Top News:


NBC News plans to host the GOP's third 2024 presidential primary debate on November 8, partnering with Salem Radio Network and the Republican Jewish Coalition — NBC News announced that they will host the Republican National Committee's third presidential primary debate at the Adrienne Arsht Center …
Discussion:
NBC News, Adweek, @awstar11, Media Matters for America, @mikebenzcyber, NBC News, Axios, @seanspicer, @andrewfeinberg, @hollywoodintoto, @j035ich5pach, @bristei, @reaganreese_, @aterkel, Hollywood Reporter, @mzhemingway, @theleoterrell, The Hill, @dylanbyers, @w7voa, Radio & Television … and The Wrap


Sources detail Netflix's deepening gaming push: more games based on its shows, including Squid Game and Wednesday, discussions about a GTA game, and more — Streamer to put greater emphasis on developing games based on its popular programming, including ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Wednesday,’ ‘Black Mirror’


Sources: pre-publication, veteran WSJ staff raised concerns about an October 8 story that Iran “helped plan” Hamas' attacks; the piece had no Washington bylines — The News — The Wall Street Journal overrode some objections inside its own Washington bureau to publish an explosive …


The Daily Wire debuts Bentkey, a $99/year streaming app for kids, on Disney's 100th anniversary; in 2022, the outlet planned to invest $100M+ over three years — The Daily Wire, a conservative media brand known for its popular podcast “The Ben Shapiro show,” has debuted …
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Guardian, Deadline and @sarafischer


After relaxing ad rules in January 2023, X begins aggressively pitching political advertisers; AdImpact: ~$1.2B will be spent digitally for the 2024 US election — Musk's volatile leadership of the social-media platform has pushed down its prices—which might give it an edge
Discussion:
@wraithfodder, @mgalascio and Inside Radio


Some influencers and CEOs are building their brands on LinkedIn, which is easier due to less creator competition, a committed user base, and a safer feel than X — Once purely a jobs board, users say the platform is now more valuable than rivals — Marketer Zain Kahn says he earns …
Discussion:
The Verge, The Information, Econsultancy, @nick_kapur and MIT Technology Review, more at Techmeme »


YouTube adds Spotlight Moments, an AI-powered ad tool meant to help brands identify the most popular YouTube videos related to a cultural moment like the Oscars — YouTube is putting Google AI to use for advertisers, the company announced this morning with the introduction of a new advertising package called “Spotlight Moments.”
Discussion:
Search Engine Land, MediaPost, @kvnbbg and The Keyword, more at Techmeme »


Q&A with Rachel Maddow on reducing on-air time, covering Donald Trump's indictments, cord cutting, Elon Musk's X, her podcasts, the Hollywood strikes, and more — The MSNBC host on her lack of boundaries, Elon Musk's destruction of Twitter and the cultural whiplash of working in Hollywood …


Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour grossed an estimated $95M to $97M on its opening weekend in the US and Canada across 3,855 theaters, a big boost to the industry — The movie made an estimated $95 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, giving a big boost to theaters suffering from strike-related delays.
Discussion:
Reuters, Variety, Deadline, Variety, @kerrymflynn, @seangraf, The Atlantic, SlashFilm, Insider, Pitchfork, Consequence, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter, Boxoffice, Digital Music News and Billboard


Israel's communications minister seeks the closure of Al Jazeera's local bureau, accusing the network of pro-Hamas incitement and exposing soldiers to attacks — Israel's communications minister said on Sunday he was seeking a possible closure of Al Jazeera's local bureau …


BBC Persian staff in London fear walking outside alone after being harassed by Iranian authorities; UK police raise the security threat level for journalists — Journalists at BBC Persian says they are scared to go out alone as UK counter-terrorism police raise security levels and staff warned: ‘we can do whatever we want in London’


As Telegram lets Hamas use its service, CEO Pavel Durov says Telegram channels are “a unique source of first-hand information” for researchers and journalists — Hamas is barred from most social media platforms. But its following has surged on popular messaging app Telegram since its October 7 terror attack on Israel.
Discussion:
Fast Company, @fifilamoura@eldritch.cafe, @antoniogm and @duncandee, more at Techmeme »


Music storefront Bandcamp lays off nearly 50% of its workforce, or 58 employees, as part of Songtradr's acquisition of the company from Epic Games in September — Bandcamp built a unique music business: profitable and good for artists with a popular editorial arm.
Discussion:
The Verge, Engadget, Billboard, @atoosamoinzadeh, @rochelleshipman, The Messenger, @modernistwitch, @jimmyjacktoth, @modernistwitch, Rolling Stone, @dannosphere, @caseyexplosion, @deerhoof, @geetadayal, Vulture, Metal Injection, @passionweiss, Kotaku, Shacknews, TechCrunch, @kryptixwarrior, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, Game Developer, @jetskitosway, Variety, @joshhterry, @ethangach, @necrosofty and Digital Music News, more at Techmeme »