Mediagazer: Sources: Disney and Reliance are expected to sign a non-binding pact as early as December 18 to merge their media operations in India in a cash-and-stock deal (Anto Antony/Bloomberg)

Ted Johnson / Deadline:

Sports Illustrated publisher The Arena Group announces the termination of CEO Ross Levinsohn and names 5-Hour Energy founder Manoj Bhargava as its interim CEO — - Anderson Cooper And Andy Cohen To Return For CNN's New Year's Eve Special; Sara Sidner and Cari Champion Tapped As Co-Hosts

Discussion: The Guardian, The Arena Group, Boing Boing, Futurism, @benjstrauss, Awful Announcing, @jbenton, @weareyourfek, MediaPost, CNN, The Wrap and @2xaught7.bsky.social

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:

Spotify partners with Warner Bros. Discovery to host and distribute some podcasts from WBD, including CNN and HBO shows, and become a WBD monetization partner — Podcasts in the partnership include CNN's ‘All There Is with Anderson Cooper’ and HBO's ‘The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon.’

Discussion: CNN

Anto Antony / Bloomberg:

Sources: Disney and Reliance are expected to sign a non-binding pact as early as December 18 to merge their media operations in India in a cash-and-stock deal — - Ambani's group to own majority stake in the new media entity — Non-binding deal terms likely to be signed on Monday: sources

Discussion: Times of India, Benzinga, @amit6060, India Today, Gadgets 360, Inc42 Media, Reuters and The Economic Times

Bron Maher / Press Gazette:

Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, banned in the UK in February 2021, appears to have set up an agency to distribute free video news packages pushing China's goals — AMSP claims to have 600 partner newsrooms using its content. — Chinese state broadcaster CGTN is distributing free professional …

Naman Ramachandran / Variety:

To comply with India's FDI rules, four BBC staff quit and form Collective Newsroom, which the BBC will commission to produce six Indian language services — Four BBC India staff members have quit and formed a new entity, Collective Newsroom, in order to comply with India's strict foreign direct investment (FDI) in media rules.

Discussion: Reuters and Broadband TV News

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Apple redesigns Apple TV in iOS 17.2 and tvOS 17.2 with a sidebar that unifies content; iTunes now redirects users searching for shows and movies to Apple TV — Starting Monday, the iTunes Store app on iPhone and iPad will redirect users searching for TV and film titles to the newly redesigned Apple TV app.

David Shepardson / Reuters:

A US judge upholds Texas' TikTok ban on state devices, rejecting a lawsuit filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in July 2023 — A U.S. judge on Monday upheld Texas' ban on state employees', including public university employees, using Chinese-owned short video app TikTok …

Discussion: US District Court, @cam_langford, @joemaristela, @nateraymond, @cam_langford, Reason and The Messenger, more at Techmeme »

Randy Nelson / data.ai:
TikTok reaches $10B in gross revenue, including $3.84B in 2023 so far, $3.32B in 2022, and $1.72B in 2021, the fifth mobile app and the first non-game to do so

Discussion: MediaPost, Social Media Today, iPhone in Canada Blog, TechCrunch and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:

Disney and Netflix are finalizing a deal to share Grey's Anatomy across Disney+/Hulu and Netflix, and have Disney license 14 TV series to Netflix for 18 months — Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV — All 'Grey's Anatomy' Seasons To Be Available On Disney One-App; Netflix Gets Window On 14 Disney Series As Part of Licensing Deal

Discussion: ScreenRant, TVLine, @modestproposal1, @lucas_shaw, @loudmouthjulia, Awful Announcing, @cetacean-business.bsky.social, @apocalypticanow.bsky.social, Variety, ComingSoon.net and LaughingPlace.com

Alex Sherman / CNBC:

Sources: Altice USA is in talks to sell Cheddar News to private equity firm Regent; Altice paid $200M for Cheddar in 2019 and may be compensated via an earn-out — - Altice USA is in discussions to sell Cheddar News to Los Angeles private equity firm Regent LP.

Discussion: @bmorrissey, @timsteno, @sherman4949, Next TV, The Desk and Alex Sherman on LinkedIn

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Paramount Global plans to rebrand the linear Showtime cable network as Paramount+ With Showtime, the same name as its top streaming tier, on January 8, 2024 — The show is over for Showtime as a standalone brand. — As of Jan. 8, 2024, Paramount Global will rebrand the linear Showtime cable network …

Discussion: The Verge, The Hill, Washington Post, The A.V. Club, SlashFilm, The Streamable, Ad Age, Media Play News, Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap

Hannah Giles / @hannahmgiles:

Project Veritas CEO Hannah Giles quits after finding “evidence of past illegality and past financial improprieties”; Giles replaced James O'Keefe in June 2023 — [image]

Discussion: The Messenger, @willsommer, @matthewkeyslive, @ericspracklen, @dawsonsfield, @trumpstaxes, Boing Boing, HuffPost, CNN, Mediaite and The Desk

Jake Kanter / Deadline:

Sources: BBC News plans to hire its first royal editor to capitalize on soaring monarchy interest; royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell plans to retire in 2024 — - Sky Denies Hugh Bonneville Pilot ‘Forty Acres’ Is About Slavery Amid Backlash From Black Creatives

Discussion: @phillip_thomaz, @risj_oxford, @jones_1_l, @nina_metz, @jake_kanter, @brigantia__, @jake_kanter, @nina_metz and @GreenFire@mstdn.social