Mediagazer: 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% (Abid Rahman/The Hollywood Reporter)

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 …

Discussion: @susangardner.bsky.social, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, @brianstelter, The Wrap, @mattgoerzen.bsky.social, @sharonwaxman.bsky.social, @chathamharrison.bsky.social, @alansunderland.com, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, @charliebeckett.bsky.social, The Atlantic, RADIO ONLINE, The Rio Times, Inside Radio and Deadline

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 — American-Statesman staffAustin American-Statesman — Gannett Co. has signed an asset purchase agreement with Hearst Corp. to divest …

Discussion: Gannett Co., Inc., TVNewsCheck, @mcpli.bsky.social, @caseyseiler.bsky.social, mikemcguff.com, Houston Business Journal, @abigailrosenthal.bsky.social, @jswatz.bsky.social and MediaPost

PEN America:

The DOD's schools for children in US military families are flagging some books, including Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, for “compliance review” after Trump's EOs — Oscar winner Julianne Moore's Freckleface Strawberry, a picture book about a redhead who learns to live with her freckles …

Discussion: @kma500@sfba.social, Cele|bitchy, @penamerica.bsky.social, Mock Paper Scissors, The Forward and People

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 …

Discussion: Dexerto, Inverse, Comic Book, @benstiller.redhour.com, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, BGR, Forbes, 9to5Mac, Screen Rant and Just Jared

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

Discussion: @harrymccracken.com, @chronotope.aramzs.xyz, @wsjbusiness, Sarah Thompson on LinkedIn, @whetmoser.com, Arielle Garcia on LinkedIn, @ryanbarwick, @pppgrifter.bsky.social, @proggrrl.bsky.social, @rani.bsky.social, @jtoonkel and @baymama.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »

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: Deadline and Variety

Deadline:

The BBC added a clarification to its documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone and apologized, after failing to declare the narrator was a Hamas leader's son — The BBC “had not been informed of this information” by the independent producers behind the doc, the corporation added …

Discussion: One America News Network, The Guardian and New York Post

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% — More than half of the magazines audited by ABC saw their print circulation decline by 10% or more in 2024, the latest data show.

Discussion: Press Gazette and ABC

Matt Tamanini / The Streamable:

FanDuel Sports, the renamed regional sports network that succeeded Bally Sports, is now available on Amazon Prime Video, offering channels for $19.99/month — After well over a year, the in-market sports streaming service is finally available through Amazon's streaming hub.

Discussion: Business Wire, Barrett Media, Awful Announcing, Bloomberg, The TV Answer Man!, Cord Cutters News and KSTP-TV

Lawrence Bonk / Engadget:

Twitch rolls out changes to its violation enforcement system: minor infractions expire after 90 days and serious ones, like hateful conduct, in one or two years — Depending on severity, this will take 90 days to two years. — Twitch has rolled out a number of changes to its violation enforcement system.

Discussion: Dexerto, Game Rant, Tech Times and Twitch Safety Center, more at Techmeme »

Ted Johnson / Deadline:

Filing: CBS plans to seek financial information from Trump, Truth Social, TMTG, and more if Trump's $20B lawsuit against CBS goes to a discovery phase — The network's attorneys outlined their likely requests in a filing in Texas federal court on Tuesday. They also said they would seek …

Discussion: The Root, Mediaite, Poynter, The Washington Free Beacon and People

Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:

A US federal judge declined to dismiss an investor lawsuit alleging Bob Chapek aimed to hide Disney+ costs and make forecasts it would be profitable by 2024 — A judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit from investors who claimed former CEO Bob Chapek aimed to hide Disney+ costs and make forecasts that it would be profitable by 2024.

Tom Wheeler / Brookings:

FCC Chair Brendan Carr should clarify the vague “public interest standard”, as his politicization of FCC's processes against CBS goes against legal precedent — The Order prohibits any “federal department, agency, entity, officer, employee, or agent” from acting …

Discussion: Status, The Hill, Mediaite, TVNewsCheck, The Hill, Truth on the Market and The Wrap