Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
A combined DirecTV and Dish would have ~18M customers total, down 63% from the peak levels in 2016; DirecTV has ~10M pay-TV subscribers, down from 25.5M in 2016 — TPG will acquire AT&T's 70% stake in DirecTV, giving it 100% ownership in the pay-TV provider
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Amy Thomson / Bloomberg:
AT&T agrees to sell its majority stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG for $7.6B in cash, including $1.7B in pre-tax quarterly distributions in H2 2024 — The World's Call Center Capital Is Gripped by AI Fever — and Fear … Hello World
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
DirecTV and EchoStar reach a definitive agreement for DirecTV to acquire EchoStar's video business Dish DBS, including Dish TV and Sling TV
Discussion:
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Jem Aswad / Variety:
YouTube blocks songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, and others in the US, after its music licensing agreement with performing rights organization SESAC expired — Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy, Rush and many others are currently unplayable on YouTube in the U.S. due …
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@teamyoutube, Plagiarism Today, Metro.co.uk, CMU, Clayton Durant on LinkedIn, Vibe, Digital Music News, Music Ally, UPROXX, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, TechCrunch, Music Business Worldwide, The Verge, Cord Cutters News, @asuszczynski, @pearltearizzy, Rolling Stone, @Raccoon@techhub.social, Deadline and The Wrap
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Sources: Amazon Prime Video is in talks with veteran anchor Brian Williams to host a live Election Night special, its first entry into news-related programming — Brian Williams may have found his next TV-news job....except it won't be on traditional TV. — The veteran NBC News …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, CNN, Adweek, Fox News, The Ankler, Dan Rayburn on LinkedIn, Cord Cutters News, The Daily Beast, @dylanbyers, @daveleebbg@threads.net, @bristei, @dylanbyers, @brianstelter, @hbraun.jackson@threads.net, @stevemberkowitz@threads.net, @crumbler@threads.net, @mcbride.david.j@threads.net, The Verge, The Hill, Mediaite, TVLine, TechCrunch, @fivesilhouettes.bsky.social, DNyuz, The Hollywood Reporter and @wagatwe.com, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
CBS plans to show an onscreen QR code for the VP debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz to direct users to fact checks on the CBS News website — CBS is experimenting with a novel way to offer real-time fact-checking of the vice-presidential debate on Tuesday. Just don't expect the moderators to frequently jump in.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Media Matters for America, The Hill, @jayrosen_nyu, Associated Press, @williambibbiani, @repriggleman, @bloodravenlib@mas.to, @patrickdehahn, @samlindauer, @rotopat, @budrykzack, @markagee, @sykoscorch, @wtflanksteak, @chrismohney, @benjaminjs, @jayrosen_nyu, Poynter, @jrubinblogger, @PamelaBarroway@mstdn.social, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, @bdquinn, @cindyweinstein@mastodon.world, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @cindyweinstein@mastodon.world, Axios, @cmclymer, @jrubinblogger, NPR, Fox News, @barney@mas.to, @mollyjongfast, @GottaLaff@mastodon.social, @CindyWeinstein@zirk.us, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Boing Boing, TVNewsCheck, CBS News, New Republic and Deadline
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Reddit moderators must now submit a request to Reddit staff before changing a subreddit's public/private status, making sitewide mod-led protests much harder — Reddit is giving its staff a lot more power over the communities on its platform. Starting today, Reddit moderators will not be able …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @kyliebytes and @dangillmor@mastodon.social, more at Techmeme »
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
CNN revives CNN Films, which was shut down in 2022, with plans to finance and release documentary series and films as part of an overhaul by Mark Thompson — The network is again financing and releasing documentary series and films after backing away from the genre two years ago.
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck
Jason Parham / Wired:
An interview with Eric Eddings, who leads podcast development for Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, on the rise of “chatcasts” and their impact in the podcasting industry — “The industry part of podcasting has to not be afraid to invest in innovation,” says audio executive Eric Eddings.
Discussion:
@jvquantum and @bonybean
Will Sommer / Washington Post:
The Onion revives the Onion News Network, which ended in 2013, with former MSNBC host Joshua Johnson playing an ONN anchor character named Dwight Richmond — Joshua Johnson will anchor the revived “Onion News Network,” the online video series of the longtime satirical outlet.
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Audacy wins regulatory approval for the transfer of its licenses to George Soros-backed Fund for Policy Reform, letting Audacy emerge from Chapter 11 — Under the restructuring approved by the court in February, the new, closely held company will be controlled by the Fund for Policy Reform …
Discussion:
Reuters, Radio & Television …, Inside Radio, Radio Ink and Radio World
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
Gaming and entertainment media publisher Gamurs Group cuts 30 staff worldwide, blaming Google changes in late 2023, including its “helpful content” update — Gaming and entertainment media publisher Gamurs Group has cut 30 staff worldwide, saying the layoffs were necessitated …
Discussion:
@matthewkeyslive
Julie Bort / TechCrunch:
Series Entertainment, a game studio startup building a generative AI-powered service for making games, raised a $28M Series A from Netflix, Dell, a16z, others — It's been quite the year for gaming industry exec Pany Haritatos. — Last month, he quietly closed an oversubscribed $28 million Series …
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