Top News:
Max Tani / Semafor:
Details of CNN's ad packages for its Biden-Trump debate on June 27: a top-tier level with a $1.5M minimum, limits on spending by campaigns and PACs, and more — The Scoop — The Donald Trump-driven boom times are back for the business of American television — at least, for one night in June.
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Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Disney and Comcast's NBCUniversal hit an impasse in Disney's buyout plans for NBCU's 33% Hulu stake, with a significant disagreement over valuation — Companies are discussing a Disney buyout of Comcast's stake in streaming service; with a big valuation gap, the prospect of a court battle looms
Discussion:
The Desk, The Streamable, The Media Leader, The Information and @tvgrimreaper
Financial Times:
Sources: a Paramount special committee approved the sweetened offer from Skydance; Paramount's board, chaired by Shari Redstone, will vote on the deal June 4 — Final decision over Hollywood studio group rests with controlling shareholder Shari Redstone — A special committee …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Desk, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times and Variety
Tom Dreisbach / NPR:
Salem Media is halting distribution of the film and book 2000 Mules and removing the film from its platforms; it apologized to a man who sued for defamation — The conservative media company behind the book and film “2,000 Mules,” which alleged a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to steal …
Jeremy Barr / Washington Post:
A look at Robert Allbritton's NOTUS, a nonprofit national politics outlet that employs 10 full-time fellows and is intended to act as a journalist incubator — When he was the owner of Politico, Robert Allbritton sat atop a farm system that hired scores of young reporters to work alongside veteran editors …
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Startup Fable Studio announces Showrunner, a streaming service that lets users watch AI-generated series and create their own series by writing prompts — Fable, the studio behind the viral AI-generated ‘South Park’ clips, has announced a streaming platform that allows users to create their own content.
Discussion:
B. Earl on LinkedIn, Tubefilter, The Guardian, Gizmodo, VentureBeat and IndieWire, more at Techmeme »
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Moonbug Entertainment names Courtney Holt, previously Spotify's head of studios and video, as managing director for the Americas, taking over from Andy Yeatman — Holt takes over the position from Andy Yeatman, who is departing Moonbug for an unspecified new gig.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Courtney Holt on LinkedIn, Deadline and Advanced Television
Nieman Lab:
A look at the term “fact-based journalism”: its rise coincided with “fake news” in 2016, but the term is redundant as all journalism is fact-based — “To describe one form of journalism as ‘fact-based’ is to tacitly acknowledge that there is also such a thing as ‘non-fact-based journalism.’ And there isn't."
Discussion:
Josh M. on LinkedIn, @davidpwhelan@mastodon.world and @nw@ioc.exchange
Diana Falzone / Mediaite:
Eric Bolling, formerly of Sinclair and Fox News and host of Newsmax's 8pm show The Balance, is leaving the network after three years — Eric Bolling has parted ways with Newsmax. — The veteran television host, who helmed the conservative network's 8 p.m. hour with The Balance …
Discussion:
The Wrap, @ericbolling, The Daily Beast, Deadline and Media Matters for America
Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:
Rest of World retracts an article on WhatsApp misinformation “tip lines” in India after several fact-checking orgs detail how it was “riddled with inaccuracies” — Last week, the technology site Rest of World published a story on the apparent failings of WhatsApp misinformation “tip lines” in India.
Discussion:
@dau_mca and @india_mca, more at Techmeme »
Kristin Robinson / Billboard:
Sampling of King Willonius' AI-generated “BBL Drizzy” creates a new precedent; the recording is public domain but Willonius' lyrics give him publishing rights — After “BBL Drizzy” was sampled in Sexyy Red and Drake's new single “U My Everything,” it required a lawyer to create a procedure for clearing AI samples.
Discussion:
Willonius Hatcher on LinkedIn and Daniel Rowland on LinkedIn
Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch:
Researchers claim that 2,107 US voters, mostly older, white Republican women, accounted for spreading 80% of the fake news on Twitter during the 2020 election — A pair of studies published Thursday in the journal Science offers evidence not only that misinformation on social media changes minds …
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