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10:40 AM ET, February 20, 2025

Mediagazer

 Top News: 
Justin Kroll / Deadline:
Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson, and Barbara Broccoli form a JV to house James Bond IP rights, under which Amazon gains creative control of the franchise  —  In news that will send shock waves through the industry, longtime James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli …
Oliver Darcy / Status:
40 news organizations signed a letter delivered to the White House this week, asking the White House to lift its AP ban immediately in support of press freedom  —  News outlets across the political spectrum have united behind the AP, signing a WHCA-backed letter urging the White House …
Michael Levenson / New York Times:
A Mississippi judge has ordered a local newspaper to remove an editorial criticizing Clarksdale city officials; the paper's owner plans to challenge the order  —  The owner of The Clarksdale Press Register said he planned to challenge a judge's order against an editorial that criticized city officials.
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Spotify will begin accepting AI-narrated audiobooks recorded using ElevenLabs software; Spotify already allows AI-recorded audiobooks, with several restrictions  —  A new ElevenLabs partnership aims to help authors bring AI-narrated audiobooks to Spotify listeners.
more at Techmeme »
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:
Apple says Severance has become the most-viewed series on Apple TV+ globally, surpassing Ted Lasso; the series also helped bump subscription signups in January  —  According to the streamer, Severance has broken Apple TV+ records, launching as the platform's #1 series in history based on number …
Abid Rahman / The Hollywood Reporter:
MPA: Max added 1.4M subscribers in Q4 2024 in Southeast Asia, capturing 26% of net customer additions for streaming services, while Netflix accounted for 48%  —  A new report from Media Partners Asia reveals that Warner Bros. Discovery's streamer added 1.4 million subscribers in Q4 2024 in five key SEA markets.
Discussion: Decider, Deadline and Variety
Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: top X executives hinted to Interpublic and other ad firms that not spending on X could lead to legal woes, due to X's lawsuit against some advertisers  —  Interpublic recently signed an advertising agreement with the platform; other agencies are also in negotiations
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
TelevisaUnivision reports Q4 revenue down 1% YoY to $1.3B, operating expenses flat at $892M, and says its DTC business generated $1B in annual revenue  —  “2024 was a year of continued momentum for TelevisaUnivision, and my early days at the helm have reinforced the tremendous opportunity ahead of us," says CEO Daniel Alegre.
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Twitch plans to implement a 100-hour storage cap for Highlights and Uploads from April 19, automatically deleting content from streamers who exceed the limit  —  Streamers who have exceeded this limit will have their content automatically deleted until it meets the threshold.
Georg Szalai / The Hollywood Reporter:
Netflix commits to invest $1B in Mexico for the production of series and films over the next four years, including $2M for the iconic Churubusco Studios  —  “This country holds a special place in Netflix's own history,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said during a press conference in Mexico City …
Discussion: TVNewsCheck, Reuters and Variety
 
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 More News: 
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Gallery Media Group says it made $50M in 2024 revenue from its women's media title PureWow and 50+ social-only brands on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts
Wired:
Investigation: Google's Display & Video 360 ad platform lets users target Americans' sensitive personal data, despite Google's rules against such practices
 Earlier Picks: 
Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
SiriusXM expands its $5.99 per month podcast subscription offering to Spotify, YouTube Music, and more, after launching it on Apple Podcasts in August 2024
Discussion: Inside Radio
Bron Maher / Press Gazette:
ABC: 50%+ of 164 audited UK magazines saw their print circulation decline by 10%+ in 2024; 13 increased their print circulation, with Homes & Gardens up 8%
Discussion: Press Gazette and ABC
Austin American-Statesman:
Gannett signs a deal to sell the Austin American-Statesman and related publications to Hearst Corporation; the sale is expected to close by March 31
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Adrienne Roark, who was named president of CBS News in August of last year, plans to leave the company at the end of February to take a role at Tegna
Washington Post:
Email: the US State Department orders the cancellation of news subscriptions globally, in particular the Economist, NYT, Politico, Bloomberg, AP, and Reuters
 

 
From Techmeme:

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta is considering deep budget cuts to its metaverse efforts in 2026, potentially as high as 30% and most likely including layoffs as early as January

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple says general counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson will retire, and Jennifer Newstead, Meta's former chief legal officer, will replace Adams

Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Two studies suggest AI chatbots can shift political views more effectively than TV campaign ads, especially by presenting many claims, regardless of accuracy
 
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