Top News:
Bloomberg:
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 »
CapRadio:
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
Neel Dhanesha / Nieman Lab:
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
Variety:
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
Jesse Whittock / Deadline:
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
CNN:
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 …
Sara Fischer / Axios:
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,” …
Patrick Brzeski / The Hollywood Reporter:
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.
Corey Kilgannon / New York Times:
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
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
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 »
Jordan Valinsky / CNN:
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
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
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 …