Mediagazer: The Guardian publishes a letter by 125 Guardian and Observer staff contradicting Scott Trust claims of “extensive consultations” with staff over Observer sale (Dominic Ponsford/Press Gazette)

2:55 PM ET, December 9, 2024

Top News:

OpenAI launches Sora, available as part of ChatGPT Plus, letting users generate up to 50 videos at 480p or fewer videos at 720p each month, in select countries — We're moving our video generation model out of research preview. — Learn more System Card

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch, The Verge, @sama, 9to5Mac, @nickadobos, @billpeeb, CNBC, Digital Trends, Quartz, @willdepue, @gdb, BGR, @joannastern, @openai, @sama, @sama, @joannastern, @joannastern, @cnbctech and VentureBeat, more at Techmeme »

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:

OpenAI says it will give only a “subset” of Sora users access to a feature for creating videos of a real person using uploaded photos or footage of the person — OpenAI launched its video-generating tool, Sora, on Monday. But the company's opting not to release a key feature for most users pending further testing.

Marques Brownlee / Marques Brownlee on YouTube:
Review of OpenAI's Sora video generator: can depict very real looking news anchors with news-style cutaways, but telltale signs of AI generated videos remain

Discussion: Fast Company, Business Insider, The Information, Gizmodo, Bloomberg, @javilopen, @drjoehanson.bsky.social, @proggrrl.bsky.social, @senoj.bsky.social, The Verge, @mkbhd, @mkbhd, @mkbhd, @mkbhd and @chrisoffner3d.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »

Ben Sisario / New York Times:

Taylor Swift Touring says the Eras Tour made $2B in ticket sales, double the gross of any other concert tour in history, with an average seat price of ~$204 — Over 21 months, the pop superstar's culture-dominating stage show doubled the gross of its closest competitor, according to ticket sales figures confirmed for the first time.

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

The Guardian publishes a letter by 125 Guardian and Observer staff contradicting Scott Trust claims of “extensive consultations” with staff over Observer sale — The Guardian has published two letters from current and former staff attacking the chair of the Scott Trust, the limited company which owns Guardian Media Group.

Max Tani / Semafor:

Source: Vox Media will not renew its deal to distribute Taylor Lorenz's video podcast, set to expire at the start of 2025; the first episode aired in March 2024 — The Scoop — Vox Media is ending its deal to distribute Taylor Lorenz's podcast and YouTube show.

Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Talking Biz News, @steveguest, @taylorlorenz, @mediaevan, @joeconchatv, @maxwelltani, @maxtani.bsky.social, @taylorlorenz.bsky.social and @taylorlorenz.bsky.social

Dade Hayes / Deadline:

Brendan Carr, Donald Trump's pick to chair the FCC, vowed to back local TV stations even if it conflicts “with the interests of national broadcast networks” — Video … Appearing Friday on CNBC's Squawk on the Street, Carr continued to draw attention to broadcast networks' …

Discussion: TVNewsCheck, CNBC and Business Insider

CNBC:
An interview with the FCC's Brendan Carr, on media cross-ownership rules, content moderation, NewsGuard, re-examining broadcast license requirements, and more

Discussion: @trumpwarroom, NewsGuard's Reality Check and Radio & Television …

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

In a mockup posted on GitHub, Bluesky teases Bluesky+, a $8 per month paid subscription offering profile customizations, higher video upload limits, and more — Social networking startup and X competitor Bluesky is working on subscriptions. The company first announced plans to develop …

Discussion: @brianstorms@mastodon.social, @dennisobell.bsky.social and @jeffgreco.com

Ben Smith / Semafor:

Source: Fox is talking to potential acquisition targets in political media, particularly on the right, including Daily Wire and Red Seat Ventures — THE SCOOP — My colleague Liz Hoffman has written that “SpinCo,” the new proprietor of NBC's cable assets, will be born with a strong balance sheet …

Discussion: @brianstelter, @semaforben and @bmccandless

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:

ITV CEO Carolyn McCall has fared well in an embattled sector, turning around the UK's biggest commercial public broadcaster despite a stubbornly low share price — CEO has fared well in an embattled sector, turning around the UK's biggest commercial public broadcaster despite the stubbornly low share price

Elsa Keslassy / Variety:

Vivendi's shareholders approve a plan to spin off Canal+, Havas, and Louis Hachette; Canal+ will list in London, Havas in Amsterdam, and Louis Hachette in Paris — Vivendi, the Paris-headquartered media conglomerate, is about to enter a new era with its flagship pay TV banner Canal+ Group set for a bow at the London Stock Exchange.

