Mediagazer: Startups like Wurl, Amagi, and Frequency, which enable distribution and ads for free ad-supported streaming channels, say their business is booming (Janko Roettgers/Protocol)

2:15 PM ET, March 18, 2022

Top News:

Jim Waterson / Guardian:

Ofcom revokes RT's broadcast license in the UK, citing new Russian laws that criminalized journalistic output, and says it conducted 29 investigations into RT — British media regulator says it does not consider RT ‘to be fit and proper to hold a UK licence’

Janko Roettgers / Protocol:

Startups like Wurl, Amagi, and Frequency, which enable distribution and ads for free ad-supported streaming channels, say their business is booming — Cord cutting isn't just changing the way we watch TV; it's also fundamentally transforming how television networks are operating.

Discussion: @karynelevy and @jank0

Sara Guaglione / Digiday:

Dow Jones, FT, The Economist, and WaPo have lifted their paywalls in Russia and Ukraine, where readership, albeit small, has grown significantly — Some news organizations are lifting their paywalls and creating new channels to make information on the war in Ukraine freely available to readers there and in Russia.

Kathryn VanArendonk / Vulture:

Q&A with Baby-sitters Club's creator on Netflix canceling the show, the opacity of Netflix metrics, how global appeal influences cancelations, and more — “I don't know what they wanted that they didn't get.” Rachel Shukert is talking about her series The Baby-Sitters Club …

Discussion: ScreenRant, @aysrick, @elainelow, @hhavrilesky, @mjschulman, @darren_mooney, Polygon, Vulture and The A.V. Club

William Turvill / Press Gazette:

AAM: US magazine circulation on Apple News+ rose 150% YoY on average in H2 2021; People, the most popular, had 213K users opening an edition on average, up 220% — America's largest magazines saw their Apple News+ ‘circulations’ increase by an average 150% year-on-year in the second half of 2021 …

Wall Street Journal:

Gambling regulators in Nevada and Indiana are investigating Barstool Sports and Penn National in the wake of sexual misconduct accusations against Dave Portnoy — Gambling regulators in two states are looking into both companies amid sexual-misconduct allegations against Barstool's founder

Discussion: Awful Announcing, Daily Mail, @katherinesayre and insideradio.com

Aisha Majid / Press Gazette:

Analysis: the number of advertised journalism jobs in the UK rose 79% from February 2019 to February 2022; the average salary in February 2022 was £35,244 — New Press Gazette analysis suggests of UK journalism jobs data finds the number of vacancies and size of salaries paid are increasing.

Discussion: @pressgazette

Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel received a pay package in 2021 that topped $308M, mostly from a one-time stock grant worth $293.7M as the company went through an IPO — With most of that compensation tied up in stock that may or may not vest, the company says his realized pay was closer to $67 million.

Discussion: @kimmasters, @alexweprin, Deadline, The Wrap and Variety

Leah Nylen / Politico:

Sources: the FTC will not challenge Amazon's MGM Studios acquisition as Lina Khan decided not to call for a vote, anticipating opposition from GOP commissioners — The Federal Trade Commission will not challenge Amazon's acquisition of MGM Studios after the agency's commissioners split on bringing a suit …

Discussion: Protocol, MediaPost, @business, @ryangrim, @parismarx, @eriqgardner, Bloomberg, The Information, NPR, Input, Gizmodo, Variety, WHDH-TV and Vanity Fair, more at Techmeme »

Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Amazon finalizes its $8.5B acquisition of MGM, two days after the deal received clearance from the EU's antitrust regulator

Drew Harwell / Washington Post:

Western media including the BBC, Deutsche Welle, NYT, and WaPo are using Tor, Telegram, and shortwave radio as they try to pierce Russia's propaganda bubble — An international resistance of computer programmers and volunteer “information warriors” is racing to pierce Kremlin propaganda …

Discussion: @rferlpress, @drewharwell, @geoffreyfowler, @washingtonpost, @mpolymer, @w7voa and Raw Story

Dan Kennedy / Media Nation:

Gannett closes at least 19 print weekly newspapers in Eastern Massachusetts and merges nine weeklies into four — Gannett is closing at least 19 print weekly newspapers serving at least 26 communities in Eastern Massachusetts, according to notices posted on those papers' websites.

Discussion: American Press Institute, Boston Business Journal, @karynregal, @karynregal, @karynregal, @downballotfocus, @downballotfocus, @johnguilfoil and The Rural Blog

Rick Edmonds / Poynter:
Gannett moves the printing of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and 10 other Wisconsin dailies 220 miles to Illinois' Peoria Journal Star, cutting 180 jobs

Discussion: @greg_reibman, members.charlesriverchamber …, @peterrobison and @bradhoylman

Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:

Fox News appeals a ruling letting Smartmatic sue for defamation, questions Smartmatic's $2.7B claim in damages, and seeks relief under New York's anti-SLAPP law — Fox News on Thursday appealed a judge's decision to let voting systems company Smartmatic pursue a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit alleging …

Discussion: @reuterslegal, Bloomberg, Insider, The Hill, Deadline and TVNewser

Manori Ravindran / Variety:

Vice takes full control of UK production company Pulse Films, and co-founders Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford have left the company — Vice Media Group has taken full control of “Gangs of London” producer Pulse Films. — Pulse co-founders Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford …

Discussion: C21Media, The Wrap and Deadline