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Interviews with 25+ people who worked with Bob Iger and Bob Chapek between 2020 and 2022 detail how Disney's succession plan went awry and led to Iger's return — - What did a private bathroom, Oogie Boogie and a hippo have to do with the behind-the-scenes chaos between Bob Iger and Bob Chapek at Disney?
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Awful Announcing, The Verge, New York Post, @sherman4949, KNSD-TV, @sherman4949, @sherman4949, @murraymatt, @mattrosoff and @jbflint


A look at Netflix's “success-based” residual arrangements that exist in Germany, Sweden, and France, as some in the US begin discussing similar residual metrics — Since the outbreak of the dual Hollywood labor strikes, the issue of residuals has risen to the fore …
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Roku plans to lay off 300+, or 10% of its staff, close offices, and take an up to $65M impairment charge in Q3 2023 for cutting some content; ROKU jumps 5%+ — Roku will cut more than 300 staffers — laying off 10% of its workforce — as the streaming-platform company continues its battle to control costs.


Google started rolling out Chrome's Enhanced Ad Privacy, part of its Topics API, via a popup; some say the Got It button is misleading for leaving tracking on — YMMV, based on where you are — Google has been gradually rolling out Chrome's “Enhanced Ad Privacy.”
Discussion:
The Verge, @jon@henshaw.social, @nixCraft@mastodon.social and The Messenger, more at Techmeme »


UMG and Deezer sign a deal to give songs from professional artists, who generate 1,000+ listens a month, double the weight when calculating streaming royalties — Agreement with Deezer aims to boost royalties for artists and labels and reduce payouts for ‘noise’
Discussion:
Music Business Worldwide, Billboard, RAIN News, Variety, Decrypt, Music Industry Blog, @postindustria12, Music Ally, Bloomberg and Deezer Press, more at Techmeme »


How Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, an important metric in entertainment, became erratic and reductive as some PR firms hack its score by paying obscure “critics” — In 2018, a movie-publicity company called Bunker 15 took on a new project: Ophelia, a feminist retelling of Hamlet starring Daisy Ridley.
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SlashFilm, @seanmburns, @mattzeitlin, @samuelaadams, @projectseestra, @boringdrew, @huginspl, @ipreferpi314, @_zeets, @leask, @sicrook, @sonnybunch, @milkman__dead, @mikeryan, @nick_field90, @walthickey, @tomilaffly, @katiewalshstx, @luke_winkie, @beatonna, @nathanpester, @chrisecrowley, @themanfromrio2, @moviedeathblows and @hamrahrama

A Myanmar court sentences photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike to 20 years in prison, the longest known prison term given to a media worker since the 2021 army coup — A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Wednesday sentenced a photojournalist to 20 years in prison, his employer said …
Discussion:
Fox News and Committee to Protect …


Spotify is testing making song lyrics a Premium-only feature, currently “with a limited number of users in a pair of markets” — A number of Spotify users began to notice something strange over the last day or so: the in-app lyrics, which typically pop up under the currently playing song …
Discussion:
@thequietkid4l, @realjoseph123, @jon_speaks_, Gizmodo, Music Ally, 9to5Mac, Music Business Worldwide, Billboard, TechCrunch and Engadget, more at Techmeme »


Sources: WBD plans to offer live sports on Max, at no extra cost, for a limited time later in 2023; an extra fee for sports will start in February or March 2024 — Customers will need to pay an additional amount for sports starting next year, likely around February or March, said the people …
Discussion:
The Verge, The Streamable, Reuters, Front Office Sports and The Messenger


Jeff Jarvis says he plans to leave CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the end of this term and will “technically” retire — I have news: I am leaving CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the end of this term. Technically I'm retiring, though if you know me you know I will never retire.


X rolls out Community Notes for videos and says the tool offers a “highly-scalable way of adding context to edited clips, AI-generated videos, and more” — Social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has introduced Community Notes for videos. Community Notes is an existing program for crowdsourced moderation.
Discussion:
The Verge, Gizmodo and @senoj.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »


Comcast CEO Brian Roberts says Comcast and Disney moved up Hulu sale talks to September 30 from the January 2024 deadline, and Hulu could be worth $30B — Comcast and Disney last week signed a modification agreement to bring forward the timing of their formal Hulu sale talks to Sept. 30 …
Discussion:
IndieWire, New York Times, Next TV, CNBC, The Wrap, The Messenger, Deadline, The Information, Hollywood Reporter and Cord Cutters News