Top News:


BBC and AMC Networks partner to launch a free BBC News channel on CTV and FAST services and traditional pay-TV providers like Charter, Comcast, and DirecTV — The cable news channel will still be available through pay-TV providers, but will also be available for free to anyone with an internet connection.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Next TV, Deadline and The Media Leader


Neil Young is bringing back his music to Spotify, after the removal in January 2022, saying “Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation” — Neil Young is bringing his music back to Spotify more than two years after requesting its removal from the platform …
Discussion:
NYA Times Contrarian, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, @bgurley, CMU, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, Engadget, BBC, @popcrave, @fivetimesaugust, @tommylightfootgarrett …, @rollingstone, The Hollywood Reporter, @fivetimesaugust, UPROXX, The A.V. Club, Variety, @elsandifer.bsky.social, The Daily Beast, Consequence, The Wrap, @bowiesongs.bsky.social and Rolling Stone, more at Techmeme »


The EU Parliament approves the Media Freedom Act, to shield newsrooms from undue influence, foster pluralism, introduce transparency requirements, and more — The new law will ban governments from going after journalists to reveal their sources by deploying spyware on their phones.
Discussion:
European Parliament, Euronews, @thierrybreton and European Federation …


Literary journal Guernica retracts an article by Israel-based liberal writer Joanna Chen on connecting with Palestinians, after 12+ staff resigned in protest — What are the limits of empathy in war? — That's the question that Joanna Chen, a liberal writer and translator who is Jewish …
Discussion:
@chicks_balances, @emilyfoxkaplan, @aprzhu, Guernica, New York Times, @rosapalagosa, @shaabiranks, @omarsakrpoet, @rashaabdulhadi, @jdgtranen, @theafroaussie, @guernicamag, @adalva, @arminrosen, @powellatlantic, @eladnehorai, @danpjsheehan, @judeinlondon, @atlajala, @osmanladan, @vanessid, @mxcreant, @dearsplenda, @bobuqsayed, @mbullobullo, Michael B. Reiner, PhD on LinkedIn, @jasonachristian, @philklay, @penamerica and The Atlantic


How MrBeast dominates this ostentatious YouTube era, using a fast, frantic, and omnipresent editing style, as his videos slowly evolve to focus on storytelling — Jimmy Donaldson warped YouTube in his image — but YouTube is warping him back — In the fall of 2023, a clip ripped from a video …


A review shows $1.6M+ in attorneys' fees were awarded to journalists and outlets suing for public records access in the past 12 months; taxpayers paid the fees — Stephanie Sugars from Freedom of the Press Foundation — When officials wrongly keep constituents in the dark and journalists fight …
Discussion:
Associated Press, @freedomofpress@newsie.social and Freedom of the Press …


UTA fires and sues Michael Kassan, partner and CEO of UTA-owned MediaLink, alleging misappropriation of funds; Kassan countersues UTA over MediaLink acquisition — Agency says executive was fired after “exhaustive investigation” — United Talent Agency has been accused of breach of contract …
Discussion:
MediaPost, Ad Age, Adweek, Deadline, @semaforben, @maxwelltani, @semaforben, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, @deadline and @deadline


Filing: the NYT denies OpenAI's claims that the NYT “hacked” ChatGPT to create misleading evidence of copyright infringement, calling the claims “grandstanding” — The New York Times (NYT.N) has denied claims by OpenAI that it “hacked” the company's artificial intelligence systems …
Discussion:
The Independent and Ars Technica, more at Techmeme »


Spotify rolls out music videos to its mobile and desktop apps in beta in 11 markets, including Brazil, Italy, and the UK, available to Premium subscribers — Spotify is adding music videos to its mobile and desktop apps in some markets. They are tightly integrated with the company's music library …
Discussion:
Reuters, iMore, Engadget, The Verge, Music Ally and Spotify, more at Techmeme »


Filings: Roku reveals a breach that compromised 15K+ accounts between December 2023 and February 2024 and tells users hackers didn't get sensitive personal info — Hackers gained access through login credentials obtained by third-party sources and in some cases tried to buy streaming subscriptions


Ahead of India's 2024 general election, at least 10 Bollywood movies that have either been released recently or releasing soon amplify BJP's political agenda — Mumbai, India - A grimacing police official, staring into the camera, declares her intent to publicly shoot dead “leftists” …
Discussion:
@madversity, @kunalpurohit, @ajenglish, @kunalpurohit, @kunalpurohit, @kunalpurohit, @kunalpurohit, @kunalpurohit and @kunalpurohit


A Kyrgyzstan court extends eight Temirov Live journalists' detention, puts two under house arrest, and frees one; all were charged with “inciting mass unrest” — A court in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday extended the pre-trial detention of eight journalists who are charged with …
Discussion:
Committee to Protect …, @paper_trail_m and @paper_trail_m