Top News:
Matthew Keys / The Desk:
C-SPAN's own business choices keep the network from being offered on streaming TV platforms like YouTube TV, as it stays reliant on cable and satellite funding — Forty years ago, you might be hard-pressed to find anyone in the country who regularly watched the political affairs network called C-SPAN …
Discussion:
@matthewkeyslive
RELATED:
Tom Wheeler / The Hill:
Google's YouTube TV, which now has over 8M subscribers, should add C-SPAN to its channel lineup as a public service, as more consumers ditch cable subscriptions — C-SPAN celebrated its 45th anniversary this year. Since 1979, the nonprofit cable network has given Americans a window on their democracy …
Discussion:
@cspansusan
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Memo: Spotify's head of podcast studios, Julie McNamara, is leaving the company after nearly three years, emphasizing Spotify's reduced ambitions in podcasts — - Executive internally announced her departure on Thursday — Exit follows layoffs, show cancellations and reorganizations
Discussion:
Variety, The Verge, Fortune and @ashleyrcarman, more at Techmeme »
Christi Carras / Los Angeles Times:
LAist initiates a voluntary buyout program for staff to avoid layoffs as it faces a “significant budget shortfall” ranging from $4M-$5M in the next two years — Journalists at LAist have been offered buyouts ahead of a potential round of layoffs at the local public radio station …
Discussion:
Inside Radio, @caitlinherdez, @kystokes, @erstone7, @caitlinantonios, @oscargarza893 and Current
Jonah McKeown / Catholic News Agency:
Three Catholic radio stations file a petition against the FCC over requirements mandating that radio and TV stations publish info about staff race and gender — A trio of Catholic radio networks has filed a petition against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) …
Discussion:
@niemanlab
John Ourand / Puck:
Sources: Netflix is nearing a deal to stream two NFL games on December 25 — It looks like Netflix will wind up carrying the two NFL games scheduled for December 25, per a bevy of sources. It's a first-of-its-kind deal, and almost certainly not the last.
A.J. Perez / Front Office Sports:
Lineup Publishing says it plans to relaunch Deadspin next week; it appears the new Deadspin will focus on sports betting — Deadspin's latest revival is slated to take place next week, although its new Malta-based owners have given no indication about the editorial direction for the sports site.
Discussion:
Awful Announcing and @byajperez
Josh Rottenberg / Los Angeles Times:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces a $500M campaign to extend its influence globally and diversify revenue as Oscars ratings drop — Looking to safeguard its future in a world in which the Oscars have lost some of their ratings luster, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts …
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
AMC Networks reports Q1 net revenue fell 17% YoY to $596M, operating income fell 36% YoY to $110M, streaming revenue grew 3% YoY to $145M, and 11.5M subscribers — The company, led by CEO Kristin Dolan, reported its first-quarter results. … After returning to streaming subscriber growth …
Discussion:
The Wrap, AMC Networks Inc., Variety and @richlightshed
Zachary Small / New York Times:
Jason Gastrow, aka Dunkey, who has nearly 7.5M YouTube subscribers after reviewing games for over a decade, starts Bigmode, a publishing company for indie games — After a decade of humorously reviewing games, the man known as Dunkey began a publishing company to support indie projects, starting with the mazelike Animal Well.
Christopher Kuo / New York Times:
The British Board of Film Classification adopts updated guidelines for how it rates movies; in the US, no systematic process for updating guidelines exists — As the attitudes of moviegoers evolve, so do the guidelines of the ratings board, which has reclassified dozens of films including “Mary Poppins” and “Rocky.”
Discussion:
BBFC
CNBC:
Sources: Sinclair is looking to sell 60+ of its 185 TV stations, in markets including Minneapolis and Austin, and is exploring options for the Tennis Channel — Signage stands outside the Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. headquarters in Cockeysville, Maryland, U.S., on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018.
Discussion:
The Streamable, FTVLive, Sports Media Watch, Lillian Rizzo on LinkedIn and The Desk