Discussion: Reuters, Deadline and Bloomberg

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Comcast and WBD announce a multiyear distribution pact, including letting Comcast bundle Max in the US; Sky will launch the Max app in the UK in April 2025 — Sky gets U.K. rights to HBO's forthcoming Harry Potter series, will distribute Max in the country

Oliver Darcy / Status:

Q&A with Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff on The Verge's paywall, New York Magazine's new app, podcast renewal talks, and layoffs at Thrillist, PS, and Eater — The Vox Media boss spoke to Status about the tough reality digital publishers are facing, with “compounding changes in technology …

Discussion: @oliverdarcy.bsky.social and @carlquintanilla.bsky.social

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Rebecca Rubin / Variety:
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The New York Times Company:
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Discussion: New York Times, The Wrap, @raineytime, @francesssellers, @shaneharris, @ktumulty, @ktumulty, Marc Lacey on LinkedIn, @mateagold, @timjgraham, @cathleendecker, @maxwelltani, @dylanbyers and @cherijacobus

Bloomberg:
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Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
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Josef Adalian / Vulture:
Disney's addition of an ESPN tile within Disney+ shows how Bob Iger's strategy has evolved since 2019, when he wanted to avoid “one gigantic fat bundle”

Discussion: @tvgrimreaper and @tvmojoe.bsky.social

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
Time CEO Jessica Sibley describes Time's shift from reader revenue to direct-to-business sales, ending its paywall, increasing events, and making an OpenAI deal

Discussion: @wolfereports.bsky.social, Jessica Sibley on LinkedIn, Simon Owens's Media Newsletter, @simonowens.bsky.social and @rafat.bsky.social

Earlier Picks:

Gene Maddaus / Variety:
CBS files to dismiss or at least transfer Trump's $10B lawsuit over 60 Minutes' editing of its Kamala Harris interview to the SDNY, citing 1A protections

Discussion: @brianstelter, US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Deadline, TVNewsCheck, The Daily Beast and Washington Examiner

Meduza:
Russian investigators have charged iStories EIC Alesya Marokhovskaya with failing to comply with rules for “foreign agents” and raided her parents' home

Discussion: @kevinrothrock@infosec …

Christian Blauvelt / IndieWire:
Max expands its Turner Classic Movies hub, adding hundreds of classic films starring Mickey Rooney, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, and more

Discussion: Tiffany Childs Tulba on LinkedIn, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News, @willmckinley.bsky.social and Media Play News

Local News Initiative:
Analysis: Trump won 91% of counties lacking a professional local news source; residents there tend to be less educated, poorer, and reliant on national media

Jacob Gershman / Wall Street Journal:
TikTok still faces a US ban if not sold by January 19, after a federal appeals court ruled that Congress has the power to take action to protect US interests

Discussion: Reuters, TechCrunch, New York Post, @tiktokpolicy, Yahoo Finance, @kyurieff, @rabois, @swiftstories, @danprimack, @drewharwell, @digiphile, @zsk, @committeeonccp, @kyurieff, @wendyndavis, @daphnehk, @drewharwell, United States Court of Appeals, Associated Press, Investor's Business Daily, The Moderate Voice, HotAir, Washington Times, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, Reuters, Yahoo News, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, @chup.blakereid.org, New Jersey Monitor, Voice of America, Adweek, Devin DeBacker on LinkedIn, @margarita.bsky.social, Ad Age, @margarita.bsky.social, Forbes, The Wrap, @trevorcroker@threads.net, @trevorcroker@threads.net, Gizmodo, NBC News, Daily Kos, Wired, BBC, South China Morning Post, Nikkei Asia, The Information, Axios, Variety, @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com, The Verge, 9to5Mac, @kurtwag8@threads.net, The Post Millennial, New York Times, Politico, @anthonymkreis.bsky.social, @mjsdc.bsky.social, Deadline and Semafor, more at Techmeme »

From Techmeme:

Jeff Horwitz / Wall Street Journal:
Test conversations with some Meta AI digital companions, including celebrity-voiced ones, show them engaging in sexual chats even when users identify as minors

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India faces a shortage of agentic AI professionals, with executives estimating fewer than 100K in the country while demand is projected to hit ~200K by 2026

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Sources: Huawei has approached some clients about testing the technical feasibility of the Ascend 910D, its newest AI chip that it hopes will beat Nvidia's H100

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