Top News:
New York Times:
Sealed doc: Rupert Murdoch failed in an attempt to change his family trust to consolidate Lachlan's control of his empire and lock in Fox News' right-wing bent — A Nevada commissioner ruled resoundingly against Mr. Murdoch, who was trying to give full control of his empire to his son Lachlan …
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OpenAI:
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
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Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch, Reuters, The Hollywood Reporter, @sama, 9to5Mac, @nickadobos, @billpeeb, Benzinga, Quartz, Digital Trends, The Verge, @willdepue, @gdb, BGR, @sama, @cnbctech, @joannastern, @joannastern, VentureBeat, @sama, @joannastern and @openai, more at Techmeme »
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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.
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.
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Billboard, Fast Company, Page Six, Bustle, People, Daily Mail, Scripps News, E! Online, UPROXX, New York Daily News, Us Weekly, Digital Music News, Los Angeles Times, Music Business Worldwide, Vanity Fair, NPR, Sportico, The Hollywood Reporter, Benzinga, Glamour, Rolling Stone, mathewingram.com/work, TMZ.com, Entrepreneur, @erbrown.bsky.social, The Mirror, Variety, Forbes, Pollstar News, @gibsonoma.bsky.social, NBC News, Consequence, UPI, Cosmopolitan, Just Jared, Suggest, Deadline, iHeart, CBS News, Business Insider, New Jersey Online, USA Today, Time, WPXI-TV and Fortune
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
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Wall Street Journal, The Desk, Sky News, Cord Cutters News, Awful Announcing, Deadline, The Information, Benzinga, The Sun, Light Reading, The Media Leader, Film Stories, Media Play News, Sports Media Watch, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, Streaming Better, @tvgrimreaper, Reuters, WORLD SCREEN, Deadline, Advanced Television and Bloomberg
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.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Sky News, @carolecadwalla.bsky.social, The Guardian, @patrickbarkham.bsky.social, @soniasodha, @soniargallego, @gonuj.org, @hermionegingol1, @susannajrustin.bsky.social, @hadleyfreeman, @joolsjuevans, @soniasodha, @filmlecturer, @etansmallman, @stephmerritt.bsky.social, @soniasodha, @soniasodha, MediaPost, The Times, Associated Press, Reuters, London Evening Standard, New York Times, Financial Times and Le Monde
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.
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
404 Media is fighting a subpoena from Texas AG Ken Paxton that demands info on reporting and a source to help in an unrelated case TX is pursuing against Google — In October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed 404 Media, demanding that we hand over confidential information …
Discussion:
@samleecole, @josephfcox, @jason_koebler and @josephfcox
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
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
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