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Sources: ESPN and Stephen A. Smith agree to a five-year $100M contract that has Smith continuing on his daily First Take show and scaling back other commitments — Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a new contract with ESPN worth at least $100 million for five years, an agreement that will result …
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Paramount files two motions in Trump's lawsuit against CBS News, one seeking dismissal on First Amendment grounds and the second saying Texas is the wrong venue — Paramount says President Trump's lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris is “an affront to the First Amendment”


Audacy says it “has made workforce reductions” to “stay competitive”; sources say ~100 employees were laid off this week and cuts may exceed 300 by mid-March — Radio broadcaster Audacy issued sweeping layoffs this week that have impacted at least 100 workers in local …
Discussion:
Variety, Barrett Media, The Hollywood Reporter, @jakebrownradio, RadioInsight, @sportstalkmatt, @mediamelanie, @bennyheis, @lucilleburdge, @thedesk.net, @keepingsanewth4.bsky.social, RADIO ONLINE, @619sports.bsky.social, Kansas City Business Journal, Awful Announcing and The Boston Globe


Sources: the FCC asked 13 public radio stations, including Boston's WBUR, for details on past sponsorships by March 31, to assess potential guideline violations — - The agency sent similar letters to NPR and PBS in January — Chair Carr investigating whether public stations airing ads
Discussion:
@mediaevan, @dkistner1111.bsky.social and @christopherterry.bsky.social


Apple defeats a copyright lawsuit by tech journalist Dan Ackerman, who accused the company of ripping off his book about Tetris for a movie on the same subject — Apple (AAPL.O) convinced a New York federal court on Thursday to dismiss a copyright lawsuit brought by tech journalist Dan Ackerman …
Discussion:
AppleInsider


Sources: GB News and the Spectator owner Paul Marshall met senior figures in UK's right-leaning media to discuss a plan to fund a new generation of journalists — Multimillionaire Paul Marshall understood to be talking to senior figures in Britain's right-leaning media about the idea


AAM: AARP The Magazine was the best selling magazine in the US in H2 2024 with 22.2M copies per issue on average, and The Atlantic was the fastest growing — The Atlantic was the fastest-growing top magazine in the US in the second half of 2024, increasing its overall circulation 15% year-on-year.


A review finds UK police correctly investigated Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson over alleged racism after a complaint about a tweet she later deleted — Telegraph columnist was visited by ‘exemplary’ officer after complaint about inaccurate tweet she later deleted
Discussion:
@stephenfarrow.bsky.social, @hectorthehog.bsky.social, GB News and Jersey Evening Post


A journalist using the pseudonym Dissent Doe, who runs US-based DataBreaches.net, refuses a UK court order to remove two posts on a cyberattack at HCRG — A U.S.-based independent cybersecurity journalist has declined to comply with a U.K. court-ordered injunction that was sought following …
Discussion:
@lorenzofb, @zackwhittaker.bsky.social, @ransomwaresommelier.com and DataBreaches.Net


Disney was never particularly interested in running FiveThirtyEight as a business; the data-driven approach to political coverage still has a bright future — Last night, as President Trump delivered his State of the Union address 1, the Wall Street Journal reported that ABC News would lay off …


Memo: BBC News CEO Deborah Turness announces a new department that will use AI to give people more personalized content and focus on reaching under-25-year-olds — Boss says BBC News's reach is ‘defying gravity’ and it must use AI to ‘support and accelerate our growth’


Vivendi says the net asset value of its investments was €4.83B as of December 31, 2024, following the French publishing group's spinoff of three companies — Vivendi (VIV.PA) said on Thursday that the net asset value of its investments amounted to 4.83 billion euros ($5.23 billion) …