Mediagazer: Spotify appears to have removed Andrew Tate's “pimping hoes” class; internal communications show some Spotify employees complained about offering the course (Emanuel Maiberg/404 Media)

11:15 AM ET, March 12, 2025

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Discussion: The Independent, @chaykak.bsky.social, @drewharwell.com, @mffisher, @dicktofel.bsky.social, @benmullin, The Nation, Associated Press and The National Pulse

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

Hamish McKenzie says Substack now has 5M paid subs, up from 4M four months ago and 3M a year ago, with 82% of its top 250 creators posting audio and video often — Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie says that creators jumping ship from ‘mainstream media’ like Jim Acosta, Joy Reid and Mehdi Hasan are a big driver of the growth.

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Michael Savage / The Guardian:

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Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:

Blackstone rebrands Hipgnosis to Recognition, less than a year after buying the $3B group that owns the rights to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleetwood Mac, and more — Investment group with rights to songs by Shakira will be ‘fundamentally different’ under unified structure

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Emanuel Maiberg / 404 Media:

Spotify appears to have removed Andrew Tate's “pimping hoes” class; internal communications show some Spotify employees complained about offering the course — Some Spotify employees are not happy that the audio streaming giant was, until this week, hosting and profiting from a course about …

Discussion: Music Ally

Laura Wagner / Washington Post:

A profile of NPR reporter Anas Baba, who has spent 17 months in Gaza, one of the few journalists working full-time with a US news organization to remain in Gaza — The Palestinian journalist said it's his calling to stay in his native land and report on what happens.

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Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:

Spotify says it paid $10B+ in royalties in 2024, “the largest in music history”, making up 60%+ of its $17.13B+ 2024 revenue, with ~1,500 artists earning $1M+ — Company has long drawn ire from musicians who say streaming model does not remunerate them enough

Discussion: Variety, Reuters, TechCrunch, Spotify, Music Business Worldwide, Engadget, Benzinga, The Irish Times, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, The Independent and The Standard, more at Techmeme »

Derrick Bryson Taylor / New York Times:

Netflix signs a deal with comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who angered people with insults about minority groups at a Trump rally, in a bid to appeal to Trump voters — Hinchcliffe's set at Madison Square Garden in October drew sharp criticism after he described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Discussion: Hollywood in Toto, @phoenicopter7.bsky.social, @polititakes.bsky.social, Business Insider, New York Post, Decider, Mock Paper Scissors, New York Daily News and Oh No They Didn't!

Chris Heath / The Atlantic:

How profane blogger Aidan Kearney, aka Turtleboy, came to believe a woman was framed for murder, terrorizing those who disagree; he was arrested in October 2023 — On overpasses and by roadsides they gather, holding banners and placards. In the early days, only a few people showed up …

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David Cohen / Adweek:

Yahoo Sports launches a sports collectibles hub featuring news, video analysis, and more; The Athletic debuted a similar vertical in August 2024 — Partners include cllct, Mantel, and Sports Card Investor — Yahoo Sports debuted a new hub dedicated to coverage of collectibles …

Todd Spangler / Variety:

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Discussion: New York Post, Deadline, MLex and The Wrap

David Folkenflik / NPR:

Leaders at US-funded news outlets that broadcast overseas, including Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, say they fear deep budget cuts soon — A month ago, Elon Musk called for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to be shut down, tweeting …

Discussion: TVNewsCheck, Michael Sobolik on LinkedIn, @davidfolkenflik and @davidfolkenflik

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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
A number of top YouTube creators and creator platform Spotter will host an upfront-style event on March 27, unveiling content slates, audience data, and more

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The New York Times Company:
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From Techmeme:

Makena Kelly / Wired:
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