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
Discussion:
The Information, Variety, Media Play News, Deadline, Jessica Toonkel on LinkedIn, Bloomberg and The Wrap
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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, CNN, Variety, Plain Dealer, @dylanbyers, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Daily Beast, Deadline, TVLine, @poppyharlowcnn, Mediaite and New York Daily News
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:
Mediaite, Inside Radio, New York Times, CNN, Fox News, @markjacobnews@threads.net, @kbandersen, New York Daily News, New York Post, El País, Forbes, KING-TV, Reuters, CBS News, The Hollywood Reporter, Politico, Fox News, Twin Cities, Sirius XM Holdings Inc., Mediaite, The Daily Beast, @TidalFlats@mastodon.coffee, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill and Rolling Stone
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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 — A spokesperson for The New York Times responds to recent reporting about a free press and reporting on the president.
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:
Fox News, @jeffiel, The Hollywood Reporter, @blackamazon, @jakesheridan_, @mollygos, @danspenser, Axios, @buccocapital, @skyler_higley, TechCrunch, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, @teddyschleifer, @jeffiel, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, @oneunderscore__, @theonion, @kylekoster, @taylorlorenz, @lrozen, @andrewbucholtz, @bendreyfuss, @canteverdie, @urocklive1, @david_darmofal, @socialistdogmom, @oneunderscore__, @goldengateblond, @kenbensinger, The Onion, UPI, @whaddatwit, @bobschooley@threads.net, @katie_robertson, Editor and Publisher, Awful Announcing, @erikawittekind@threads.net, Deadline, @powerllama@duck.haus, @malaclypse.bsky.social, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @rincewind.run, @lindaholmes.bsky.social, @ernie.tedium.co, @bencollins.bsky.social, Axios, Mediaite, @tacoavenger.bsky.social, Business Insider, MediaPost, @petegain.es, Variety, The Daily Beast, @briank.bsky.social, @edbott.com, The Wrap and @katie_robertson
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, LinkedIn, @protecting1st and @scottleadingham
Tom Jones / Poynter:
Q&A with Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News White House senior correspondent and WHCA president, ahead of the WHCD on April 27, on changes in media access and more — Advocating for her press corps colleagues has become a second full-time job for NBC News' senior White House correspondent.
Discussion:
Adweek, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Washingtonian, Axios, Poynter Institute on LinkedIn, The Guardian, Deadline and Voice of America
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, Bloomberg and City A.M.
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
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
An interview with CalMatters CEO Neil Chase on how the The Markup acquisition happened, consolidation uptick in nonprofit news, and why there is more to come — Nonprofit news has seen an uptick in mergers, acquisitions, and other consolidations. CalMatters CEO Neil Chase still says “I don't think we've seen enough yet.”
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
GB News co-owner Paul Marshall steps down from the board of GB News after three years, amid reports he is considering a new rival bid to buy the Telegraph — Sir Paul Marshall said he was leaving GB News on a “secure growth trajectory”. — GB News co-lead investor Sir Paul Marshall …
Discussion:
Mediaite and The Independent