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, Associated Press, New York County Supreme Court, AV Club, Variety, @desusnice, @dragonflyjonez, @hebennigatu, @nhoodpublicist, @wowthatshiphop, @gothamhiphop, @_zeets, @mrmedina, @variety, @_zeets, @casey_evans_, @dragonflyjonez, @umg, Rolling Stone, People, Entertainment Weekly, The Wrap, @daviddennisjr.bsky.social, @phil_lewis_, New York Daily News, @mford.bsky.social, @mannyfidel, @annaknicolaou, @myfakeironlung.bsky.social, Sandra Rose, @annaknicolaou, @janecoaston, Bossip, Los Angeles Times, Stereogum, UPROXX, @kashana.bsky.social, @brianzisook, @joshgondelman, @fadamgotdajuice, @billdonahue.bsky.social, @darrylc.bsky.social, @theneedledrop, @wowthatshiphop, CBS News, @markroebuck.bsky.social, @mikemadden.bsky.social, @wickednfine, @skrappy83, Digital Music News, TMZ.com, @big_business_, @arianfoster, theJasmineBRAND, @phil_lewis_, @engineeringbae.bsky.social, @britticisms.bsky.social, Music Business Worldwide, The Verge, Forbes, Deadline, Consequence, Fox News, Just Jared and Oh No They Didn't!, more at Techmeme »
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:
New York Post, The Wrap, @bsdtectr.bsky.social, @wsj.com, Benzinga, 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:
@paulg, @mikeshenderson.bsky.social, @skdh, @elonmusk, @stevesi, @paulg, @designationsix.bsky.social, @katienotopoulos.bsky.social, @dcurtis, @nickadobos, @kwanza.bsky.social, @binarybits, @drethelin, @deadendgg.bsky.social, @snazzylabs, Business Insider, @andrewlseidel.bsky.social, TechCrunch, Motley Fool, @seyitaylor, @almostmedia, @melsengem.bsky.social, @stuartbuck1, The Independent, @phl43, @clawrence, @markbrooks, @alicekeeler.com, @mattnavarra.com, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, New Republic, @romansphoto.bsky.social, @ernie@writing.exchange, Althouse, HuffPost and Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Marc Fisher / Nieman Reports:
A look at the changes made by hard-right TV mogul David Smith at The Baltimore Sun and the anxiety over his plans for the paper inside the shrunken newsroom — David Smith built a television empire on sensational, crime-saturated newscasts. Then he bought Maryland's premier newspaper.
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
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:
The Guardian, Reuters, The Times, Deadline, City A.M., Advanced Television, Bloomberg and RTÉ
Ben Smith / Semafor:
Public figures are asking their PR advisers to reach out to podcasters like Joe Rogan and other right-leaning platforms after Trump's success in the US election — The News — Corporate executives and other public figures emerged from this month's election with a new task for their handlers …
Discussion:
@cbalfe
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
A UK House of Lords committee warns that UK news coverage is at risk of “fracturing irreparably” within 10 years as people rely on “dubious online sources” — Lords communications committee calls on government to take steps to avert ‘two-tier’ media environment
Discussion:
Press Gazette, HoldtheFrontPage and UnHerd
Hua Hsu / New Yorker:
A look at Giant Robot, a magazine published from 1994 to 2011 that explored Asian American pop culture and peaked with a circulation of ~27K in the early 2000s — The magazine explored Asian American culture, without dwelling too much on what that meant. — The first issue …
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:
@rwhelanwsj, Wall Street Journal, Variety, @barkjack_, The Wrap and TVNewsCheck
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
Discussion:
Pivotal Economics, Virgo Sillamaa on LinkedIn, Benzinga, CMU, Will Page on LinkedIn, Music Ally and Billboard
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