Top News:
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Nielsen says it undercounted “out of home” TV audiences since September 2020 due to a “software issue”, and vows to release corrected estimates from mid-January — Nielsen is in the midst of a battle to count TV audiences of the future, but the company …
Discussion:
@bristei, @bristei, @bristei, @maskedscheduler, @cramersshirt, @jyarow, Hollywood Reporter and AdExchanger
Claudia Eller / Variety:
Q&A with Bob Iger, as he prepares to leave Disney at the end of 2021, on his disinterest in running another company, Bob Chapek, investing in startups, and more — “I'm being resolute about it — this time around. I haven't once second-guessed it or hesitated," he tells me. “It's bittersweet.
Discussion:
Insider, CNBC, Puck, @variety, @variety_claudia, @tvgrimreaper, @tylermooore, @variety, @variety, @mhawk9955, @variety_cynthia, @jesterbestie, @joshgad, @variety, @williamsjon and The Week
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich settles his libel claim after journalist Catherine Belton and HarperCollins amended passages in her book, Putin's People — Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has settled his libel claim against the journalist and publisher behind the book Putin's People.
David Pierce / Protocol:
Interview with Automattic's Matt Mullenweg on working from his always-connected RV, making “the Berkshire Hathaway of the internet”, and betting on open systems — In the early days of the pandemic, Matt Mullenweg didn't move to a compound in Hawaii, bug out to a bunker …
Discussion:
@jboogie, @automattic, @pierce and @protocol, more at Techmeme »
Kate Conger / New York Times:
A look at Clubhouse and its competitors, as veteran podcast hosts and new creators decide what works best for them, based on pay, features, and their audiences — The company showed that people would flock to an audio-only social media app. Can it fend off the imitators?
Discussion:
@simonowens, @tonyschwartznba, @kateconger, @chrismessina and @brianmcc
Ryan Broderick / Garbage Day:
Analysis of Garbage Day's Substack metrics: 16K readers, about 10% of which pay to subscribe, driven mainly by announcements or coupons, not paywalled posts — Read to the end for a bunch of really good two-sentence horror stories — Tomorrow paying subscribers will get an interview in their inboxes with journalist Michael Hobbes.
Discussion:
@broderick, @broderick, @simonowens, @llegrarosenberg, @caseynewton and @cwarzel
Politico:
Euronews says its editorial independence is not at risk after being acquired by Portuguese investment firm Alpac Capital, which has close ties to Viktor Orbán — Father of Alpac Capital's CEO has close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Discussion:
@mkarnitschnig, @stollmeyereu, @stluedke and @europeanspod
The Economic Times:
India bans 20 YouTube channels and two websites for alleged “anti-India” propaganda from Pakistan, invoking its new IT Act's emergency powers for the first time — India banned 20 YouTube channels and two websites on Monday for allegedly running anti-India propaganda from Pakistan …
Discussion:
@mhbergen, @rahultripathi, @evelyndouek, pib.gov.in and MediaNama, more at Techmeme »
Bloomberg:
China's Xinhua News Agency plans to issue news photography NFTs, despite Beijing largely banning crypto-related transactions — China's official Xinhua News Agency is planning to issue news collectibles based on technology used in non-fungible tokens even as policy makers in Beijing have largely banned all crypto-related transactions.
Gillian Tan / Bloomberg:
Triller agrees to merge with adtech company SeaChange, taking the TikTok rival public at a ~$5B valuation; PitchBook: Triller's most recent valuation was $1.25B — Triller, a social-video platform, agreed to a merger with Seachange International Inc. in a move that will take the smaller rival to TikTok public.
Discussion:
GlobeNewswire News Room, @scottnover, @lanceulanoff, TechCrunch and Protocol, more at Techmeme »
Laura Webster / The National:
GB News will launch a radio station in 2022 to turn “traditional media on its head”, becoming the UK's only broadcaster to simulcast nationally on radio and TV — GB News to launch radio station in effort to turn ‘traditional media on its head’
Discussion:
Daily Mail and @scotnational
Chandini Monnappa / Reuters:
Sony Pictures India and Zee Entertainment merge, overtaking Disney's Star India as India's biggest TV player, led by Zee CEO Punit Goenka — Sony's (6758.T) India unit has finalised a deal with local rival Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) to merge their television channels, film assets and streaming platforms …
Discussion:
Deadline