Top News:
Lindsey Ellefson / The Wrap:
Fox News ends 2021 as the top-rated basic cable channel for the sixth straight year with an average of 1.3M daily viewers, followed by MSNBC, CNN, ESPN, HGTV — End-of-year ratings are in and Fox News finished off 2021 as the top-rated basic cable channel for the sixth straight year, netting a lot of other wins along the way.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Forbes, Washington Times, Forbes, Variety, Deadline, Fox News, CNN, Pink's Bottom Line on Media …, Media Matters for America and Politico
Xander Richards / The National:
BBC concedes Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer Alan Dershowitz was “not a suitable person to interview as an impartial analyst” to discuss the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict — BBC admits fault after interview with Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer Alan Dershowitz — THE BBC has conceded …
Discussion:
@bbcnewspr, @caoilfhionnanna, @marla_vous, Washington Post, @dry_observer, The Guardian, @jayrosen_nyu, Rolling Stone, @nadiawhittomemp, Mediaite, @palbint, The Guardian, @kimpossiblefact, @anelsona, @maxblumenthal, @dougsaunders, @mehdirhasan, @parismarx, The Times, @grady_booch, @aodespair, @craigmurrayorg, @bigblackjacobin, @tribelaw, @shujarabbani, @byyourlogic, @zevshalev, @sarahchurchwell, @mikegalsworthy, @emilygorcenski, @silkiecarlo, @littledeekay, @jonfranks, @birgittaj, @aymanm, @claireatki, @jeffjarvis, @paulmasonnews, @chardinetaylor, @charlesarthur, @robburl, @atrupar, @jamieojohnson, @mollyjongfast, @jolyonmaugham, @liamyoung, @louisstaples, @scottygb, @kimjohnsonmp, @roseschmits, @clancyreports, @owenjones84, @healthuntodeath, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Defector, @vrycoolandgood, New York Times, Variety, Newser, Hollywood Reporter, New York Post, The Wrap, Insider, The Daily Beast, Deadline and Rolling Stone
Jana Winter / Yahoo News:
US CBP and congressional committees are reviewing a secretive CBP division that ran database checks to investigate as many as 20 journalists — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is conducting a review of a secretive division that uses some of the country's most sensitive databases …
Discussion:
@weinbergersa, @davidlarter, @buddjenn, @isikoff and Reclaim The Net
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Q&A with 10 media writers on the biggest and most overblown stories of the year, which streamer had the best year, predictions for 2022, and more — I'm sorry we didn't have a newsletter last weekend. I was dealing with a mild bout of Covid, time I used to catch up on Oscar movies.
Discussion:
@aherman2006 and @lucas_shaw
Jennifer Jenkins / Duke University School of Law:
Books, movies, and songs published in 1926 and an estimated 400,000 sound recordings published before 1923 enter the US public domain as copyrights expire — On January 1, 2022, copyrighted works from 1926 will enter the US public domain, 1 where they will be free for all to copy, share, and build upon.
CNN:
Sudanese security forces raid two broadcasters, confiscate equipment, and assault and detain staff, trying to censor coverage of mass anti-military protests — (CNN)At least four people were shot dead by Sudanese security forces during anti-coup demonstrations near the capital Khartoum on Thursday …
Reuters:
Court denies bail to two ex-Stand News editors; HK's Carrie Lam says actions against Stand News “have nothing to do with so-called suppression of press freedom” — Two former senior editors of Hong Kong's Stand News were charged with conspiring to publish seditious materials …
Discussion:
@reuters, @reuters, @reuters, @theprojecttv, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, 10 play, RAPPLER, New York Post and Reclaim The Net
The Moscow Times:
Russia's media regulator adds Netflix to its “audio-visual services” register, requiring it to offer 20 major Russian federal TV channels starting in March 2022 — Russia's state media watchdog will require Netflix to offer state television channels to its Russian customers …
Discussion:
@emmalbriant and @michaeldweiss, more at Techmeme »
Heidi Chung / Variety:
Since BuzzFeed's SPAC merger, its stock has fallen more than 50%, as other digital media companies warily eye their own exit or consolidation moves — As 2021 draws to a close, there have been some wild last-minute moves from recognizable names in digital media.
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
As subscriptions to streaming services stall, Comcast, Disney, and other media companies are roping in their news operations to attract subscribers — If a big story erupted at a random hour not too long ago, executives at big TV-news outlets would typically try to break …
Discussion:
TVNewser, @alexsalvinews, @bristei, @bristei and @bristei
Jack Suntrup / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Missouri's governor says he thinks a prosecutor will bring charges in the case of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter alerting the state to a data vulnerability — JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday expressed his opinion the Cole County prosecuting attorney would bring charges …
Discussion:
@trendoid, Reclaim The Net, The Verge, Metacurity, @joeuchill, @shortformernie, @joeuchill, @stevecollinssj, @bkopernikus, @highbrow_nobrow, @brfreed, @ericcolumbus, @xor, @dangillmor, MediaPost and Techdirt
Scott Roxborough / Hollywood Reporter:
2021 saw a wave of indie producer consolidation to build up content libraries, boost production potential, and take bigger shares of licensing revenues — The worldwide consolidation of independent producers looks likely to continue in 2022 as the global streaming boom pushes up both demand and budgets for film and TV series.
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