Mediagazer: Xumo founder Colin Petrie-Norris launches Fairground, a production studio focused exclusively on AI-generated TV series that has raised a $4M seed round (Todd Spangler/Variety)

Jennifer Maas / Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery says it will change the name of its Max streaming service back to HBO Max this summer, and tweaks its logo; WBD dropped “HBO” in May 2023 — Turns out, Warner Bros. Discovery thinks HBO has some pretty good brand equity, after all.

A.G. Sulzberger / New York Times:

A.G. Sulzberger says the role of a free press is under attack, and that the anti-press playbook used in eroding democracies is now being deployed in the US — This essay was originally delivered as a talk at the Notre Dame Kellogg Institute for International Studies on Tuesday.

Discussion: Fox News, The Wrap, The Nation, The Hill, TVNewsCheck, @nytimespr, @nickkristof.bsky.social, @maxwelltani, @brianstelter, @froomkin.bsky.social and @sydney-bauer.com

Jeanna Smialek / New York Times:

The EU General Court rules the EU should not have denied an NYT journalist's request for text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla — The case revolved around whether texts between a top official and a drug company executive counted as a public record that might need to be disclosed.

Discussion: Talking Biz News, UPI, Le Monde, @matisaksk.bsky.social, City A.M., Associated Press, The Guardian, Bloomberg and Politico

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

The BBC plans to expand its Local Democracy Reporting Service beyond local authorities and “dramatically” increase BBC's presence on YouTube and TikTok — BBC director-general Tim Davie has revealed plans to expand the Local Democracy Reporting Service outside of its current focus on local authorities.

Discussion: BBC, Broadband TV News, National Union of Journalists …, WORLD SCREEN and HoldtheFrontPage

Mark Kleinman / Sky News:

Source: the UK plans to let foreign state investors hold stakes of up to 15% in British national papers, following RedBird IMI's attempt to buy The Telegraph — Ministers are to impose the new threshold on foreign state ownership amid a two-year row about the future ownership of The Daily Telegraph, Sky News learns.

Discussion: The Guardian, Reuters, Financial Times, Telegraph, Bloomberg and The Times

Lauren Feiner / The Verge:

FTC v. Meta: Meta's lead attorney disparaged tech journalists Kara Swisher and Om Malik, calling Malik a “failed blogger”, resurfacing years-old media tensions — Meta's lead attorney called a once-prominent tech journalist a “failed blogger.”

Discussion: @karaswisher.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »

Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:

National Trust for Local News plans to sell 21 local Denver publications to Times Media Group, a for-profit media company with a history of reducing newsrooms — The Times Media Group is an out-of-state, for-profit media company with a history of reducing roles in local newsrooms.

Discussion: Denver Post, @laurahazardowen.bsky.social, Media Nation, Sentinel Colorado, NTLN, @sarahscire.com, @coreyhutchins.bsky.social, @niemanlab.org and Colorado Community Media

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Xumo founder Colin Petrie-Norris launches Fairground, a production studio focused exclusively on AI-generated TV series that has raised a $4M seed round — Now he's hoping to stake a claim on the future of AI entertainment. — Petrie-Norris' new company is Fairground Entertainment …

Discussion: The Desk

Stewart Clarke / Deadline:

Sony says it is doubling down on anime, including with Crunchyroll, which had 17M paid subscribers at the end of March 2025, up from 15M in August 2024 — The new subs number, for paying customers as of end-March, compares to the 15M total that previously out in the market.

Discussion: The Streamable

Katie Razzall / BBC:

Some leading UK TV executives call for collaboration or consolidation among public broadcasters, amid funding pressures and competition from US streaming giants — Just before Christmas, in a private dining room in the upmarket Charlotte Street Hotel in the heart of London's Soho …

Discussion: TVNewsCheck and Andrew Ailwood on LinkedIn

Abid Rahman / The Hollywood Reporter:

Sony Pictures reports Q4 revenue flat YoY to $2.73B and operating income up 70% YoY to $354M; FY 24 revenue fell 4% to $9.9B, operating income fell 4% to $774M — The studio's top performing films in the period were ‘Venom: The Last Dance,’ ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ ‘The Garfield Movie,’ and the scandal-plagued ‘It Ends With Us.’

Discussion: Kidscreen, CNBC, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, The Wrap and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

The Economic Times:

Mumbai-based gaming company Dream Sports has invested $50M in cricket media platform Cricbuzz and cricket broadcaster Willow TV, both owned by Times Internet — Dream Sports, a Mumbai-based gaming company, has invested $50 million in Cricbuzz and Willow TV, both owned by Times Internet, securing a strategic minority interest.

Discussion: BMI