Top News:
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Chris Licht tells CNN staff that layoffs are underway as part of a strategy shift, starting with “a limited number of individuals”, mostly paid contributors — “It will be a difficult time for everyone,” CNN EO Chris Licht told staff in an email Wednesday.
Discussion:
Variety, @oliverdarcy, Mediaite, The Wrap, The Hill, New York Post, The Information, Wall Street Journal, Deadline, @paulrieckhoff, @bristei, IndieWire, @bristei, @karlbode, @daveweigel, @curtishouck, @elbordeaux, @jeremymbarr, @maxwelltani, @jeremymbarr, @claireatki, @benmullin and Breitbart, more at Techmeme »
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Filing: Disney now owns 100% of streaming tech company BAMTech after paying $900M for MLB's 15% stake in November 2022; Disney acquired a majority stake in 2017 — Disney acquired a majority stake in the tech company in 2017, and has used it to power its streaming services.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Variety, @2xaught7, @scottgustin, Digital TV Europe, @billkuchman, @injuryexpert, TechCrunch, CNET and Awful Announcing
Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap:
Memo: Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke will oversee MGM effective immediately, including scripted TV and film, distribution, and creative marketing — Shocking no one, on Tuesday night Amazon informed employees that Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke will now also oversee MGM …
Discussion:
Deadline, Digital TV Europe, Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Media Play News and MediaPost
Lydia Polgreen / New York Times:
People can help protect democracy by supporting their local news outlets, rather than spending time on platforms and TV networks that deepen partisan divides — Like a lot of folks, I have been thinking quite a bit lately about how to shore up our democracy. We voted in November, and that seems to have gone pretty well.
Discussion:
@jere_hester, @lpolgreen, @bworley, @inn, @susanmcp1, @matthewkeyslive, @rachelsklar, @apantazi, @jeffplatsky, @shiraovide, @ylichterman, @lionpubs, @mollyjongfast and @bupbin
Elaine Díaz Rodríguez / LION Publishers:
LION Publishers' sustainability audits show more independent news founders are focusing on revenue and audience research to deal with some industry challenges — Takeaways from the LION-GNI Sustainability Audits and Funding program — Independent news founders are seeing …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Research: women of color are “completely locked out” of the UK news industry and face “extraordinary exclusion” in the US, both in leadership and news coverage — Women of colour are “almost completely locked out” of the UK news industry making them “effectively invisible”, a new report has found.
Discussion:
The Guardian, @raju and @akannampilly
Jim Waterson / The Guardian:
The BBC plans to make “lighter” dramas, sports documentaries, and crime shows to reach poorer audiences, after Ofcom said they are “persistently underserved” — Ofcom warns lower socio-economic viewers feel ‘persistently underserved’ by broadcaster
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and Digital TV Europe
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
Around 130,000 UK publishing businesses, covering ~1.75M websites and apps, sue Google and Alphabet for alleged anti-competitive behavior in adtech — Litigation against Google and its parent entity Alphabet being brought in the UK on behalf of thousands of digital publishers …
Discussion:
Press Gazette, Bloomberg and Reuters
Platformer:
Internal messages: Twitter's EMEA ad revenue dropped 15% YoY and weekly bookings are down 49%; source: Blue is delayed as Twitter seeks to skirt App Store fees — Revenues are in free fall, employees say. Can Musk turn the tide? — and Zoë Schiffer
Discussion:
Observer, Gizmodo, @caseynewton, Forbes, Insider, The Register, @jamesrbuk, @gergelyorosz, @carnage4life, @golub, @zoeschiffer, @chrchristensen, @rhymestyle, @jenntakahashi, @markyzaguirre, @mattnavarra, @rowlsmanthorpe, Fortune, @chrisyandle, @arawnsley, @scottnover, @hamburger, @edzitron, @zaackhunt, The Verge and The Information, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
AMC Networks plans to lay off 20% of its staff, or around 200 people, and CEO Christina Spade steps down abruptly, after joining in September 2022 — Company has been under pressure from cord-cutting as Americans turn to streaming services — AMC Networks Inc. said it is planning to lay off …
Discussion:
CNN, @sherman4949, CNBC, Deadline, Broadband TV News, The Desk, UPI, @carlquintanilla, @ourand_sbj, @trengriffin, @awallenstein, @great_katzby, @aagave, New York Post, Observer, Gizmodo, Next TV, The Wrap, AMC Networks Inc., IndieWire, CNN, MediaPost, Los Angeles Times, IndieWire, WORLD SCREEN, Ad Age, Media Play News, Adweek, Next TV, Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
Ariel Shapiro / The Verge:
Spotify releases Wrapped 2022 for users, adding a “music personality” feature, and says Joe Rogan, Emma Chamberlain, and others were its top podcasters — Spotify Wrapped is here, and with it, a slew of year-end charts, data, and graphics ripe for sharing.
Discussion:
Forbes, Spotify, Variety, Ad Age, TechCrunch, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, Billboard, UPI, Gizmodo, Fortune, BGR, @carnage4life, @musicstruggles1, @jonnygabriel, Music Ally, PRWeek, 9to5Mac, The Drum, Engadget, E! Online, @anthony, All This Is True, The Hollywood Reporter, ScreenRant and CNET, more at Techmeme »
Deccan Herald:
Indian news outlet NDTV says founders Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy have resigned from the board of its holding company RRPR, as the Adani Group nears a takeover — The Roys, however, still hold a 32.26% stake in NDTV as promoters and have not resigned from the board
Discussion:
BBC, Reuters, DailyBrief, Tribuneindia News Service, Bloomberg and Newslaundry
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