Top News:
Thomas Germain / Gizmodo:
X suspended several podcasters and journalists, including The Intercept's Ken Klippenstein and Texas Observer's Steven Monacelli, with little to no explanation — Elon Musk's “free speech” social media platform banned a number of accounts recently critical of Israel.
Discussion:
VICE, Mediaite, TechCrunch, New Republic, @kenklippenstein, The Daily Beast, @esqueer_@threads.net, @wolfiesmiffed.bsky.social, @tvscarlkinsella, @elizabethbrossa, @themaxburns, @thelincoln, @markamesexiled, @whstancil, @skippyosint, @marionumber4, @erininthemorn, @32mbit.bsky.social, @texasobserver.org, @stevanzetti.bsky.social, @esqueer_ and @brendelbored.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »
Kashish Tandon / Reuters:
India's Zee Entertainment remains committed to its $10B Sony India merger, calling media reports of the deal falling through “baseless and factually incorrect” — India's Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) on Tuesday said it was committed to its merger with Sony's (6758.T) local arm …
Discussion:
Financial Times, Anto Antony on LinkedIn, Advanced Television and Bloomberg
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Bloomberg:
Sources: Zee misses a deadline to pay $200M to Disney's India unit for cricket TV rights, citing a cash crunch; Zee agreed to pay $1.4B+ in August 2022 — - Payment was part of a $1.4 billion cricket rights purchase — Network is saving cash ahead of likely collapse of its merger
Discussion:
Anto Antony on LinkedIn
Julie Jargon / Wall Street Journal:
Meta plans to start automatically restricting teen Instagram and Facebook accounts from harmful content, including posts about self-harm, in the coming weeks — Efforts to curb harmful material and reduce unwanted interactions with teen social-media accounts come as states sue parent company Meta
Discussion:
Meta, Reuters, CNN, TechCrunch, The Verge, The Hill, NPR and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
Sara Fischer / Axios:
On Wednesday, CNBC plans to launch a $99 paid course on job interviewing, its first, part of a new educational venture developed by its “Make It” franchise — CNBC on Wednesday will debut its first paid course as part of a new educational venture developed by the editorial team behind CNBC's …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
In a memo to staff, Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida announces he is stepping down on January 12, two-and-a-half years after joining the newsroom — Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida announced Tuesday that he was stepping down — he Times as its newsroom leader …
Discussion:
@benmullin, The Wrap, New York Times, Deadline, @raineytime, The Hollywood Reporter, @maxwelltani and @megjameslat
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Fox Corp. debuts Verify, a blockchain protocol developed with Polygon Labs for media companies to register content and grant usage rights to AI companies — Fox Corp., one of the largest media companies in the U.S., has publicly debuted a new blockchain platform called Verify …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, TechCrunch, CoinDesk, TVNewsCheck and @bgrueskin
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
X announces exclusive original programming and content deals, including shows hosted by Don Lemon, former Fox Sports host Jim Rome, and Tulsi Gabbard — The tech company also announced a 10-show deal with Range Media Partners, and a deal with Tulsi Gabbard.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Bloomberg, TVLine, The Hill, @donlemon, The Wrap, The Verge, @keithedwards@threads.net, The Daily Caller, @misterjayem.bsky.social, @streetsajed.bsky.social, @jillian.bsky.social, Deadline, @jzembik.bsky.social, @kevinmkruse.bsky.social, @theoneleila.bsky.social, @outerbororoyal.bsky.social, @dell.bsky.social, @golikehellmachine.bsky.social, @insidejoke.bsky.social, @earnestpettie.com, @bartenderhemry.bsky.social, @daveanthony.bsky.social, @tressiemcphd.bsky.social, @apocalypticanow.bsky.social, @russbengtson.bsky.social, @xbusiness, @xbusiness, @jimrome and @tulsigabbard
Etan Vlessing / Hollywood Reporter:
Imax says its 2023 box office was $1.06B, near 2019's $1.1B record and up 24.4% YoY, with $393.2M in North America, its highest grossing year ever in the region — Christopher Nolan's ‘Oppenheimer’ and Taylor Swift's concert film helped drive the rebound in ticket sales coming out of the pandemic.
Discussion:
Variety, ScreenRant and IMAX Corporation
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Steven J. Horowitz / Variety:
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour becomes the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning $261.6M+ globally, surpassing Michael Jackson's This Is It from 2009
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour becomes the highest-grossing concert film of all time, earning $261.6M+ globally, surpassing Michael Jackson's This Is It from 2009
Discussion:
Rolling Stone UK, Forbes, Rolling Stone, Billboard, ScreenRant, Digital Music News and The Hollywood Reporter
Nic Newman / Reuters Institute:
Survey of 314 news leaders from 56 countries: just 47% say they are confident about journalism's 2024 prospects; 63% worry about declining social media traffic — The disruptive power of artificial intelligence (AI) will sweep through the information space this year at a time of intense political …
Discussion:
BuzzMachine, @risj_oxford, Press Gazette, @nicnewman, @charliebeckett, HoldtheFrontPage and Fast Company
Mia Sato / The Verge:
How the internet reshaped itself around Google's search algorithms, including via SEO tricks, and the company's role in many websites now using similar designs — How the internet reshaped itself around Google's search algorithms — and into a world where websites look the same. — Animations by Richard Parry
Radio & Television Business Report:
iHeartMedia partners with supply-side platform Magnite to offer advertisers a single entry point for audio ads on its radio, streaming, and podcast platforms — It's something championed and pioneered on the TV side of the linear media business by NBCUniversal.
Discussion:
Inside Radio and Magnite
Jody Godoy / Reuters:
Netflix defeats a shareholder lawsuit claiming the company hid the impact of account sharing; NFLX fell ~50% from January to April 2022 after growth warnings — Netflix (NFLX.O) has defeated a lawsuit filed by shareholders in a federal court in California that accused the streaming entertainment company …
Discussion:
Broadband TV News and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »