Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
AT&T plans to sell its Xandr programmatic advertising marketplace to Microsoft; the deal would not involve the ad sales business behind DirecTV — Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed; the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory reviews.
Axios:
Source: PE firm GSV is working on a bid to buy Forbes Media at a $620M valuation, as an alternative to Forbes' planned $630M SPAC merger — Investment firm GSV is working on a bid to buy Forbes Media at a $620 million valuation as an alternative to Forbes' announced SPAC merger, Axios has learned.
Discussion:
@sarafischer and @michellemanafy
Emma Goldberg / New York Times:
In an internal memo, Fox says all its NYC office staff must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination by December 27, blaming Mayor de Blasio for the vaccine mandate — Fox Corporation, the owner of Fox News, told employees on Friday that those working in New York City would have to show proof …
Discussion:
The Hill, @jeremymbarr, @brendannyhan, @emmabgo, @ericuman, @jeremymbarr, @mollyjongfast, TVNewser, @brianstelter, @bradmossesq, @mehdirhasan, @deray, @billpascrell, @jeremymbarr, @zac_petkanas, Mediaite, @scottfeinberg, @jonlis1, @helenkennedy, @projectlincoln, The Daily Beast, @xtrixcyclex and @maxboot
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely steps down as CEO and names head of communications and marketing Ami Gan as his replacement; Stokely will remain as an adviser — OnlyFans named spokesperson Ami Gan as its new chief executive officer, replacing Tim Stokely, who founded and built the media company …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, New York Post, Tubefilter and @lucas_shaw, more at Techmeme »
Benjamin Mullin / Wall Street Journal:
Internal memo: CNN is closing its US offices to all nonessential employees as COVID-19 cases rise at the network and nationwide — President Jeff Zucker cited a surge of cases at the network in a memo on the decision — CNN is closing its offices to nonessential employees …
Ben Bowman / The Streamable:
YouTube TV reaches a deal with Disney to bring back 17+ channels including ABC, Disney, ESPN, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic — After one day of being dark, YouTube TV and Disney have reached a deal which will see more than 17 Disney-owned channels, including local ABC affiliates, Disney Channel, and ESPN return to the service.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, The Verge, Dana Blankenhorn, Radio & Television …, MediaPost, @cnn, @mgsiegler, @film_girl, @epro, @pkafka, @reckless, Beyond Search, @thestreamable, Variety, UPI, CNET, @youtubetv, Deadline, Awful Announcing, The Verge, 9to5Google, Cord Cutters News, nexttv.com, Sports Illustrated, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
William Turvill / Press Gazette:
Axel Springer reports 2020 revenue of €2.97B, down 5% YoY, with adjusted EBITDA of €653.8M, down 13% YoY, and says its US business is “booming” in 2021 — Axel Springer, the German news publishing giant that owns Insider and Politico, has revealed that its revenues fell by €150m …
Discussion:
Reuters and @jackshafer
Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review:
The pursuit of “scale” drives media companies to merge, such as in the Vox-Group Nine deal, but what constitutes sufficient scale changes when valuations shrink — On Tuesday, Vox Media and Group Nine announced plans to merge their operations, in what Jim Bankoff …
Discussion:
@chronotope, @jackmarshall, @cjr, @mathewi and Wall Street Journal
The Atlantic:
Mark Leibovich, the chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, will join The Atlantic as a staff writer in the spring — Leibovich to begin this spring, as The Atlantic continues to train its editorial focus on the crisis facing democracy
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Disney says it intends to join the Nielsen One “cross screen” framework, which is expected to debut at CES in January before a launch at the end of 2022 — Don't count Nielsen out as the media industry scrambles to find new ways to tabulate audiences increasingly making their way to venues other than a traditional TV set.
Discussion:
AdExchanger, nexttv.com, Radio & Television …, Ad Age and Deadline
Rob Pegoraro / PCMag:
Five DC-area stations begin airing Internet Protocol-based NextGen TV signals alongside digital TV broadcasts, 3.5 years after the first test broadcasts began — The updated over-the-air television standard allows for more reliable reception, better sound and video, and interactive features.
Discussion:
American Press Institute
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
NYT's Thomas Friedman favorably cited Conservation International in 20+ columns without disclosing his family's $5.9M donation to the environmental organization — In two dozen opinion columns published by the New York Times over the past 15 years, Thomas Friedman has favorably cited …
Discussion:
Media Nation, @timmarchman, @w7voa and @awinston
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