Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: Paramount extends its deadline for sales talks until early September to evaluate Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s new bid, which could shake up the Skydance deal — Edgar Bronfman Jr. and his bidding group now have until September to sell Paramount on their offer.
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Edgar Bronfman Jr. raises his Paramount bid to $6B, adding $1.7B to let non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders cash out at $16 a share — The bid gives non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders an option to sell shares at a premium — Edgar Bronfman Jr. has sweetened …
Bilge Ebiri / Vulture:
Lionsgate recalls its trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis that used fake quotes from multiple critics, and apologizes “for this inexcusable error” — Since this story published, Lionsgate has taken the trailer down and issued an apology: “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis.
Discussion:
Variety, SlashFilm, New York Post, The Guardian, TMZ.com, Dexerto, The Playlist, Metro.co.uk, @bilgeebiri, Mashable, @ajroach42@retro.social, @bilgeebiri, @bilgeebiri, David Sehring on LinkedIn, AV Club, @bilgeebiri, British GQ, CBR, Newser, The Daily Beast, USA Today, Associated Press, Boing Boing, New York Times, The Verge, IndieWire, Consequence, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Empire, New York Daily News, The Wrap, HuffPost, ComingSoon.net, Screen Rant, Inverse, Digital Trends, The Indian Express and Rolling Stone
Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Judy Woodruff apologizes for saying she had read reports that Trump urged Israel's PM not to cut a deal to end fighting in Gaza because it would help Harris — PBS NewsHour senior correspondent Judy Woodruff issued an apology Wednesday after her comments about former President Trump's role in Gaza cease-fire talks sparked criticism.
Discussion:
@judywoodruff, Plain Dealer, Black America Web, Reuters, @jeremyschulman, MSNBC, The Daily Wire, New York Post, Fox News, Mediaite and New Republic
Peter White / Deadline:
Sources: Chick-Fil-A plans to launch a slate of original media productions for its own streaming platform and has worked with studios on family-friendly shows — Deadline understands that the fast-food firm has been working with a number of major production companies, including some of the studios …
Discussion:
The Ankler, Business Insider, Neal Zuckerman on LinkedIn, Fortune, @mikebeauvais, @tomzohar, @adamjohnsonchi, New York Post, The Verge, @aaronserna, The Hill, @mikeorren, Axios, The Overspill, Los Angeles Times, Mashable, @chrisvalentino0, @cafastfoodunion, @deadline, @deadline, @deadline, @c_a_huggins, @mfg_iwpj, Too Much TV Newsletter, Variety, @kennysmith.bsky.social, Ars Technica, Vibe, @LilahTovMoon@tech.lgbt, CBR, Vanity Fair, AV Club, @sleestak.bsky.social, The Daily Beast, The Desk, Streaming Better, @acidrains.bsky.social, Quartz, SlashFilm, The Media Leader and Cord Cutters News
Clemmie Moodie / The Sun:
The BBC says soccer presenter Jermaine Jenas is “no longer part of the presenting line-up”; source: the BBC terminated his contract after behavior complaints — JERMAINE Jenas has been fired by the BBC and taken off air from both Match of the Day and The One Show following complaints about “inappropriate behaviour”.
Discussion:
Variety, The Mirror, BBC, Sky News, London Evening Standard, @scotteaglen, Daily Express, The Independent, Telegraph, Metro.co.uk, Deadline, @julian5news and HuffPost
Evelyn Okakwu / Committee to Protect Journalists:
In Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal, journalists have been targeted, assaulted, and detained by security forces as they covered anti-government protests — “He hit me with a gun butt,” Premium Times newspaper reporter Yakubu Mohammed told the Committee to Protect Journalists …
Discussion:
Reporters Without Borders, The Intercept and Voice of America
Patrick Frater / Variety:
Chinese streamer iQiyi reports Q2 revenue down 5% YoY to ~$1.04B and net profit down 80% YoY to ~$9.6M, as subscription revenue shrinks for a second quarter — China-based video streaming company iQiyi recorded a 5% decrease in revenue in the second quarter and an 80% plunge in net profits.
Reuters:
Russia's FSB opens criminal cases against British CNN reporter Nick Paton Walsh and two Ukrainian journalists for illegally entering Russia to report from Kursk — Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had opened a criminal case against a journalist working for CNN …
Discussion:
CNN, The Moscow Times, Al Jazeera and Politico
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
David Anderson, head of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, plans to step down in 2025 after ABC finds a managing director, after a 35-year career at ABC — In a note to staff Anderson - who was first appointed to role in 2019 - says it was an honour and privilege to lead the ABC
New York Times:
The FBI has raided the homes of two US commentators for Russian state media in an effort to blunt foreign influence on elections; more searches are expected — The F.B.I. raided the homes of two prominent commentators on Russian state television channels as part of an effort to blunt attempts to influence November's election.
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
TV and film productions are turning away from California to countries and US states with looser restrictions and limitations on their tax incentive programs — Locales from Atlanta to Tokyo are steadily beefing up their tax relief programs in a bids to attract Hollywood money.