Mediagazer: Google TV rolls out Freeplay as a new home for its free, ad-supported TV channels, which grew to 150, up from 80 in early 2023 (Ben Schoon/9to5Google)

8:40 AM ET, September 15, 2024

Top News:

Disney and DirecTV reach an agreement that will bring Disney's ESPN and other channels back to the pay-tv provider's customers after a roughly two week blackout — DirecTV and Disney have reached a deal that will bring Disney's ESPN and other channels back to the pay-tv provider's customers after a roughly two week blackout.

Michelle F Davis / Bloomberg:

Sources: DirecTV is in talks with Dish for a merger, which could create the largest pay-TV provider in the US with about 20M subscribers — - On-again, off-again efforts date back more than two decades — DirecTV-Dish merger would create largest US pay-TV distributor

Discussion: Reuters, Streaming Better, @michellef_davis, Cord Cutters News, @bsdtectr.bsky.social, @2xaught7.bsky.social and New York Times

Ben Schoon / 9to5Google:

Google TV rolls out Freeplay as a new home for its free, ad-supported TV channels, which grew to 150, up from 80 in early 2023 — After adding a few more new channels recently, Google TV has started rolling out “Freeplay” as a new home for its free, ad-supported TV channels.

Discussion: Cord Cutters News, SamMobile, Neowin, TechRadar, The Verge, Android Authority, Gizchina.com, Android Police and BGR

Joseph Gedeon / Politico:

The US State Department says Russia's RT is operating a military procurement network to supply Russian forces and is growing global covert influence operations — The state-backed media outlet has been sending weapons to Russian units, including sniper rifles and suppressors, body armor …

Discussion: CNN, @rt_com, @peterjukes, @tatatfender, @jgedeon1, @davetroy, @juliadavisnews, @thezedwards, @juliadavisnews, @robfardon, @davetroy, Politico, London Evening Standard, @erosalie@infosec.exchange and @rvps2001@mastodon.social

David Klepper / Associated Press:

The US State Department announces new sanctions on Russian state media and their leaders, including RT parent TV-Novosti and a related group, Rossiya Segodnya — The U.S. State Department announced new sanctions on Russian state media Friday, accusing a Kremlin news outlet of working hand …

Discussion: Washington Post, @sputnikint, Voice of America, The Desk, The Guardian, New York Post, Reuters, @cdarwin@c.im, New York Times, @markmetz@sfba.social and Boing Boing

Financial Times:

Sources: Mathias Döpfner and KKR near a deal to split up Axel Springer, valuing the company at €13.5B; KKR would get control of the €10B+ classifieds business — Agreement to be discussed next week could cement Mathias Döpfner's control over media outlets Politico and Bild

Discussion: @hrreisen, Bloomberg and Reuters

Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:

Sources: Netflix is in talks with BuzzFeed to stream Hot Ones, to add to its live lineup; Sean Evans would host several live episodes specifically for Netflix — - Streaming company holds talks with show owner BuzzFeed — Program would add to lineup of live fare, including NFL, WWE

Discussion: TechCrunch, TV Insider, Forbes, Variety, @daveleebbg@threads.net, AV Club, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, TVNewsCheck and The Verge

Jason Parham / Wired:

An interview with Maya Cade, founder of the Black Film Archive, on the Internet Archive lawsuit, Hollywood's business model, Black media's future, and more — “It's as if television, media, and filmmaking are becoming manifest destiny in the wrong ways,” says Maya Cade, founder of the Black Film Archive.

Discussion: @mayascade and @nonlinearnotes

Joshua Benton / Nieman Lab:

Q&A with Ken Doctor, the news industry analyst who founded Lookout, on its Santa Cruz newsroom in California, expansion into Oregon, revenue streams, and more — After finding success — and a Pulitzer Prize — in Santa Cruz, Lookout aims to replicate its model in Oregon.

Discussion: American Press Institute

Mike Janssen / Current:

Email: New York Public Radio's CEO announces 26 layoffs, including 12 voluntary departures, or 8.5% of jobs, as NYPR plans to cut back on podcasts and events — New York Public Radio is eliminating 26 positions and will cut back on podcasts and live events, CEO LaFontaine Oliver announced in an email to staff Thursday.

Discussion: Gothamist, Barrett Media, Beth Fertig on LinkedIn, Digital Music News, Ilya Marritz on LinkedIn, Radio & Television … and Inside Radio

Michael Kunzelman / Associated Press:

Two brothers are charged with assaulting New York Times photographer Erin Schaff on January 6, 2021, in the Capitol and stealing her camera — Two brothers were arrested Thursday on charges that they assaulted a New York Times photographer inside the U.S. Capitol during a mob's attack on the building more than three years ago.

Discussion: NBC News, HuffPost and The Philadelphia Inquirer

Leah Nylen / Bloomberg:

Google ad trial: an ex-Facebook ad exec testifies the company signed the 2018 Jedi Blue deal with Google because it couldn't compete against Google's “monopoly” — - Employees concluded ad tech ‘monopoly’ hurt competition — The social network eventually signed an agreement with Google

Discussion: @vidushi_law, @vidushi_law, @vidushi_law, @vidushi_law, @vidushi_law, @vidushi_law, @bigtechontrial, @jason_kint, @leah_nylen and usvgoogleads.com

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Mark Mwachiro / Adweek:
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Discussion: Politico

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Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
The Guardian ends a voluntary redundancy round that saw ~30 journalists leave and agrees to a two-year pay deal that increases most journalists' salaries 3%

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
DMGT's Mail Online and News Corp's The Sun trim US newsrooms; sources: Mail Online's cuts hit up to 10% of staff, and The Sun's cuts were a larger percentage

Discussion: @markkleinmansky, @pressgazette, The Guardian, Sky News and Gabriella Iannetta on LinkedIn

Claire Atkinson / The Ankler:
Emily in Paris is a petri dish for advertising and product placement on Netflix; on the show, plotlines beget products and brand pitches turn into plotlines

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Helen Davidson / The Guardian:
The Honk Kong Journalists Association says journalists from more than a dozen Hong Kong media outlets have been harassed in a “systemic and organized” attack

Discussion: Reuters, Voice of America, Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Reporters Without Borders and Associated Press

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Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
In a government committee meeting, BBC chair Samir Shah said subscriptions or advertising are incompatible with the BBC's remit as a public broadcaster

Discussion: The Desk

Marshall Cohen / CNN:
A Delaware judge rules that Smartmatic's defamation case against Newsmax over 2020 election lies will proceed to trial later this month

Discussion: Barrett Media, NBC News, ABC News, The Hill, Adweek, TVNewsCheck and Deadline

Dominic Patten / Deadline:
A Nevada court rules that hearings about Rupert Murdoch's effort to modify his family's succession plans will remain closed to the public and to the media

Discussion: The Guardian, CNN, Newser, Jessica Toonkel on LinkedIn, The Ankler, New York Times, Adweek, Axios and Wall Street Journal

Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap:
Fubo's antitrust trial against Fox, WBD, and Disney over Venu Sports is set for October 2025; Fox, WBD, Disney have also appealed the injunction blocking launch

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Laura Wagner / Washington Post:
News photographers object after their seats in Kamala Harris' plane travel pool were cut from four to one and push for more access for “a fair and free press”

From Techmeme:

Bloomberg:
The Trump administration exempts smartphones, laptops, hard drives, processors, memory chips, and machines used to make semiconductors from “reciprocal tariffs”

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is working on a lighter and cheaper Vision Pro and a Mac-tethered model with ultra-low latency; iPadOS 19 overhaul will make it more like macOS

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