Top News:
New York Times:
Edgar Bronfman Jr. drops his 11th-hour bid to take control of Paramount and buy National Amusements; sources: Bronfman couldn't offer proof of financing in time — Mr. Bronfman has frantically put a bid together over the last week even as Paramount raised questions about his financing.
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Jason and Travis Kelce sign a deal with Amazon's Wondery for rights to their popular New Heights podcast; a source says the three year deal is worth $100M+ — Three-year pact gives Wondery rights to ad-sales, distribution and more to NFL stars' weekly show
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Siobhan Hughes / Wall Street Journal:
In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, Mark Zuckerberg says he regrets Meta wasn't more outspoken about Biden administration pressure to restrict some COVID-19 content — Meta CEO also says he won't repeat 2020 efforts to fund local elections, which Republicans criticized as ‘Zuckerbucks’
Discussion:
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Christopher Palmeri / Bloomberg:
Sources: Disney is in contract renewal talks with DirecTV that could see ABC, ESPN, and other channels blacked out as early as September 1 if no deal is reached — DirecTV is looking to ease contract terms that have long required cable and satellite-TV distributors to charge customers …
The Moscow Times:
Interfax: Russia's FSB files criminal charges against a DW reporter and a journalist for Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel for illegally crossing the border into Kursk — Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday that it has filed criminal charges against a Deutsche Welle reporter …
Discussion:
Reuters, TASS, Deutsche Welle, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, @cforcd and @rsf_inter
Chris Eggertsen / Billboard:
Spin returns to print as a quarterly magazine after being out of circulation since late 2012; Bob Guccione Jr., who founded the publication in 1985, is the EIC — After more than a decade out of circulation, SPIN is returning to print as a quarterly magazine, the media brand announced Tuesday …
Discussion:
Head Topics
Variety:
Sony India and Zee Entertainment reach a comprehensive, non-cash settlement to resolve all disputes related to their planned $10B merger, halted earlier in 2024 — The agreement brings an end to the legal proceedings that had been ongoing at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre …
Discussion:
Reuters, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline
Blake Brittain / Reuters:
A judge reverses a jury's $600K verdict that Disney misused Rearden's tech in Beauty and the Beast, saying it couldn't have known its contractor was misusing it — Disney (DIS.N) convinced a federal judge in California on Monday to reverse a jury's $600,000 verdict that it misused another …
Discussion:
Plagiarism Today
The Guardian:
Venezuelan journalists are using AI avatars to host daily newscasts without putting themselves at risk, amid President Nicolás Maduro's media crackdown — Journalists are using artificial intelligence avatars to combat Maduro's media crackdown since disputed election
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
Last week BuzzFeed launched a BuzzFeed Arcade redesign, Vulture released an archive of its game Cinematrix, and Mashable partnered with Arkadium to offer games — - BuzzFeed launched a redesign for BuzzFeed Arcade, home to Pyramid Scheme, AI generators and other games.
Discussion:
Mashable, Vulture, @mashable, @vulture and @kerrymflynn
Advanced Television:
WBD's Max says it will launch CNN International in 22 European countries on August 29 and will include CNN's simulcast of the ABC News presidential debate — Max, Warner Bros Discovery's streaming platform, will launch the CNN International 24/7 live channel feed in 22 European countries across Spain …
Discussion:
The Desk, CNN, Deadline and WORLD SCREEN
Christine Murray / Financial Times:
How Mexico became one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalism, as crime groups grow and President López Obrador fuels hostility towards reporters — Crime groups collude with local authorities as leftist leader López Obrador fuels hostile environment for reporters