Top News:
Hannah Miller / Bloomberg:
DirecTV launches MySports, a sports streamer featuring games from NFL and other major leagues, and access to 40 channels, in 24 US metro areas for $70/month — - $70 package will offer content from ESPN, Fox Sports and NBC — The Venu sports streaming service was scrapped last week
Ryan Browne / CNBC:
The UK CMA opens a probe to assess Google's position in search and search ads business and how it impacts consumers, advertisers, publishers, and its rivals — Britain's competition watchdog on Tuesday said that it's opening a formal antitrust investigation into Google's search and search advertising services.
Discussion:
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Bloomberg:
Sources: Chinese officials are evaluating an option involving Elon Musk acquiring TikTok US; X would take control of TikTok US and run the businesses together — - ByteDance's preferred strategy is to fight ban, people say — Trump has said he would like to delay ban to seek resolution
Discussion:
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
TikTok denies a report that China is looking at potentially facilitating a sale of the app to Elon Musk, calling it “pure fiction” — TikTok denied a report that China is looking at potentially facilitating a sale of the app to tech billionaire Elon Musk to keep TikTok operational …
Discussion:
Deadline, Bloomberg, Axios, Fox Business, @mediaevan, Al Jazeera, @carnage4life.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, Dexerto and Reuters, more at Techmeme »
Erik Hayden / The Hollywood Reporter:
WBD commits $15M to LA fire relief efforts while Amazon, Comcast, and Netflix donate $10M each, and Sony $5M; SAG-AFTRA pledges $1M for impacted workers — Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery commit $15 million while Amazon, Netflix and Comcast add $10 million, Sony chips in $5 million and Paramount contributes $1 million.
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Jamie Lee Curtis on Instagram, Deadline, BeyGOOD on Instagram, Deadline, Deadline, About Amazon, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, Comcast, Eurogamer.net, TVNewsCheck, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Media Play News, Billboard, The Wrap, Fox News, CNBC, Latest from Tv Technology, Media Play News, The Wrap, Forbes and TVNewsCheck
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Memo: Susan Zirinsky, CBS News president from 2019 to 2021, will return as interim “executive editor” to oversee the unit's editorial standards — The veteran producer, who served as the unit's president from early 2019 to the end of 2021, has been asked to return to CBS News as an interim …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, The Wrap, @dylanbyers, Deadline, @bristei.bsky.social and @alexsteigrad
Dade Hayes / Deadline:
NBCUniversal plans to shut down Universal Kids on March 6, 2025, as NBCU prepares to spin off most of its cable networks into a new, publicly traded company — NBCUniversal, which has already been evaluating its stake in the declining pay-TV business, plans to shut down cable network Universal Kids.
Richard Nieva / Forbes:
Jimmy Wales, Mark Ruffalo, others debut Free Our Feeds to raise $30M by 2028 to “billionaire-proof” AT Protocol, by making it easier for users to leave Bluesky — Free Our Feeds, which includes support from the Mozilla Foundation, is working with Bluesky to make sure …
Discussion:
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Dominic Preston / The Verge:
Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko plans to transfer Mastodon's ownership to a new non-profit, saying it “should not be owned or controlled by a single individual” — Mastodon says the decentralized network ‘should not be owned or controlled by a single individual.’
Discussion:
Mastodon Blog, Ars Technica, @m474.bsky.social, Daring Fireball, @zeldman@threads.net, Magdalena Hai on LinkedIn, Anil Dash on LinkedIn, Hannah Aubry on LinkedIn, @jeffgreco.com, @icesheetmike.bsky.social, Esra'a Al Shafei on LinkedIn, @aardrian.bsky.social, @kissane@mas.to, @thegibson@hackers.town, @Johannab@wandering.shop, @Ascendor@social.tchncs.de, @nevillehobson.xyz, @digiphile@mastodon.social, @GuyNamedBrian@mastodon.social, @mhoye@mastodon.social, @john@vyrse.social, @webology@mastodon.social, @faraiwe@beige.party, @JMarkOckerbloom …, @Mastodon@mastodon.social, @GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social, @matt@oslo.town, @mszll@datasci.social, @tilvids@mstdn.social, @cliffwade@infosec.exchange, @Edent@mastodon.social and TechCrunch
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: Chuck Todd has told top editors and leaders from other media organizations that he plans to leave NBC when his contract is up this year — Chuck Todd has quietly been meeting with Washington media organizations about his post NBC-future. The former host of Meet The Press …
Ashifa Kassam / The Guardian:
A look at Begum TV, a Paris-based satellite channel that is broadcasting educational and entertainment shows for Afghan women living under strict Taliban rule — Begum TV beams educational and entertainment shows into homes of women living under strict Taliban rule
Discussion:
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Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: This American Life has discussed staff cuts; last year, the podcast quietly changed its “about” page, revising its listenership from 4M per week to 3M — The venerable podcast This American Life is poised to reduce staff for one of the few times since its founding in 1995, Semafor has learned.
Discussion:
@matthewkeys.net, @mjosephlc.bsky.social, @dannygroner.bsky.social and @romanmars.bsky.social
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