Top News:
Bill Donahue / Billboard:
Drake launches legal action against UMG and Spotify for allegedly using bots, payola, and more to inflate Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us, a track attacking Drake — Drake has initiated legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify over allegations that the two companies conspired …
Discussion:
The Independent, The Wrap, New York County Supreme Court, Associated Press, theJasmineBRAND, Sandra Rose, UPROXX, Variety, Music Business Worldwide, @phil_lewis_, Rolling Stone, New York Daily News, @joshgondelman, @engineeringbae.bsky.social, TMZ.com, Los Angeles Times, The Verge, @daviddennisjr.bsky.social, @phil_lewis_, @mford.bsky.social, @mannyfidel, @annaknicolaou, @myfakeironlung.bsky.social, @annaknicolaou, @janecoaston, Bossip, Stereogum, @kashana.bsky.social, @brianzisook, @fadamgotdajuice, @billdonahue.bsky.social, @darrylc.bsky.social, @wowthatshiphop, @markroebuck.bsky.social, @mikemadden.bsky.social, @wickednfine, @skrappy83, @big_business_, @arianfoster, Forbes, Deadline, Consequence, Fox News and Oh No They Didn't!
Mark Kleinman / Sky News:
Sources: CVC Capital Partners and a major European broadcaster, thought to be France's Groupe TF1, are among those considering a takeover of the UK's ITV — The commercial broadcaster is back on alert for takeover approaches as financial and industry players evaluate offers which could lead …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Guardian, The Times, Deadline, City A.M., Bloomberg, Advanced Television and RTÉ
Joe Flint / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: NBC's new deal with Macy's to keep the Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and Peacock has an average annual fee of $60M+, up from ~$20M in the current deal — Macy's and NBC near pact that would raise the spectacle's annual average price to $60 million.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Benzinga, New York Post, @bsdtectr.bsky.social, @wsj.com, TVNewsCheck and Just Jared
Brian Stelter / CNN:
As Elon Musk posts memes about buying MSNBC, sources say one liberal billionaire expressed interest in buying the channel; Comcast is not looking to sell MSNBC — Elon Musk has called MSNBC “the utter scum of the Earth.” He has said the channel “peddles puerile propaganda.”
David Gilmour / Mediaite:
Elon Musk appears to confirm that posts containing links in their main text are deprioritized on X, saying it is to stop “lazy linking” — Elon Musk confirmed that posts containing links in their main text are deprioritized on X in a revelation that renews criticism that the platform …
Discussion:
The Independent, Motley Fool, The Daily Dot, HuffPost, @paulg, @romansphoto.bsky.social, @mikeshenderson.bsky.social, @skdh, @elonmusk, @stevesi, @paulg, @designationsix.bsky.social, @katienotopoulos.bsky.social, @dcurtis, City & State New York, @nickadobos, @kwanza.bsky.social, @binarybits, New Republic, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @drethelin, @deadendgg.bsky.social, @snazzylabs, Business Insider, @andrewlseidel.bsky.social, @seyitaylor, @almostmedia, @melsengem.bsky.social, @stuartbuck1, @ernie@writing.exchange, @phl43, @clawrence, @mattnavarra.com, @markbrooks, @alicekeeler.com, Althouse and Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Trade body data: copyrighted music revenue was $45.5B in 2023, above cinema box office spending of $33.2B in 2023 and $41.9B in 2019; record labels made $28.5B — Annual revenues from copyrighted music hit almost $46bn last year, against $33.2bn for cinema
Jason Zinoman / New York Times:
A look at Disney's plans to compete with Netflix in standup comedy through Hulu, emphasizing quality over quantity while largely avoiding controversy — Under the Hulu banner, the company says it will offer quality over quantity while largely avoiding controversy. Many comedians are ready to give it a shot.
Discussion:
Deadline, IndieWire and Comic Book
Dominic Patten / Deadline:
Filing: Disney agrees to pay $43.25M to settle a 2019 lawsuit over pay equity for up to 14,000 female Disney employees; the trial was set to begin in May 2025 — We now know how much Disney is writing a check for to end the pay equity class-action suit that has loomed over the company for the past five years.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, @barkjack_ and @rwhelanwsj
Geneva Abdul / The Guardian:
Internal email: the UK's Reach plans to merge staff at The Daily Mirror and celebrity magazine OK! to cut costs, but the move won't result in cutting of roles — Merging of daily newspaper and celebrity magazine employees is latest move by owner, Reach, to cut costs
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
The music industry is entering a cycle of consolidation, driven by a slowdown at the major labels, the growing market for independents, and the rapacity of PE — The music industry is entering new era, one driven by a slowdown at the major labels, the growing market for independents and the rapacity of private equity.
Discussion:
@lucas_shaw, @lucas_shaw and @lucas_shaw
Anna Marie de la Fuente / Variety:
NBC News launches its 24/7 streaming service NBC News Now in Latin America in two of its biggest markets, Mexico and Brazil — NBC News' 24/7 streaming platform, NBC News Now, is launching in Mexico and Brazil, Latin America's biggest markets, as it continues to expand across the world.
Discussion:
The Desk and TVNewsCheck
Washington Post:
The US DOJ and Google made their closing arguments in the ad-market antitrust case before Judge Leonie Brinkema, who expressed some skepticism toward both sides — Federal prosecutors say Google's dominance of online advertising illegally hurts consumers and small businesses, while the company says it earned its place by being better.
Discussion:
The Verge, The Information, The Hill, Bloomberg, New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Adweek, Ars Technica, Digiday and Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Greg Stohr / Bloomberg:
SCOTUS seeks the US government's views in the $1B copyright fight between Cox Communications and Sony, Warner Music, Universal Music, and other music companies — - Sony among companies suing Cox over customer song downloads — Appeals court tossed out big 2019 jury award against Cox
Discussion:
Reuters, SCOTUSblog, RedState, Ars Technica, Billboard and MediaPost
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