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4:40 PM ET, January 25, 2024

Mediagazer

 Top News: 
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer:
Forbes CEO Mike Federle announces layoffs affecting less than 3% of staff, saying Forbes “must remain vigilant in our current economic environment”  —  NEW: @forbes layoffs announced today, the same day its union announced a 3-day walkout. — Unclear how many impacted yet — CEO Mike Federer said in a note to staff that Forbes “must remain vigilant in our current economic environment.”
RELATED:
Josh Eidelson / Bloomberg:
Unionized Forbes editorial employees plan to start a work stoppage today that will last through Monday, in response to protracted contract negotiations  —  - First-ever walkout at business magazine to begin on Thursday  — ‘They are dragging their feet and slow-walking’ process
Sara Salinas / CNBC:
In a memo, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announces layoffs, citing a need to “operate as a leaner company and spend less”; he did not disclose the size of the cuts  —  - Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced layoffs at the media company.  — He did not disclose how many jobs the company would cut.
RELATED:
Khadeeja Safdar / Wall Street Journal:
Janel Grant, an ex-WWE staffer who received a payout from Vince McMahon and signed an NDA in 2022, files a lawsuit accusing WWE and McMahon of sex trafficking  —  Janel Grant files lawsuit saying McMahon pressured her into sex with him and other men at WWE, raising questions about 2022 board probe into CEO's payouts
Barbara Peng / Business Insider:
In a memo, Business Insider CEO Barbara Peng says the outlet is laying off 8% of its staff, part of plans to focus on covering business, tech, and innovation  —  At the end of 2023, we announced our way ahead: We're Business Insider, our center of gravity is business, tech, and innovation …
Aditya Kalra / Reuters:
Sources: Zee Entertainment tells Disney that the company does not plan to move forward with a deal to pay ~$1.4B for cricket TV rights, announced in August 2023  —  India's Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) has told Walt Disney (DIS.N) it does not intend to move forward with a deal to pay around $1.4 billion …
Discussion: Variety
RELATED:
Bloomberg:   Sources: Disney's India assets are being valued at ~$4.5B in merger negotiations with Reliance, less than the $10B Disney initially pursued
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
Comcast reports Peacock revenue rose 57% YoY to $1B in Q4, a $825M loss in Q4 and $2.75B in 2023 for the unit, and 31M paying subscribers, a net gain of 3M  —  NBCUniversal parent Comcast, led by chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, reported earnings on Thursday.
RELATED:
Nate Raymond / Reuters:
A US appeals court rules 9-7 that Texas-based citizen journalist Priscilla Villarreal cannot sue officials over her arrest for asking a police source questions  —  A citizen journalist in Texas cannot sue officials over her arrest for asking a police source questions, a divided federal appeals court …
Discussion: The Texas Observer and Fox News
Sara Fischer / Axios:
CUNY's Craig Newmark School of Journalism plans to cover tuition for 50% of students in 2025 and raise money to expand free tuition to all students by 2026  —  The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY is going tuition-free, its namesake Craig Newmark and the school's dean, Graciela Mochkofsky, told Axios.
Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Directors Guild of America says it has secured the same streaming residuals and access to streaming platform viewing data that the WGA won  —  The union informed members on Thursday that it had also improved employer contribution rates to its pension and health plans in the second and third years of its contract.
Amy Hawkins / The Guardian:
Documents reveal that several eligible sci-fi works were excluded from the 2023 Hugo Awards, held for the first time in China, raising censorship concerns  —  Concerns raised about interference or censorship after documents showed writers were barred despite receiving enough nominations
Thomas Buckley / Bloomberg:
How the rising prices of streaming services are driving users to pirate websites with a ~90% profit margin that bring in ~$2B per year in ads and subscriptions  —  Illegal subscription services that steal films or TV shows bring in $2 billion a year in ads and subscriber fees.
Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
The Los Angeles Times appoints Terry Tang as the paper's interim executive editor; Tang has been LA Times's editorial page editor since February 2022  —  Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has appointed Terry Tang, editor of the editorial page, as the paper's executive editor on an interim basis.
Luke Bouma / Cord Cutters News:
Fubo TV launches Instant Headlines Beta, which uses AI to generate headlines from live news programs on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and other networks  —  You may be familiar with AI-powered highlights of sporting events.  Now, though, Fubo has announced for the first time you will be able to get instant headlines from live news programs.
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: BuzzFeed is looking to sell its food sites, Tasty and First We Feast; Fortress Investment Group, which took over Vice, is in talks to sell Refinery29  —  Latest sale discussions signal further struggles of once-hot digital media companies  —  BuzzFeed and Vice Media …
Discussion: The Wrap
 
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 More News: 
Yona Tr Golding / Columbia Journalism Review:
Q&A with Ann Cooper, co-author of an upcoming book about the AP in Nazi Germany, on AP's choice to submit to censorship, the politics of war reporting, and more
 Earlier Picks: 
Bloomberg:
Sources: Skydance CEO David Ellison has made a preliminary offer to buy Redstone family's National Amusements, as a way to take control of Paramount Global
 

 
From Techmeme:

Forbes:
AI startup founders and VCs hope that a Trump administration will lead to lighter regulations and the return of real acquisitions, not “contorted” ones

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget:
Pocketpair says Nintendo and Pokémon Company are seeking ~$65K in damages in their lawsuit and lists the three patents the studio is accused of infringing

Financial Times:
Sources: TSMC told Chinese customers it would no longer manufacture AI chips at advanced process nodes of 7nm or smaller as of this coming Monday
 
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