Top News:
Emily Smith / The Wrap:
Media experts and former CNN executives say CEO Mark Thompson needs to cut costs as he remakes the network, and some top anchor salaries will likely be pruned — As the cable network suffers ongoing dismal ratings, Thompson needs to cut costs — including $50 million in on-air talent
Discussion:
Simon Owens on LinkedIn, @jackshafer, @sharonwaxman, @sharonwaxman, @sharonwaxman and Poynter
Clay Risen / New York Times:
William Beecher, who as a NYT reporter revealed President Nixon's secret bombing campaign over Cambodia and Pulitzer Prize winner, died on February 9 at age 90 — His New York Times scoop enraged the Nixon White House, which ordered a tap on his phone. He later won a Pulitzer Prize at The Boston Globe.
Laura Oliver / Nieman Lab:
Ukraine's 2402 Foundation blends VR tools with other teaching methods to offer safety training for journalists, and has trained ~500 since the Russian war began — “When you end up in an extreme situation, you can't think properly. In a virtual situation, you realize how you would feel …
Discussion:
@niemanlab, @lauraoliver and 2402 Fund
Javier Espinoza / Financial Times:
Sources: the EU plans to fine Apple around €500M for allegedly breaking EU law over access to music streaming services, following a 2019 complaint by Spotify — Move is culmination of long-running European Commission antitrust probe after a complaint by Spotify
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: ABC News President Kim Godwin has become a polarizing figure inside the network, as critics say she is failing to rise up to challenges facing the unit — Expected to be a change agent, Godwin became a polarizing figure and was recently given a new boss; her backers praise her management style
Discussion:
@wsjbusiness, @thesimonetti, @jbflint, @jbflint, @benmillermke, @jbflint and New York Post
Sarah Ellison / Washington Post:
Current and ex-staff and experts say Sinclair stokes its audience's fears, with views that align with Trump, and David Smith wants the same at The Baltimore Sun — The local news powerhouse, whose chairman recently bought the Baltimore Sun, focuses on fear in broadcasts that often align with Donald Trump's view of cities
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Paramount has held talks with Comcast about Paramount+ and Peacock joining forces through a partnership or a joint venture — The two companies have recently discussed a streaming partnership or joint-venture for Paramount+ and Peacock — Paramount has held recent talks with Comcast …
Discussion:
Cord Cutters News, New York Times, @danackerman, Dylan Jones on LinkedIn, @danspeerin, @stuffsomerssays, @richlightshed, @great_katzby, Variety, @carnage4life@mas.to, The A.V. Club, Jessica Toonkel on LinkedIn, TrekMovie.com, The Desk, Next TV, TechHive, Reuters, Mike Richter on LinkedIn, The Wrap, ComingSoon.net, UPROXX, The Streamable, Media Play News, The Verge, 9to5Google, @2xaught7.bsky.social and @ernie@writing.exchange
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
A look at the expansion plans of LeBron James' SpringHill, which makes most of its $200M in revenue from creating sponsored short videos for advertisers — The basketball legend is building a business that includes movies and TV, advertising and a grooming line.
Natalie Korach / The Wrap:
Legal news service Law360 lays off 10% of its newsroom, per impacted journalists; the outlet's parent company LexisNexis saw record profits in 2023 — Unionized editorial staffers staged a one-day strike against parent company LexisNexis in December — Law360, the subscription-based legal …
Amy Or / Bloomberg:
Sources: Reddit signed a deal early in 2024, worth ~$60M on an annualized basis, allowing a large unnamed AI company to train its models on Reddit's content — - Social media firm agrees $60 million deal with AI company — Reddit advised to seek at least $5 billion IPO valuation
Discussion:
Media Voices, The Verge, @jennifercobbe, @quinnypig, @chrisamccoy, @lukebk, @natarajsindam, @josourcing, @rayredacted, @smtuffy, @billym2k, @robdziobon, @bradcordeiro, @ryanmcraver, @pkedrosky@threads.net, @carnage4life@mas.to, @ianbetteridge@writing …, Mashable, @waywardboobs.bsky.social and Cord Cutters News, more at Techmeme »
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Amazon aims to debut a Roger Federer movie in July around Wimbledon, adding to sports documentary programming that includes Travis Kelce and Barry Sanders films — The tennis great thought he was making a home movie about his last 12 days as a pro. It turned into a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia.
Discussion:
Variety, Deadline, @benrothenberg, @sarthakgh, @lucas_shaw and @technology
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
How Paramount became a cautionary tale of the streaming wars, as the Viacom merger, a lack of investment, and other issues left it with $16B+ in debt — Shari Redstone inherited her father's storied media empire and tried to take on Netflix. Now it's looking for a buyer.
Discussion:
Lucas Shaw on LinkedIn and Business Insider
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