Top News:
Oliver Darcy / CNN:
Memo: T&R Productions, the production company behind RT America, the US version of Russia's state-funded RT, will lay off most of its staff and cease production — New York (CNN Business)The production company behind the American version of the Russian state-funded network RT laid off …
Discussion:
TALKERS magazine, The Daily Beast, Protocol, Newsbusters, @hopeseck, Deadline, @therickwilson, Fox News, @tonyajoriley, @brhodes, The Kyiv Independent, @_richardhall, Mediaite, @glemgreenwald, @frankconniff, @ericowensdc, @exumam, @eliothiggins, @bendreyfuss, @soonergrunt, @mmasnick, CNBC, TVNewser, Variety, Insider, Hollywood Reporter, The Hill, TheBlaze, The Wrap, Axios, @billprady and @karlbode
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Sheila Dang / Reuters:
RT says it will begin broadcasting on Rumble, a video platform popular with right-wing users, after tech companies restricted Russian state-controlled media — Russian state-controlled news network RT said on Thursday it will begin broadcasting on Rumble, a YouTube-like video site …
Discussion:
@amandacarpenter, @therickwilson, Engadget, @rumblevideo, @gpingersoll, @checkmyadshq and @mattpalumbo12
New York Times:
Russian journalists from independent outlets describe Kremlin pressure that shut them down, or soon will: “Everything that's not propaganda is being eliminated” — “Everything that's not propaganda is being eliminated,” a Nobel Prize winning editor said as Russian authorities moved …
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The Moscow Times:
After Russia takes Ekho Moskvy off the air for spreading “deliberately false information”, the board of directors votes to liquidate the liberal radio station
After Russia takes Ekho Moskvy off the air for spreading “deliberately false information”, the board of directors votes to liquidate the liberal radio station
Discussion:
@juliaioffe, Vanity Fair, New Yorker, @katyayushchenko, @cliffordlevy, @antontroian, @sbg1, @orlovakarine, @murphymike, Al Jazeera, Committee to Protect … and CNN
Gene Maddaus / Variety:
The DOJ unseals an indictment charging ex-Fox News producer Jack Hanick with working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch to build TV networks in Russia and Europe — Jack Hanick, a onetime producer at Fox News, has been indicted on charges of working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch …
Angela Fu / Poynter:
The New York Times' tech workers vote 404-88 to unionize as the New York Times Tech Guild, becoming the largest US unit of tech workers with bargaining rights — The new unit, which is organized by the NewsGuild, is now the largest unit of tech workers with bargaining rights in the country.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Axios, @katie_robertson, @greenhousenyt, @lia_nemeth_, The NewsGuild, @nytguildtech, @katie_robertson, @greenhousenyt, @greenhousenyt and New York Times
Variety:
Netflix promotes Marian Lee to CMO, replacing Bozoma Saint John, who joined the company in August 2020 after senior roles at Uber, Apple, and Endeavor — She replaces Bozoma Saint John, who boarded the streaming giant in 2020 after serving in senior executive roles at Uber and Apple.
Jessica Toonkel / The Information:
Source: Disney is discussing launching a cheaper, ad-supported Disney+ tier in the US to fire up slowing subscriber growth and hit its 2024 profitability goal — Disney is discussing launching a cheaper, ad-supported tier of its Disney+ streaming service in the U.S., according to a person involved in the discussions.
MIT Technology Review:
An investigation details Operation Safety Net, a sprawling surveillance program in Minnesota to track protesters and journalists after George Floyd's murder — An investigation by MIT Technology Review reveals a sprawling, technologically sophisticated system in Minnesota designed for closely monitoring protesters.
Discussion:
@kalankdavis, @zola_ellen, @ziibiing, @aoc, @reillymj, @haymarketbooks, @taterymo, @johnpaczkowski, @ilhanmn, @breenewsome and @mat, more at Techmeme »
Paresh Dave / Reuters:
Google stops selling online advertising in Russia including on Search, YouTube, and outside publishing partners, following similar moves by Twitter and Snap — Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google said on Thursday that it had stopped selling online advertising in Russia, a ban that covers search, YouTube and outside publishing partners.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Wrap, Engadget, 9to5Google and ZNAK.com Ин …, more at Techmeme »
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Elizabeth A. Harris / New York Times:
Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy author who spends lots of time interacting with his audience, raises $19M+ in two days on Kickstarter to self-publish four novels — Brandon Sanderson set out to raise $1 million on Kickstarter in 30 days to fund four new books. He blew past it in about 35 minutes.
Discussion:
Whatever, @nytimesbusiness, @cnbci, @craigmod, @brandsanderson, @ericnewcomer, @reidromance, @xanalter, @sarahw, @pebble, ScreenRant and shaken & stirred
Eduardo Suárez / Reuters Institute for the Study …:
Q&A with Guardian Head of Editorial Innovation Chris Moran on covering breaking news on Ukraine and fine-tuning the newspaper's live blogs to meet users' needs — Head of Editorial Innovation Chris Moran explains how he and his team have shaped the newspaper's live blog to meet users' needs
Discussion:
@anthony, @chrismoranuk, @badams, @niemanlab, @risj_oxford and @risj_oxford
Jem Aswad / Variety:
Universal Music Group reports Q4 revenue of $2.8B, up 19% YoY, FY 2021 revenue of $9.4B, up 14% YoY, and $420M spent on “catalog investments” in FY 2021 — The world's largest music company, Universal Music Group, posted a record $9.4 billion in revenue for 2021, the company announced in its earnings report on Thursday.
K.J. Yossman / Variety:
ITV buys out the BBC's share of BritBox UK ahead of streaming service ITVX's launch; BritBox International will remain a 50/50 venture between ITV and the BBC — ITVX will integrate BritBox U.K. although the latter best-of-British offering will remain a “separate entity” within the app and require a paid subscription.
Discussion:
Radio Times and The Streamable
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Thomas Seal / Bloomberg:
ITV announces ITVX, a free streaming service with ads or paid without ads, to replace its Hub service later in 2022; ITV will invest £1.35B in content by 2023
ITV announces ITVX, a free streaming service with ads or paid without ads, to replace its Hub service later in 2022; ITV will invest £1.35B in content by 2023
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Drum, Press Centre, Junghoon's Direct Media …, Deadline, Financial Times and London Evening Standard