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Twitter rolls out its updated “interim” X logo, replacing the iconic bird, following Elon Musk's weekend announcement; X.com now redirects to twitter.com — Twitter has removed the iconic bird logo and adopted ‘X’ as its official logo. This move comes after Elon Musk announced the change over the weekend.
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The much-hyped “Barbenheimer” opening weekend netted $155M for Barbie and $80.5M for Oppenheimer, for $300M in total in the US and Canada for just the 4th time — The much-hyped “Barbenheimer” box office battle over the weekend proved to be a win for movie theaters that needed to add some sizzle to their summer.
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Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Deadline, Fast Company, New York Daily News, @tim_bays, @sauthoff.bsky.social, @fracturcritical.bsky.social, @darthbluesky.bsky.social, CNBC, Forbes, New York Times, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, BBC, @tuckerteague@mastodon.social, Bloomberg, The Week, SlashFilm, @aleciabatson@mastodon.social, Screen Rant and MediaPost


Studio executives embraced Silicon Valley's magical thinking of hypergrowth and disruption for the past 10 years, only to slash worker pay as the boom times end — In one respect, the actors and writers of Hollywood uniting on the picket lines in a historic, industry-shaking strike is a tale as old as time …


Spotify confirms raising US Premium to $10.99/month, up from $9.99, the first increase since its US launch in 2011; Duo rises by $2, Family and Student by $1 — After 12 years, the price of Spotify Premium is increasing in the US. The subscription will now cost $10.99 a month, the company announced today.


Sources: Jeff Bezos is taking a more active role in The Washington Post's operations as staff morale craters and the newspaper is on pace to lose ~$100M in 2023 — The Amazon founder, who purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has taken a more active role in the paper's operations this year.
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The Santa Barbara News-Press, which has published a paper since 1868 and received a Pulitzer, ceases publication and files for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy — Publisher Ampersand Claims Few Assets and Many Creditors — More than 150 years of history ended on Friday when the Santa Barbara News …


Turkish shows, initially made for domestic audiences, are at the forefront of state broadcaster TRT's global expansion, as Turkey tries to extend its soft power — - New state streaming site brings drone wars to global viewers — Government backs TV export drive worth up to $1.5 billion


Canada's smaller news outlets, like Cabin Radio, the Northwest Territories' only entirely-online news organization, worry about the Online News Act's impact — ‘Obviously we will take as many steps as we can to protect our interests,’ said Cabin editor Ollie Williams
Discussion:
@gregorytaylor1 and Globe and Mail


Q&A with Josh Goldstine, Warner Bros. president of global marketing, on Barbie's marketing campaign, which rival studio execs estimate to have cost ~$150M — Unless you've been trapped in a plastic toy box, there's no escaping the Barbie-core movement that's sweeping the globe …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Insider, Screen Rant and The Hollywood Reporter


A look at the actors' and writers' strikes that are plunging Hollywood into chaos, causing pricey movie delays, pay battles, AI anxiety, and more — It was a typical day on the set of “Gladiator 2” in Malta. British director Ridley Scott was orchestrating a complex sequence featuring the film's star …
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By letting the Hollywood strike drag on, legacy companies like Disney, NBCUniversal, and Paramount risk the devastation of the traditional network TV model
Discussion:
@thisisweber, @kwatt, @jbflint, @jasonhirschhorn, @whitstillman, @kimbenabib, @jbflint, @petergould, MediaPost and Wall Street Journal

In a 23-page document, the AMPTP disputes SAG-AFTRA's “misleading” claims of the negotiations status as of July 13, before talks broke off and the strike began
Discussion:
The Wrap, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @slack2thefuture, @jbflint, @jbflint, The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter


Sources: Altice USA is exploring a sale and other strategic options for Cheddar News; Altice USA acquired the streaming news network for $200M in 2019 — Rebranding the social network as X marks the billionaire's latest gamble to reinvent the company, after buying it last year for $44 billion.
Discussion:
@bmorrissey, @sherman4949, @scottnover, @ryanvailbrown, @seangriffey, @dannygroner, @benmullin, Fortune, Complete Music Update and Politico


Internal memo: WBD President of International TV Distribution Robert Blair plans to leave the company after 25 years due to a “necessary structural change” — Warner Bros Discovery President of International TV Distribution Robert Blair is leaving after 25 years with the company.
Discussion:
Variety, @variety, @jelmes_tv, Broadcast, The Hollywood Reporter and Cord Cutters News


BBC newsreader George Alagiah, who joined the broadcaster as a foreign correspondent in 1989 and presented BBC News at Six for the past 20 years, dies at 67 — George Alagiah, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most respected journalists, has died at 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer.