @yathinkn, @caseynewton, 9News, @slpng_giants, @jason_kint, @profcarroll, @fbnewsroom and @likebutterfield, more at Techmeme »
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Nieman Lab:
Facebook's Australian news ban may leave it operating like WeChat, with news provided by platform-specific content houses posting tons of low-quality articles
Discussion:
Insider, TechCrunch and XDA Developers
Alex Barker / Financial Times:
Microsoft says it will work with Europe's four largest news publishing lobbying groups to “mandate payments” for content used by “gatekeepers”
Discussion:
The Guardian, BBC, @rasmus_kleis, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, CNET, Protocol, Engadget, @klyngec, @yathinkn, Herald Sun, @newsceo, @mattyglesias, @robpegoraro, @gaberivera, Engadget, @stevesi, @jbenton, @rcostaricardo, @epc_angela, @jason_kint, @carolinwehrhahn, MediaPost, @benedictevans, Press Gazette, Reuters and Marketing BS …, more at Techmeme »
Dylan Byers / NBC News:
Spotify launches Renegades: Born in the USA, an exclusive, eight-episode podcast with Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen as co-hosts — Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen are making a podcast. — Spotify on Monday announced the launch of “Renegades: Born in the USA,” …
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, @dylanbyers, Variety, @barackobama, The Verge, Firstpost Tech, Axios, Breitbart, @axios, @johnlevenstein, WayneDupree.com, @timothys, @lucas_shaw, @danfostertype, That Eric Alper, @brendelbored, @dylanbyers, @davidcorndc, @nickriccardi, @heminator, @anthony, @edglavin, @benlabolt, @heminator, @sisario, @sethamandel, @mikedelmoro, The A.V. Club, @jonallendc, The Daily Caller, TechCrunch, Slate, Forbes, The Week, The Haps, The Big Lead, Mediaite, Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Times, TheBlaze, CNBC, The Wrap, New York Post, The Verge, Reuters, Spotify and The Western Journal
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Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify says it will test paid podcast subscriptions in the US this spring through a new feature in Anchor — During its live-streamed event today, Spotify officially confirmed its plans to launch paid podcast subscriptions on its platform. As a first step, the company will this spring begin beta testing …
Discussion:
Matt on Audio and Spotify
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Spotify says it will launch a subscription later this year called HiFi that will offer “CD-quality, lossless audio”; Spotify currently tops out at 320kbps audio — Your turn, Apple Music — Spotify is going hi-fi. Well, “HiFi.” It's taken longer than competitors like Tidal …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Spotify, Firstpost Tech, ScreenRant, @iamkory, @kerrymflynn, @mlchild, @chrismaddern, @spotify, @tomwarren, @stevekopack, @passantino, @alex, @reckless, @lucas_shaw, @chriswelch, @varadmehta, @snazzyq, @chriswelch, Gizmodo Australia, XDA Developers, Music Business Worldwide, 9to5Google, Spotify and CNET, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Spotify says it will launch in 80+ new markets in the coming days, expanding from 93 markets, making the service available to 1B potential new users
Discussion:
@eldsjal, Ad Age, Bloomberg, @kerrymflynn, @lucas_shaw, @dbricej, @lucas_shaw, TechCrunch and CNET, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify will launch an audio advertising marketplace, the Spotify Audience Network, and plans to offer podcasts on its self-serve ad platform Spotify Ad Studio
Discussion:
@sarafischer, AdExchanger, Spotify and Adweek, more at Techmeme »
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, sticking to “both sides-ism”, still let GOP leaders spread the “Big Lie” that Trump won the election with little or no pushback — (CNN Business)A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.
Discussion:
Washington Post, @mattnegrin, @mepfuller, @mattnegrin, Vanity Fair, @kasparov63, Fox News, @ruthbenghiat, @jbf1755, @espuelasvox, @uwcip, @soledadobrien, @lukemcgee, @brianstelter, @tedlieu, @jbf1755, Breitbart, @slpng_giants and @brianstelter
Pamela McClintock / Hollywood Reporter:
Following Warner Bros., Hollywood studios are increasingly concealing their box office grosses, citing hybrid releases due to theater closures — In the latest twist, Searchlight Pictures didn't provide any numbers at all for ‘Nomadland’ when the Oscar hopeful expanded nationwide over the Feb. 19-21 weekend.
Discussion:
@tatianasiegel27, @brentalang, @anoushasakoui, @thr and @melsil
Kathryn Hopkins / WWD:
Hearst says O, The Oprah Magazine will get a new name and a paywall on its website, as the magazine hires a new general manager and shifts to quarterly print — Hearst also revealed that the publication's name will be changed and a paywall is to be introduced.
Discussion:
@kerrymflynn, @jkosner and Daily Front Row
Kelsey McKinney / Defector:
Internal memo: Slate indefinitely suspended The Gist host Mike Pesca over a Slack discussion; sources: he argued for the use of the N-word in some cases — Mike Pesca, host of Slate's daily podcast, The Gist, has been suspended from the company indefinitely according to an internal memo sent …
Sean Highkin / Bleacher Report:
A look at NBA Top Shot, a marketplace for NBA video highlights, that has over 50,000 users with sales of $60M+ since launching a public beta in October — In the third quarter of a regular-season game against the Houston Rockets last February, LeBron James broke away for a two-handed reverse …
The New York Times Company:
NYT: Maggie Haberman will take on a new beat and join Washington bureau's investigative/enterprise team and still track the post-Trump scene with Politics desk — Elisabeth Bumiller, Dick Stevenson and Patrick Healy share Maggie's new role, which will span investigative/enterprise in Washington and Politics.
Discussion:
@brianstelter, @ericliptonnyt, @sollenbergerrc, @timothynoah1, @juliehdavis, @jswatz, @dylanbyers and @froomkin
Jess Shankleman / Bloomberg:
UK tabloids like The Sun, once vehemently skeptical of climate change, are backing green policies, to attract younger readers and compete with digital outlets — The right-leaning papers tend to drive public opinion, and now they're backing Boris Johnson's campaign to tackle climate change
Discussion:
Press Gazette
Brendan Brady / ANTENNA:
Analysis: The Office drove 3.9x sign-ups to Peacock vs average December weekend; Netflix churn rate was not impacted as <1% of Netflix subs signed-up to Peacock — After finding a second life as a cultural phenomenon on Netflix, The Office returned home to NBCU's Peacock on January 1, 2021.
Discussion:
The Streamable, @ballmatthew and Observer
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