Top News:


Some website publishers say they can't block the Googlebot crawler that covers AI Overviews, as the crawler also covers Search, hampering sites' discoverability — Publishers say blocking Google's AI could also prevent their sites from showing up in search
Discussion:
The Media Leader, Julia Love on LinkedIn, @pahwa_nitish, The Guardian and Media Makers Meet, more at Techmeme »


Jun Reina, the former manager of California public radio station CapRadio, received $460K in mysterious payments, per an unredacted consulting firm report — Ever since news broke late last year about CapRadio's financial troubles, audience members, staffers and employees of Sacramento State …
Discussion:
Mike Kessler on LinkedIn, @byrobinepley, Current, @davidfolkenflik and @omarsrashad


Q&A with Ear Hustle's Earlonne Woods and Bruce Wallace on producing podcasts in prison, the expansion to a women's prison, creating a training program, and more — The studio, at the California Institution for Women, will bring more incarcerated women's voices to the podcast — and kickstart an ambitious training program.
Discussion:
@reportertracy


How David Zaslav's famously hard-nosed approach to negotiations has alienated contributors to WBD's cash flow, including advertisers, sports leagues, and more — In recent days, it's become clear that the pink glow from that box office juggernaut has long since faded.
Discussion:
@bristei, TVNewsCheck and Business Insider


DLT Entertainment buys TV production company Juniper from BBC Chair Samir Shah, who was forced to step down from Juniper to avoid a conflict of interest — Financial terms of the deal weren't announced, but London-based DLT said the acquisition marked “a significant expansion of its portfolio in the factual programming space.”
Discussion:
Advanced Television


A look at the five-person Gen Z team running Kamala Harris' TikTok account @KamalaHQ, capitalizing on the VP's viral moments and averaging 6M views per post — Vice President Kamala Harris, quoting her mother, told a group of newly sworn-in commissioners for a White House initiative …


NYT plans to launch a Wirecutter podcast on August 21; its deputy publisher says the brand drove $1B in commerce in 2023 and its newsletter has 2.5M subscribers — - “Wirecutter is not only branching out in terms of its business model, it's also branching out in terms of its platforms,” …


A look at Tving, a streaming JV between three South Korean media firms, which has 30% market share, viewership growth up 6% YoY in H1 2024, and 4.2M subscribers — Tving's share of premium video viewership in Korea grew in the first half of 2024, while Netflix's slipped, even though the global giant remained the market leader.


New York City's WCBS says it will end its nearly 60-year run as an all-news station this month; the station will become WHSQ and host ESPN New York sports talk — The news radio mainstay is turning its airwaves over to ESPN, ending its continuous coverage of the five boroughs. The Mets broadcasts will remain.
Discussion:
Media Nation, TVNewsCheck, Paul Cohen on LinkedIn and Showbiz411


President Biden speaks at the first White House Creator Economy Conference, with about 100 startup founders, industry stakeholders, and creators in attendance — At the first ever White House Creator Economy Conference, the most popular man to drop by was not a TikTok superstar or a YouTube sensation.
Discussion:
Fox News, New York Times, Sky News, Bloomberg, The Information, Tubefilter, CNBC, Fox News, UPI, The Hill and Deadline, more at Techmeme »


Docs: Disney seeks to dismiss a wrongful death suit because the widower agreed to arbitrate all disputes with the company when he signed up for a Disney+ trial — New York CNN — — A man suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for the wrongful death of his wife is facing a new legal hurdle …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Mediaite, The Media Leader, BBC, The Verge, Associated Press, BGR, Decider, @geerlingguy, @morningbrew, @cattailxc, @alexandra_ewing, @discussingfilm, @investmentshulk, @buccocapital, @heavyspoilers, @robertfreundlaw, @tomcoates, @justinwhang, @bigblackjacobin, @rowbyyt, @ethanofkrypton, The Wrap, AV Club, Business Insider, TMZ.com, New York Post, Ars Technica, Cord Cutters News, @rvbdrm.com, Los Angeles Times, The Mirror, Boing Boing, NPR, The Daily Beast, New York Daily News, @jetton@mastodon.online and @jon@henshaw.social


SEC filing: Lionsgate extends CEO Jon Feltheimer's contract for another five years through July 31, 2029 — The exec signed a new deal in 2020 and the indie studio has extended it for another five years through to July 31, 2029. — Lionsgate has extended longtime CEO Jon Feltheimer's contract …