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Sources: Paramount is in talks with Donald Trump to settle his $10B 60 Minutes lawsuit, believing a deal would persuade Trump to not block its planned merger — A settlement, if reached, would be an extraordinary concession by a major U.S. media company to a sitting president.
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Status, CNN, Fox News, The Ankler, Adweek, New York Post, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @sherman4949, Washington Examiner, The Independent, So What, Livemint, @briankrebs@infosec.exchange, @notjessewalker.bsky.social, @spignal.bsky.social, @joshsternberg.com, The Bulwark, @timkarr.bsky.social, @dfriedman.bsky.social, @daveweigel.bsky.social, Associated Press, The Daily Wire, Mediaite, Deadline, @jasonzinoman.bsky.social, Raw Story, @greenwell.bsky.social, @aricohn.com, @benmullin.bsky.social, The Wrap, @ianbassin.bsky.social, @reckless.bsky.social, @radleybalko.bsky.social, @coachfinstock.bsky.social, @davidenrich.bsky.social, Vanity Fair, WPMT and Althouse
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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told CEOs of NPR and PBS that he had ordered a probe into whether member stations are airing commercial ads when they air sponsorships — Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said the inquiry could help Congress decide whether to continue funding local stations.
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Chuck Todd is leaving NBC News after joining in 2007; in a memo, Chuck Todd said his podcast Chuck Toddcast would be “coming with me” — Chuck Todd, the former “Meet the Press” moderator, is leaving NBC News, he told colleagues in a memo issued Friday, a move he's making in order …
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Adobe Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky leaves the company to join A24 film studio as a partner; he co-founded Behance, which Adobe acquired for $150M in 2012 — Belsky is an entrepreneur, author and creator who in 2006 founded Behance, an online platform that is used by more than 50 million professionals …
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The Adobe Blog, @scottbelsky, @dobata, @kayvz, @mignano, @om, The Verge, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Bloomberg
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WhatsApp says it disrupted a campaign in which 90 journalists and other members of civil society were targeted using spyware from Israel-based Paragon — Messaging app said it had ‘high confidence’ some users were targeted and ‘possibly compromised’ by Paragon Solutions spyware
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LinkedIn says short-form video is its fastest-growing content category, and total video viewership grew 36% YoY between October 30, 2024 and January 29, 2025 — LinkedIn's ongoing efforts to woo video creators paid off in the past few months, according to new figures shared by the company.
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Experts say the Kremlin's throttling of YouTube is driving Russians to state-controlled platforms; Google data shows Russian traffic to YouTube is down ~66% YoY — The Kremlin is trying to cripple YouTube in Russia, internet experts say, pushing some people to state-controlled domestic alternatives.
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Over 25 streaming partners including Disney+, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Prime Video simulcasted the FireAid fundraiser for Los Angeles, bypassing linear TV — Over 25 streaming partners will simulcast a mammoth five-and-a-half-hour FireAid benefit concert on Thursday to fundraise …
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The Mirror, Fox News, Deadline, Variety, @matthewkeyslive, @tvmojoe.bsky.social, @douglasemhoff, CBS News, @coughlinbrett.bsky.social, @gregoryellwood.bsky.social, The Mirror US, Daily Mail, CNN, CNN, Variety, The Independent, Time Out Los Angeles, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Just Jared, Page Six, The Wrap, Page Six, The Streamable, New York Post, Digital Music News, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Deseret News, Rolling Stone, UPI, Fast Company, CBS News, Decider, Entertainment Weekly and WVEC
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How resident-run Facebook groups in Colorado are filling the void left by shuttered local newsrooms; in three counties, Facebook groups are the only news source — TRINIDAD, Colo. — “Trinidad is a Facebook town,” said Karen Jo (KJ) Agnello, the founder and moderator of The Voice of Trinidad …
Discussion:
Sarah Stonbely, PhD on LinkedIn
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How Robert Kennedy Jr. implementing his proposal to ban pharmaceutical ads on TV, if he is confirmed as HHS secretary, could reshape the advertising landscape — Pharmaceutical ads account for a huge chunk of TV ad revenue. If Kennedy is confirmed, he wants to ban them. — 2H
Discussion:
@stokel.bsky.social and Mediaite
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The conservative news outlet The Dispatch is staffing up and expanding its ad business; the outlet has ~50K subs and generated between $5M-$10M in 2024 revenue — With a subscriber base of nearly 50,000, the center-right title is now taking a measured approach to building its ads business
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@markstenberg3
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Cloudflare Radar: TikTok has nearly bounced back to its original traffic levels after usage fell 85% when the app temporarily shut down on January 19 — TikTok has nearly bounced back to its original traffic levels after usage fell 85% when the app temporarily shut down earlier this month, according to Cloudflare Radar.
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Sherwood News, The Verge, ICYMI and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »