Top News:
Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Spotify releases a ranking of the top audiobooks on the platform for the first time, showing A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas was 2024's top book — This is the fifth consecutive year The Joe Rogan Experience has been the top podcast on Spotify.
Discussion:
Variety, @maxwelltani and Business Insider
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Spotify says The Joe Rogan Experience was its top US podcast for the fourth year running, followed by Call Her Daddy, and 33%+ of the top 50 podcasts had video
Discussion:
Spotify, Business Insider and Inside Radio, more at Techmeme »
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify launches Spotify Wrapped, adding an AI podcast of users' 2024 Wrapped created with Google's NotebookLM summarizer, and a Your Music Evolution data story
Discussion:
Publishers Weekly, Billboard, Adweek, Fast Company, Business Insider, Mumbrella, Hollywood Life, The Verge, WXIA-TV, WPXI-TV, @tim, Engadget, Axios, Wired, Time, The Verge, Digital Trends, UPROXX, 9to5Google, Spotify, @variety, The Irish Sun, @shivlestat, The Keyword, @spotify, PinkNews, @mattrosoff, @jappleby, @joannastern, @google, @variety, Columbia Journalism Review, Forbes and Metro.co.uk, more at Techmeme »
NBC News:
Three current and seven former Fox employees say Pete Hegseth drank in ways that concerned his colleagues; Fox News did not respond to requests for comment — Ten current and former Fox employees say Trump's pick for defense secretary drank in ways that concerned his co-workers.
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Hill, Columbia Journalism Review, New York Post, KLFY.com, New York Daily News, USA Today, The Guardian, Alternet.org, Talking Points Memo, Mock Paper Scissors, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, @willcain, Mediaite, ZeroHedge News, New York Times, Hollywood Life, @alanhe, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, WXIA-TV, Axios, Florida Phoenix, @brianstelter, @robsmithonline, Washington Examiner, @kylenabecker, @dbongino, @rlocker12, American Greatness, @kelmej, Raw Story, Newser, @mattgertz, @piersmorgan, @yashar, @alexkoppelman, @willcain, @brendannyhan.bsky.social, BizPac Review, @newsjennifer.bsky.social, HuffPost, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Rolling Stone, @drewharwell.com, Twitchy, @msignorile.bsky.social, The Gateway Pundit, @janecoaston.bsky.social, @loisromano.bsky.social, @jamellebouie.net, The Independent, @dandrezner.bsky.social, @andreapitzer.bsky.social, CNBC, @democracydmv.bsky.social, @ndrew.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter@threads.net, @lisalck.bsky.social, The Independent, @volts.wtf, New Jersey Online, @timothysnyder.bsky.social, Daily Kos, @passantino.bsky.social and New Republic
Mike Pastore / MarTech:
Informa Tech, a B2B media and data company that owns brands like Industry Dive, merges with TechTarget to broaden reach to customers and scale for marketers — We've updated this article with news that the combination of Informa Tech and TechTarget is now official, after TechTarget shareholders approved the deal.
Discussion:
Marketing Charts, MediaPost, TechTarget, Light Reading and Cybersecurity Dive
The Guardian:
Guardian and Observer journalists hold a 48-hour strike against a planned sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media; it is The Guardian's first strike in 50+ years — Forty-eight-hour strike, first at Guardian in more than 50 years, to take place on Wednesday and Thursday
Discussion:
Byline Times, New York Times, Press Gazette, Tortoise, London Evening Standard, New Statesman, @danielthomasldn, @dalevince, Variety, @patrickbarkham.bsky.social, National Union of Journalists …, @hirstphotos, NPR, @vicksrb.bsky.social, @lukeharding1968, @urban_seagull, @hcachesshistory.bsky.social, @fisherandrew79, The New European, @saulstaniforth, @picketlinepoets, @pressgazette, @soniasodha, @hannahep, @danielkebedeneu, @msrachelcooke, @mck_beth, @slurmsmackenzie.bsky.social, @msrachelcooke, RTÉ, @shattenstone, @carolecadwalla.bsky.social, Sky News and The Irish Times
Dan Sheldon / New York Times:
FIFA agrees a deal with DAZN to broadcast 2025's Club World Cup in the US, sources say in a deal worth $1B; all 63 matches will be available for free on DAZN — FIFA has agreed a deal with DAZN to broadcast next year's Club World Cup in the United States. — As part of the overall agreement …
Discussion:
Advanced Television, The Sun, Agence France-Presse, @davelee.me, @robharris and Associated Press
New York Times:
South Korea's press did not acquiesce to President Yoon Suk Yeol declaring martial law, and even right-leaning outlets stood united in criticism of his actions — Journalists criticized the president's attempt to place the press under military control, hardened by years of challenges …
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Disney unveils an ESPN tile on Disney+, making ~100 live games available for Disney+ subscribers without ESPN+; ESPN is creating two studio shows for Disney+ — ESPN is coming to Disney+. Now, the sports network wants to make sure Disney+ users come to ESPN.
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
CISAC study: generative AI risks costing music artists ~20% of their revenues by 2028; Abba's Björn Ulvaeus warns that AI “has the power to cause great damage” — ‘Very unfair’ for tech companies to use artists' work without paying them, says pop legend and head of advocacy group
Discussion:
CISAC, Music Ally and Music Business Worldwide
Financial Times:
The UK NCA uncovers a Russian money laundering scheme that used crypto to help RT support “the activities of a Russian-language media organisation in the UK” — Multibillion-dollar ring across London, Moscow and Dubai connected cash-rich criminals with sanctions evaders
Discussion:
Wired and The Sun, more at Techmeme »
Oliver Darcy / Status:
Sources: MSNBC President Rashida Jones is mulling an exit after she finishes guiding the organization through Donald Trump's second inauguration in early 2025 — The MSNBC chief, who has led the progressive network since February 2021, is mulling a departure after Donald Trump's inauguration.
Sam Nussey / Reuters:
Netflix says Netflix Japan passed 10M+ subscribers in H1 2024 and has doubled its subscriber base in the past four years thanks to Japanese-language programming — Netflix's (NFLX.O) subscribers passed 10 million in Japan in the first half of this year with the streaming firm's Japanese …
Discussion:
Benzinga, more at Techmeme »
Emma Roth / The Verge:
WBD launches a set of always-on channels, including HBO Comedy, HBO Signature for dramas, and HBO Zone for classics, in a test with some ad-free US subscribers — Max is joining the growing list of streaming services that offer 24/7 cable-like channels. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced …
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Grace Rosen on LinkedIn, Cord Cutters News and Media Play News
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