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Disney CEO Bob Iger says Disney+ will crack down on password sharing in June 2024 in some countries and more broadly in September 2024; Disney+ isn't profitable — New York CNN — — Disney is curbing password sharing for its Disney+ streaming service as part of a larger effort to boost signups and revenue.
Discussion:
CNBC, Variety, Deadline, IGN, The Verge, CityAM, The Sun, Media Play News, Engadget, CNBC, @lakewitchhouse.bsky.social, Samantha Murphy Kelly on LinkedIn, Dow Jones Newswires, 9to5Mac, Tom's Guide, CBC News, Forbes, Raw Story, BGR, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
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Bob Iger says “succession is the board's No. 1 priority” and that the search committee met seven times in 2023; Iger's contract extension runs through 2026

Disney says the standalone ESPN streaming service it plans for 2025 will be available on Disney+ for bundle subscribers, similar to its Hulu integration
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Media Voices, Barrett Media, SportsPro, Hollywood Reporter, Cord Cutters News and The Desk


A look at The Santa Barbara News-Press' tentative deal to sell its assets to Weyaweya, whose principal Max Noremo has ties to Malta's online gambling industry — The Santa Barbara News-Press's digital assets are up for sale. Locals worry they could become a farm for AI-generated SEO bait.
Discussion:
@shortformernie


A look at tech giants' AI training data deals; Defined.ai: some are ready to pay $1-$2 per image, $2-$4 per short video, and $100-$300 per hour of long video — At its peak in the early 2000s, Photobucket was the world's top image-hosting site. The media backbone for once-hot services …
Discussion:
Axel C. on LinkedIn, Boing Boing and @tchambers@indieweb.social, more at Techmeme »


A look at Correctiv, Germany's first nonprofit investigative outlet, which has 100 full-time staff and published a bombshell investigation into the far right — We take a deep dive into Correctiv's investigation, its mission and its funding — Imagine you're an investigative reporter.
Discussion:
Anping Richter on LinkedIn, Daniel Drepper on LinkedIn, @eduardosuarez, @jpmarthoz and JURIST


Top ESPN executive Norby Williamson is leaving the network after almost 40 years; in January, Pat McAfee accused him of “sabotaging” his show — Norby Williamson, the ESPN veteran who has managed everything from NFL coverage to “SportsCenter,” is leaving the Disney sports-media giant abruptly …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, Mediaite, CNN, The Wrap, Sportico, Front Office Sports, New York Post, Deadline, Fox News, The Hollywood Reporter, Barrett Media and Sports Media Watch


Shari Redstone's Paramount stake sale may conflict with shareholder interests; source: David Ellison envisions Paramount in a joint streaming venture in the US — The board of directors has to walk a fine line, looking out for investors without running afoul of Ms. Redstone, the company's most influential shareholder.
Discussion:
CNBC, Advanced Television, Bloomberg, Variety and The Information


Several sports podcasters who were part of Vox Media's SB Nation Podcast Network say they were told on April 4 that the network is being shut down immediately — “I am not sure what's next, but we fully intend to continue the podcast elsewhere.” — Several podcasters who were part …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, @bloggingtheboys, @pgsween, @scottcoleman55 and @prideofdetroit


Meta plans to label a wider range of video, audio, and image content as “Made with AI” starting in May, following feedback from its independent Oversight Board — - The labels could be generated through self-disclosure when a user posts content, as a result of advice from fact-checkers …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Meta, Ars Technica, Reuters, The Hill, Raw Story, The Verge and Engadget, more at Techmeme »


India's IT minister says the country is looking to frame a “balanced” AI law that will protect news publishers and content creators while minimizing user harm — Global AI regulation discussions intensify as companies seek fair compensation for AI data training from publishers.
Discussion:
Sunitha S on LinkedIn and MediaNama, more at Techmeme »


Facebook restores the Kansas Reflector's ability to share links, removed the day the outlet ran a piece critical of Facebook, which still can't be shared — Facebook has blocked the sharing of Kansas Reflector stories and removed all posts linking to our website. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, The Handbasket, @andymstone, @blogoklahoma@social …, @1060waddy, @sherman_news, @Smootasaurus@mstdn.social, @janenorman, @fitzsimon, @couts.bsky.social, @marisakabas@threads.net, @kalihays1@threads.net, David Jordan on LinkedIn, @marisakabas@threads.net, @kalihays1@threads.net, Media Nation, @robpegoraro@threads.net, @hybridhavoc@darkfriend.social and @shawngoldwater@mstdn.ca


Interest in policy interventions to protect journalism is exploding, but industry gatherings keep failing to include journalism labor advocates as strikes grow — Somebody is missing from the upcoming International Symposium on Online Journalism in Austin, Texas.
Discussion:
@heathkeri, @mattdpearce, The NewsGuild, WHEC.com, International Symposium … and MediaPost


The New York Times partners with ad metrics company Adelaide, which uses eye tracking and more to gauge attention to ads and is launching tools for publishers — The New York Times is partnering with Adelaide, a company that uses signals like eye-tracking data to gauge whether readers are paying attention to ads.