Top News:


Deloitte: on average, US SVOD subscribers pay for four services totaling $69/month, up 13% YoY; 54% pay for at least one ad-supported tier, up from 46% in 2024 — Streaming services like Netflix used to look like a much cheaper alternative to cable TV. But now streamers are facing similar pressures …
Discussion:
Deloitte Insights, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, StreamTV Insider, RedState and TV Tech


Trump withdraws the nomination of Media Research Center founder L. Brent Bozell III to head USAGM, naming him instead to serve as US ambassador to South Africa — President Donald Trump on Tuesday withdrew his nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
Discussion:
New York Times, @davidfolkenflik, @jonsalvia.bsky.social, Bloomberg and @thedesk.net
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Court docs: a federal judge has ordered USAGM to restore operational grants to RFE/RL, after the outlet sued to stop the blocking of funds allocated by Congress — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to stop depriving Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, @rferl, @kyledcheney, New York Times, @rferl, Politico, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Inside Radio and The Kyiv Independent


UK-based agency Newsflare, which counts the NYT, the BBC, and Mail Online among its clients, withdraws AI-generated videos from social media after criticism — AI-generated video of cat in an owls' nest has been viewed millions of times. — UK-based agency Newsflare has withdrawn a number …


Game Informer, closed by GameStop in 2024, returns with its full staff and new owner Gunzilla Games; EIC Matt Miller says it will stay editorially independent — The publication resumes under the new ownership of Gunzilla Games. — Gaming journalism stalwart Game Informer has risen from the ashes.
Discussion:
@mattbertz, @metacritic, @leblancwes, @gunzillagames, @jakesucky, @therealandymc, @screentime, @paulcharchian, @itsvanaken, @gameinformer, WGB, @culturecrave, CNET, TweakTown, Shacknews, Video Games Chronicle, Aftermath, VentureBeat, CNET, IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer, The Verge, Comic Book, Game Informer on YouTube and Game Informer


Anthropic convinced a California federal judge to reject a preliminary bid to block it from using lyrics owned by UMG and other music publishers to train Claude — Artificial intelligence company Anthropic convinced a California federal judge on Tuesday to reject a preliminary bid to block …


A prosecutor in Turkey remands eight journalists to custody, reversing a decision to release them after they were arrested for covering anti-government protests — Arrests condemned as ‘unlawful’ by press freedom groups, highlighting growing repression amid demonstrations against President Erdoğan


Nielsen: YouTube made up 11.6% of all US TV use, the most of among media providers; viewers over age 50, accounted for 36% of time spent watching YouTube on TV — The service supplants Disney atop the Nielsen list for the second time. — YouTube commanded more TV time than any other media provider …


How the AP is managing to cover the White House while it awaits a decision on its ban: reliance on pool reports and dependence on foreign AP correspondents — The news organization has relied on work-arounds after being barred from events for not using “Gulf of America,” but on Thursday will have another chance to make its case.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Townhall, TVNewsCheck, NDTV, Newsbusters and r/Journalism


NBCUniversal will launch 40 FAST channels on LG smart TVs in an expanded partnership, spanning entertainment, news, sports, Spanish-language content, and more — NBCUniversal will launch 40 FAST channels on LG smart-TVs under an expanded partnership agreement reached by the two companies.
Discussion:
Adweek, Variety, Cord Cutters News, The Desk, TVNewsCheck and Radio & Television …


Megyn Kelly plans to launch podcast network MK Media, starting with shows hosted by Mark Halperin, columnist Maureen Callahan, and commentator Link Lauren — The first three creators to join the MK Media network will be journalist Mark Halperin, culture columnist Maureen Callahan and influencer Link Lauren.


No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham says co-director Hamdan Ballal has been freed after being beaten by Israeli settlers and arrested by soldiers — Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, has been freed after being detained and beaten …
Discussion:
@yuval_abraham, @yuval_abraham, Variety, WHDH-TV, Mirror, @monicalmarks, @nextbestpicture, @dropsitenews, @yuval_abraham, @yuval_abraham, IPM Newsroom, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Alex Neve on LinkedIn, The Hollywood Reporter, NPR, UPI, Forbes, The Daily Caller, The Japan Times, Al Jazeera, Reuters, @yuval_abraham, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Consequence, The Week, Vanity Fair, GoldDerby, Rolling Stone, Committee to Protect …, @sorayanadiamcdonald.com, Haaretz, Sky News, Channel 4, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, The Economic Times, USA Today, ArtReview, Yahoo Movies, Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, Yahoo News, Decider, New York Post, NDTV, Los Angeles Times, @marwilliamson.bsky.social, @georgejreije.bsky.social, Variety, The Wrap, TMZ.com, @harikunzru.bsky.social, @zidan.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, @lailalalami.com, @jcollins.bsky.social, Entertainment Weekly, @dryad.technology, @trinityphoenix.bsky.social, Rolling Stone, The Forward, NBC Bay Area, @amyspitalnick.bsky.social, @fmls.bsky.social, LewRockwell, CNN, International Documentary …, WTTG-TV, Le Monde, IndieWire, Politico, New Republic, Just Jared and Jewish Telegraphic Agency