Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube, Google, Meta, and Snap join media companies and studios contributing to LA fire recovery efforts, with funding, products and services — YouTube, Google, Meta and Snap are pitching in to help L.A. recover from the wildfires that have caused devastation across the region and forced thousands to evacuate in the past week.
Sara Fischer / Axios:
OpenAI will fund the expansion of Axios to Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Boulder, and Huntsville, as part of a broader content-sharing and technology deal — - Google struck a deal with McClatchy to fund the creation of three digital-only local newsrooms in 2019.
Jaffer Zaidi / The Keyword:
Google says it has partnered with the AP to deliver a feed of real-time information to enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app — The AP will now deliver a feed of real-time information to help enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app.
Geoff Weiss / Business Insider:
TechCrunch says it has cut staff amid “evolving needs” and fewer than 10 employees were impacted; no other Yahoo properties were impacted — - TechCrunch has cut staff amid “evolving needs,” the company told Business Insider. — The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Vox Media have all conducted layoffs in 2025.
Discussion:
@johnbiggs, @mediaevan.bsky.social, @mattrosoff and MediaPost
Colin Kellaher / MarketWatch:
Ad-tech company Criteo names former Dentsu Americas CEO Michael Komasinski as its next CEO and a board member; he'll join the Paris-based company on February 15 — Criteo has hired Dentsu executive Michael Komasinski as the commerce media company's next chief executive.
Discussion:
Adweek, Adweek, Criteo S.A., Digiday, Retail Times, Ad Age and MediaPost
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik:
[Thread] 400+ WaPo journalists, including some star reporters, call on Jeff Bezos to intervene, saying they are “deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions” — NEWS: More than 400 Washington Post journalists - including some of its most distinguished reporters & editors - have sent plea to owner Jeff Bezos to intervene at the paper. While not citing CEO Will Lewis by name, it casts a harsh light on his leadership./more
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Joe Coscarelli / New York Times:
Drake sues UMG for defamation and harassment, calling its release and promotion of “Not Like Us” an example of valuing “corporate greed” over artists' safety — In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation …
Discussion:
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Steven J. Horowitz / Variety:
Drake pulls his petition accusing UMG and Spotify of inflating Kendrick Lamar's “Not Like Us” with bots and payola; the diss track accuses Drake of pedophilia
Discussion:
Billboard, Reuters, UPROXX, WHDH-TV, The Verge, NOW Toronto, ABA Journal, Music Business Worldwide, RADAR, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Just Jared, Page Six, The Mirror, New York Post, Bloomberg, Consequence, Cele|bitchy, Forbes, Digital Music News, Bossip, TheGrio, Vibe, Above the Law, Music Ally, Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone and The Sun, more at Techmeme »
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Fox Sports plans to stream its February 9 telecast of the Super Bowl on Tubi, its ad-supported streaming hub, for free — Fox is taking the Super Bowl to a new frontier — or, at least to one that is new for Fox. — Fox Sports will stream its February 9 telecast of Super Bowl LIX …
Kate Knibbs / Wired:
DoubleVerify says there is a jump in AI click farms, including a network of 200+ websites called Synthetic Echo, designed to siphon ad revenue from real outlets — A new report, shared exclusively with WIRED, shows how an AI content mill with hundreds of sites managed to pull big-name advertisers into their schemes.
Discussion:
Dan Levy on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »
George Winslow / TV Tech:
Survey from US TV trade group TVB: over half of Netflix, Disney+, and Max subscribers are on ad-free tiers, local TV news is the most trusted news source, more — New TVB study highlights the importance of broadcast TV for brands … In more specifically highlighting the enduring importance …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, TVB and Radio & Television …
New York Times:
Two Iranian officials say Elon Musk helped secure the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala after she was jailed in Iran; Italy's PM had credited diplomacy — The Italian journalist was released soon after Elon Musk met with an Iranian ambassador, officials in Iran said.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
NBCUniversal's head of content distribution, Matt Bond, is stepping down after 20+ years at NBCU and Comcast, as NBCU prepares to spin off some cable networks — Exec will serve in an advisory role to NBCU for ‘the next few years’ … “In the spirit of leaving on a high note …
Discussion:
Deadline, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and Media Play News
The Information:
Sources: TikTok plans to switch off its app in the US on January 19 unless SCOTUS blocks the ban; the law only requires app stores to stop TikTok app downloads — TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, the day a federal law will ban the app, unless the Supreme Court intervenes …
Discussion:
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