Top News:
Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Paramount Global's board is considering replacing CEO Bob Bakish with an “Office of the CEO” made up of division heads on an interim basis — Entertainment giant would install a committee of top executives to run an ‘Office of the CEO’ on an interim basis; no decision has been made on Bakish's future
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Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: Paramount Global's board is preparing to fire CEO Bob Bakish as soon as Monday, after he lost the trust of controlling shareholder Shari Redstone — Bob Bakish, then president and chief executive officer of Viacom Inc., speaks during the Mobile World Congress Americas event in Los Angeles …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, @sherman4949, @tvgrimreaper, @sherman4949, @slim_saidi_, @bristei and The Wrap
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Sources: Paramount and Skydance move closer to a deal, but Paramount's renewal agreement with Charter, which has an April 30 deadline, is a significant hurdle
Sources: Paramount and Skydance move closer to a deal, but Paramount's renewal agreement with Charter, which has an April 30 deadline, is a significant hurdle
Discussion:
Cord Cutters News, New York Post, Deadline, The Information, Variety, The Wrap, The Streamable and Alex Sherman on LinkedIn
Jeff Jarvis / BuzzMachine:
The New York Times is broken, shown by its entitled, petulant reaction to Politico's report on its tense relationship with Biden — It gives me no satisfaction to say this — indeed it fills me with trepidation for the nation — but The Times is broken.
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Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:
Howard Stern of SiriusXM snags a surprise interview with President Biden, following reports of Biden's refusal so far to give The NYT a sit-down interview — President drops by Sirius XM studios to speak with the shock jock as Donald Trump sat in a courtroom downtown
Discussion:
ABC News, Financial Times, CNN, Fox News, @kbandersen, @markjacobnews@threads.net, Mediaite, Inside Radio, New York Daily News, @TidalFlats@mastodon.coffee, KING-TV, Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter, CBS News, Twin Cities, Mediaite, The Daily Beast, Politico, Fox News, Forbes, The Hill, Rolling Stone and Sirius XM Holdings Inc.
The New York Times Company:
The New York Times says it will continue to cover Biden “fully and fairly” regardless of whether he gives the paper a sit-down interview
The New York Times says it will continue to cover Biden “fully and fairly” regardless of whether he gives the paper a sit-down interview
Discussion:
Fox News, @jjmoney62, The Gateway Pundit, Adweek, The Hill, @froomkin, @jeffjarvis, TMZ.com, New York Post, Deadline, Politico, Mediaite, @markjacob16, @markjacob16, @laurachapin, @denisewu, @laurachapin, @nytimespr, @markjacobnews@threads.net, Media Matters for America, @dangillmor@mastodon.social and Politico
Andrew Marchand / The Athletic:
Sources: Amazon Prime Video has a framework deal for NBA broadcast rights for at least a decade, starting in 2025-26; ESPN/ABC is expected to keep the finals — In what will be a landmark move in sports media history, the NBA and Amazon Prime Video have the framework of a deal …
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Memo: CNN's Poppy Harlow is leaving the network; she joined in 2008 and most recently co-hosted CNN This Morning, which was effectively canceled earlier in 2024 — Harlow, a veteran of the cable network, told colleagues about her departure Friday morning, a couple of months after ‘CNN This Morning’ was effectively canceled.
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Adweek, @dylanbyers, @poppyharlowcnn, Variety, Plain Dealer, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, TVLine, Mediaite, New York Post, New York Daily News and Deadline
Johanna F. Still / The Assembly NC:
Some former staff at StarNews say the Wilmington, NC, daily is diminished under Gannett, as it fades in a death spiral with no clear path to profitability — It was a front page that forever changed Wilmington: “Toxin Taints Tapwater,” splashed in fat, black font.
Matt Grant / KXAN-TV:
Media advocates denounce an Austin TV photojournalist's arrest amid campus protests; one calls for a law shielding journalists from law enforcement interference — AUSTIN (KXAN) — A FOX 7 photojournalist was released from jail Thursday — one of dozens of people arrested during …
Kirsten Eddy / Pew Research Center:
Survey of 3,600 US adults: 73% say a free press is very important, while 84% say media is at least somewhat influenced by corporations and financial interests — A large majority of Americans see the freedom of the press as highly important to the well-being of society.
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @protecting1st, @scottleadingham and LinkedIn
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
G/O Media sells The Onion to Global Tetrahedron, a new Chicago firm owned by former Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson; former NBC News senior reporter Ben Collins is CEO — The satirical news website was bought by a new firm in Chicago that took inspiration for its name, Global Tetrahedron, from a book written by The Onion's staff.
Discussion:
The Information, @jeffiel, @skyler_higley, @jakesheridan_, @danspenser, @buccocapital, @blackamazon, Axios, @teddyschleifer, @mollygos, TechCrunch, @jeffiel, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, @theonion, @kylekoster, @taylorlorenz, @lrozen, @andrewbucholtz, @bendreyfuss, @canteverdie, @urocklive1, @david_darmofal, @socialistdogmom, @oneunderscore__, @goldengateblond, @kenbensinger, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, The Hollywood Reporter, @whaddatwit, @katie_robertson, UPI, The Onion, @bobschooley@threads.net, Awful Announcing, @erikawittekind@threads.net, Editor and Publisher, Deadline, @powerllama@duck.haus, @malaclypse.bsky.social, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @rincewind.run, @lindaholmes.bsky.social, @ernie.tedium.co, @bencollins.bsky.social, Axios, Mediaite, MediaPost, @tacoavenger.bsky.social, Business Insider, @petegain.es, Variety, The Daily Beast, @briank.bsky.social, @edbott.com, The Wrap and @katie_robertson
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Curio, which uses AI to deliver journalism via audio, is raising funds for Rio, an app that scans headlines and creates a daily news briefing in audio or text — AI may be inching its way into the newsroom, as outlets like Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Gizmodo, VentureBeat, CNET, and others have experimented with the format.
Discussion:
Shane Zammit on LinkedIn
Financial Times:
Sources: RedBird IMI prepares to withdraw its Telegraph bid as early as next week, triggering an auction expected to draw bids from Rupert Murdoch and others — Resulting auction process expected to attract bidders including Rupert Murdoch and hedge fund boss Paul Marshall
Discussion:
The Guardian, City A.M. and Bloomberg