Top News:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: Skydance's bid for Paramount, backed by RedBird and KKR, would keep Paramount publicly traded; David Ellison and Jeff Shell would have leadership roles — WATCH NOW — Skydance's offer for Paramount would give it a significant stake while keeping the company public
RELATED:
New York Times:
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 and Bloomberg
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector:
A day after apologizing for blocking Kansas Reflector posts, Meta temporarily blocked links to two sites reposting a Reflector item; Meta cites a security error — Social media posts reflect Facebook's actions to block news sites that published Dave Kendall's column, which was critical of Facebook.
Discussion:
CNN, The Handbasket, @naughtfollowers@threads.net, @marisakabas@threads.net, @mosseri@threads.net, @sherman_news, @marisakabas@threads.net, @chrisgeidner, @nycsouthpaw@threads.net, @nycsouthpaw@threads.net, @andymstone, @andymstone, @andymstone, @moskov@threads.net, @barzinlotfabadi@threads.net, @moskov@threads.net, @kseconomist, @joelmmathis, @sherman_news, @sherman_news, @marisakabas@threads.net, @darby.lyons@threads.net, @nycsouthpaw@threads.net, @kenpopehat@threads.net, @clancyny.bsky.social, @kenpopehat@threads.net and @kenpopehat@threads.net
RELATED:
Clay Wirestone / Kansas Reflector:
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
Discussion:
The Wrap, @andymstone, Wichita Eagle, The Handbasket, Kansas City Star, @marisakabas.bsky.social, @marisakabas@threads.net, @blogoklahoma@social …, @marisakabas@threads.net, @Smootasaurus@mstdn.social, @1060waddy, @sherman_news, @janenorman, @fitzsimon, @couts.bsky.social, @marisakabas@threads.net, @kalihays1@threads.net, David Jordan on LinkedIn, @marisakabas@threads.net, Media Nation, @kalihays1@threads.net, @robpegoraro@threads.net, @hybridhavoc@darkfriend.social and @shawngoldwater@mstdn.ca
Samantha Murphy Kelly / CNN:
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, Mashable, MacRumors, The Verge, Deadline, CityAM, Media Play News, IGN, The Sun, Engadget, CNBC, @lakewitchhouse.bsky.social, Samantha Murphy Kelly on LinkedIn, Raw Story, Dow Jones Newswires, 9to5Mac, Tom's Guide, CBC News, Forbes, BGR, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
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
Samantha Masunaga / Los Angeles Times:
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:
Barrett Media, Gizmodo, Media Voices, SportsPro, Hollywood Reporter, Cord Cutters News and The Desk
Matt Binder / Mashable:
X promoted a fake headline about Iran attacking Israel in its trending news section Explore, after Elon Musk said Explore shows customized news created by Grok — The AI-generated false headline was promoted by X in its official trending news section. — A shocking story was promoted on the …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @mattbinder and @brettredacted, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
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 …
Benjamin Bathke / Reuters Institute:
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:
@jpmarthoz, @eduardosuarez, Daniel Drepper on LinkedIn, Anping Richter on LinkedIn and JURIST
Ryan Heath / Axios:
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:
The Hill, MediaPost, Meta, Jennifer Broxmeyer on LinkedIn, CBS News, Engadget, TechCrunch, Reuters, Raw Story, Ars Technica and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
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, The Athletic, New York Post, Front Office Sports, Barrett Media, Sports Media Watch, Mediaite, Deadline, CNN, The Wrap, Fox News, The Hollywood Reporter and Sportico
Ernie Smith / Fast Company:
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 — For 155 years, the Santa Barbara News-Press and its predecessors played a fundamental role in the California coastal city as its primary broadsheet newspaper.
Discussion:
@harrymccracken@mastodon … and @shortformernie
Barrett Media:
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:
Inside Radio, @prideofdetroit, @bloggingtheboys, @pgsween, @scottcoleman55 and Awful Announcing
The Economic Times:
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
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