Top News:
New York Times:
Paramount reaches a $1.62B deal to sell Simon & Schuster to private equity firm KKR; the prestigious US publisher was first put up for sale in March 2020 — The deal, for $1.62 billion, will put control of a cultural touchstone in the hands of a financial buyer.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Publishing Perspectives, CNBC, The Wrap, New York Times, Variety, Los Angeles Times, Business Wire, CBS News, Forbes, CNN, @samhainnight@mstdn.social, @harikunzru, @mariskreizman, @kwharrison13, @mike_jung, @mariskreizman, @annaknicolaou, @thewrap, @kerrymflynn, NPR, @mattlibrarian.bsky.social, @benmullin, @danprimack, The Hollywood Reporter, The Bookseller, @maris.bsky.social, Financial Times and The Wrap
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: the NYT placed Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf on leave earlier in 2023 during a probe into her possible misuse of funds, like overpaying non-US staff — The Scoop — The New York Times fired its second Baghdad bureau chief in five years in a bizarre saga that has infuriated some of the paper's staff in the Middle East.
Financial Times:
A profile of German millionaire Holger Friedrich, who has been engulfed by controversies since acquiring and leading a turnaround of the daily Berliner Zeitung — East German entrepreneur has been engulfed by a string of controversies since buying historic Berliner Zeitung
Discussion:
@laurapitel, @a_reader_ft, @rubenanguiano and @tonytassell
New York Times:
Shoddy self-published guidebooks, which appear to be compiled with the help of generative AI and promoted via deceptive reviews, are proliferating on Amazon — In March, as she planned for an upcoming trip to France, Amy Kolsky, an experienced international traveler who lives in Bucks County …
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: WBD is targeting the beginning of the MLB playoffs to debut a sports tier for Max, planning to use the Bleacher Report brand to target young audiences — - Warner Bros. Discovery plans to simulcast live games on cable TV and Max streaming in October.
Discussion:
The Streamable, The Desk, Sports Media Watch, Front Office Sports, Media Play News, @nkulw, @sherman4949 and Cord Cutters News
Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Paramount reports Q2 revenue down 2% YoY to $7.6B and a $250M loss; subscription revenue grew 47% YoY to $1.2B+; Paramount+ added ~700K subscribers to hit ~61M — The media giant reported 60 million paid subscribers for Paramount+ last quarter. — Paramount Global reached 61 million …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Streamable, Variety, The Information, @tvgrimreaper, @lmoses, @lmoses, @variety, Paramount and Media Play News
The Ringer:
Apple is “out-HBOing” HBO with quality scripted content filled with marquee casts, but its dividends in viewership, subscriptions, and revenue are murkier — Apple TV+ has amassed a rich library of original content in less than four years—with the awards season nominations to prove it.
Discussion:
@tvgrimreaper, @serenepapenfuss, @sarthakgh, @nycsouthpaw, @peterschorschfl, @joshschoen, @shermanjeff and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Jon Henley / The Guardian:
Over half of the journalists at France-based Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche resign after their strike didn't prevent the arrival of a far-right editor — Bitter strike at Journal du Dimanche ends with staff exodus - and arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune, a supporter of leading xenophobe Eric Zemmour
Discussion:
@photos_floues@bagarrosphere …, @helfriedcarl, @ariadne@climatejustice.social and @nycjim
Lesley Goldberg / Hollywood Reporter:
NBCUniversal makes the first three Killing It Season 1 episodes available on YouTube and TikTok, as SAG-AFTRA's strike bars its stars from promoting Season 2 — Without star Craig Robinson to promote the return for season two, NBCUniversal is turning to other alternatives.
Discussion:
The Streamable, TechCrunch, UPI and Deadline
Alex Weprin / Hollywood Reporter:
RedBird IMI, led by CEO Jeff Zucker, makes its first media investment in EverWonder, a new non-fiction content studio led by former Time Studios COO Ian Orefice — The ex-Time Studios chief says that EverWonder Studio will be hiring journalists and filmmakers, with an eye toward content that could launch new IP or brand extensions.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @lmoses, @kerrymflynn, Yahoo Finance, @alexweprin and @danprimack
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
UK broadcast regulator Ofcom launches four impartiality investigations into GB News, after upholding two Mark Steyn COVID-19 coverage complaints earlier in 2023 — Broadcaster faces four Ofcom investigations over impartiality. — GB News is facing four new impartiality investigations from broadcast regulator Ofcom.
Mia Sato / The Verge:
TikTok unveils Gimme the Mic, a music competition hosted on livestreams where the US winner receives 50K Diamonds, the USD conversion rate for which is unclear — TikTok will host a music contest similar to popular talent shows like The Voice, the company announced today.
Discussion:
TikTok, Tubefilter and TechCrunch
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