Top News:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Twitter announces Super Follow feature to let users charge for tweets, and a Communities feature to let users create and join groups based on specific interests — It's also planning a groups feature — Twitter announced a pair of big upcoming features today: the ability for users to charge …
Discussion:
@wongmjane, @twitterir, @mshannahmurphy, New York Times, Axios, Nieman Lab, Mediaite, 9to5Mac, Insider, TechCrunch, @taylorlorenz, @edmundlee, Gizmodo Australia, @cameronwilson, @mjmckean, @caseynewton, @timherrera, @emilydreyfuss, @emilydreyfuss, @fmanjoo, @wroetoshaw, @samleecole, CNBC, @kathiepham, @doriantaylor, @timodc, @welshgasdoc, @umairh, @jonworth, @greg_jenner, @ruskin147, @allenmcduffee, @dsquareddigest, @ryangrim, @lifewinning, @lifewinning, @emilydreyfuss, NBC News, @film_girl, The Week, @janinegibson, @profmusgrave, @joshsternberg, @jericho, @stevenspohn, @petersterne, @petersterne and @scottbelsky, more at Techmeme »
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
AT&T and PE firm TPG reach a deal to make DirecTV a standalone company with TPG owning 30%; the deal is valued at $16.25B, includes DirecTV, AT&T TV, U-verse — The sides have been in talks for months as AT&T has sought to find a solution to the problem of DirecTV's subscriber losses dragging …
Discussion:
The Wrap, @sherman4949, nexttv.com, MediaPost, The Streamable, Ad Age, Light Reading, CNBC, @sherman4949, @franklinavenue, @tvmojoe, @karlbode, @sherman4949, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, FierceVideo, WORLD SCREEN and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:
Insider increases the minimum salary for full-time employees to $60K, increases minimum severance to two months and converts bonus compensation to salary — Insider is increasing the minimum salary of its full-time employees to $60,000 and improving other benefits, according to an internal memo distributed Thursday.
Discussion:
Press Gazette, @mekosoff, @e_vb_, @khaulasaad, @nichcarlson, @kerrymflynn, Axios and @stevekovach
New York Times:
In a two-minute message, Reply All co-founder and host Alex Goldman says the Test Kitchen series about Bon Appetit is cancelled and the show is on pause — A co-host and a senior reporter also left the podcast, after accusations that they worked against union efforts that many employees of color saw as necessary to increase diversity.
NBC News:
Sources: Biden administration will release an intelligence report that concludes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of Jamal Khashoggi — The Biden administration will release an intelligence report Thursday that concludes that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved …
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Christopher Warren / Crikey:
Amendments to Australia's media bargaining code will strengthen big tech and old media, with ~90% of Google money going to News Corp, Seven West Media, and Nine — The free money isn't enough to hurt the increasing revenues of big tech, but it is enough to hurt Australian journalism.
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CNET:
Australia passes news bargaining code that will require digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay local media outlets and publishers for their content
Australia passes news bargaining code that will require digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay local media outlets and publishers for their content
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, CNN, BBC, The Drum, Protocol, Talking Biz News, CNBC, Treasury Ministers, 9News, SBS News, Reuters, Gizmodo Australia, Bloomberg, Gizmodo and Variety, more at Techmeme »
Lila Shapiro / New York Magazine:
Interviews with nine publishing execs and editors of color, hired after the industry's reckoning provoked by #PublishingPaidMe, on their hopes and fears — Not long ago, Dana Canedy, the recently appointed publisher of Simon & Schuster, was visiting the Jersey shore when she strolled past …
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Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times:
A deep look at the effects of the Penguin Random House bid for Simon & Schuster on the book industry, particularly for authors seeking book deals — The merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster has the potential to touch every part of the industry, including how much authors get paid and how bookstores are run.
Natalie Jarvey / Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount+ details: ad-supported tier at $5/mo has NFL games, CBSN, thousands of shows; ad-free tier at $10/mo adds live local news, more sports, live CBS shows — The rebranded, revamped and supercharged CBS All Access will launch on March 4. — For more than 100 years …
Discussion:
ScreenRant, Variety, EW.com, Variety, TechCrunch, TVNewser, Variety, Variety, The Wrap, Variety, Variety, /Film, The Verge, Vanity Fair, @devindruid, @powergotnow, @gracerandolph, @nickanimation, @micaburton, @natjarv, @beapeabear, @emptigerstar, @bortlb, @kyle_amato, @osmosislo, @variety, @getfandom, @lavatwin, @richlightshed, Light Reading, Deadline, Cord Cutters News, The Wrap and Engadget, more at Techmeme »
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Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge:
Paramount shortens the time between theatrical and streaming releases to 45 days for some films, including Mission: Impossible 7 and Paw Patrol: The Movie
Paramount shortens the time between theatrical and streaming releases to 45 days for some films, including Mission: Impossible 7 and Paw Patrol: The Movie
Discussion:
The Streamable, Variety, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, @robblackwellab, @dylanbyers, Variety, /Film and The A.V. Club
Michael Safi / The Guardian:
Open letter signed by more than 100 Al Jazeera staff says Rightly, its new rightwing digital channel, betrays the outlet's journalism and tarnishes the brand — Open letter says the launch of online outlet ‘Rightly’ is ‘an affront’ to the network's journalistic vision
Discussion:
The Hill, The Daily Caller, @jaredbkeller, @elledubg, @franifio, @sakhr, @zabmustefa, @malonebarry, @khalidalbaih, @wajahatali, @hahellyer, @tarek, @chuckrossdc, @adammilstein and @hkesvani
Sara Fischer / Axios:
TheSkimm launches SkimmU, a set of free virtual finance courses for women, joining WWD and Axios in creating online courses for readers — TheSkimm, a digital media company catering to millennial women, plans to launch SkimmU, a set of free virtual courses designed to help women take control of their finances.
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Bill Nye to appeal ruling that lets Disney classify revenue from distribution of older shows as “home video”, allowing it to keep 80% of that revenue — For years, Disney has been keeping 80% of the revenue from older shows that it distributes to streaming platforms …
Discussion:
@spacewretch, @zoid9000, @highdefdiscnews, @baekdal and @tedgioia
Bill Keveney / USA Today:
At a House subcommittee hearing on media disinfo, TV host Soledad O'Brien urged news outlets to stop platforming lies: “do not book people to lie on your show” — A House subcommittee hearing Wednesday on media disinformation, especially in cable news, broke down predictably along partisan lines.
Discussion:
@ericschultz, @mattnegrin, @ceciliakang, @operation_ryan, @ceciliakang, @soledadobrien, @samchampion, @soledadobrien, @digiphile, Forbes, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Deadline and Mediaite
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Business Wire:
iHeartMedia reports Q4 revenue of $936M, down 9% YoY, says full 2020 revenue fell 20% YoY; company moves its digital audio business into separate reporting unit — iHeartMedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: IHRT) today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020. — Financial Highlights:
Discussion:
Radio & Television … and Business Wire