Top News:
Jessica Testa / New York Times:
Taylor Swift's podcast debut on New Heights, co-hosted by Travis Kelce, shows the format is an appealing option for stars instead of late-night TV and magazines — For stars promoting their projects, podcasts have become an appealing alternative to late-night TV and glossy magazines.
Discussion:
New Heights on YouTube, Mediaite, Billboard, Forbes, Mercury News, People, Us Weekly, Barrett Media, Ailis O'Connell on LinkedIn, TMZ.com, Forbes, KVIA-TV, Variety, WSVN-TV, TODAY.com, Axios, New York Post, Just Jared, NBC Bay Area, Los Angeles Times, Deseret News, CBS News, Marin Independent Journal, Hollywood Life, NBC News, Poynter, WKYC-TV and Page Six
Matt Donnelly / Variety:
Paramount's streaming head Cindy Holland says streaming movies are “not a priority”, as CEO David Ellison says debate on value of theatrical releases is “over” — The leadership team at Skydance's Paramount have no interest in playing the original streaming movies game …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Deadline, @variety, TV Insider, Media Play News, Deadline, TrekMovie.com, The Wrap, Deadline and Variety
RELATED:
Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:
Paramount DTC Chair Cindy Holland says Paramount+ is now open to buying third party content, reminiscent of Holland's strategy when she was at Netflix
Discussion:
Tom's Guide, Media Play News and Collider
Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:
Gannett is launching a morning newscast, Connecting America, on its USA Today streaming channel and on YouTube, on August 18; it will air weekdays 7am-9am ET — The two-hour show, “Connecting America,” will be set inside a diner. … Gannett Company is launching a new morning newscast …
Neel Dhanesha / Nieman Lab:
CPB's closure threatens tribal radio and TV stations, endangering critical services like emergency alerts in areas lacking broadband or reliable cell service — “These stations are not just media outlets, they are cultural infrastructure.” — In the most remote parts of Alaska …
Discussion:
The Guardian and @grovesprof.bsky.social
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
The GAO launches a probe into USAGM for potential overreach; sources say congressional staffers warned Kari Lake that she illegally used appropriated funds — As Trump lieutenant tells a federal judge she is following the law in dismantling the international broadcasting agency …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Bluesky revises its policies and Community Guidelines to comply with new regulations, including the EU DSA, UK Online Safety Act, and US Take It Down Act — Two years after launching, social network Bluesky is revising its Community Guidelines and other policies, and asking for feedback from its users on some of the changes.
Discussion:
Bluesky, more at Techmeme »
David Roeder / Chicago Sun Times:
Chicago Public Media, which owns the Sun-Times and public radio station WBEZ, names Kimbriell Kelly as EIC effective September 2, succeeding Jennifer Kho — A Pulitzer Prize winner, Kelly has a background in investigative reporting. She will succeed Jennifer Kho, who will work on a project dealing with the future of public media.
Discussion:
Crain's Chicago Business
Joanna Gerber / AdExchanger:
Mediaocean's ad verification division partners with the Internet Watch Foundation, which identifies and works to remove websites containing CSAM — Brand safety isn't always cut and dried. — An alcohol brand, for instance, might look for content that other brands would instinctively steer clear of.
Discussion:
@adexchanger, Eliminating Child …, Eva Papoutsakis Smith on LinkedIn, MediaPost and TechCentral.ie
Gabriel V Rindborg / The Guardian:
Monitoring firm MUSO says piracy hit a low in 2020 with 130B website visits and grew by 2024 to 216B; in Sweden, 25% of those surveyed reported pirating in 2024 — As subscription costs rise and choice diminishes on legal sites, film and TV fans are turning to VPNs and illicit streamers …
Discussion:
Plagiarism Today and Jerome Mazandarani on LinkedIn
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
Media advocates criticize a US Department of Energy plan to throw out FOIA requests sent before October 1, 2024, unless the request is formally renewed — The Department of Energy (DOE) said in a public notice scheduled to be published Thursday that it will throw out all Freedom of Information Act …
Mike Scarcella / Reuters:
A US district court judge dismisses Rumble's lawsuit accusing WPP, WFA, and Diageo of an ad boycott, saying a Texas court is not the proper forum for the case — A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed online video-sharing and internet-hosting company Rumble's (RUM.O) lawsuit accusing spirits maker Diageo …
Discussion:
MediaPost and Bloomberg Law
Naman Ramachandran / Variety:
Ampd: South Korea's premium VOD revenue hit $1.1B in H1 2025, with paid subscriptions up 1.5M to 24.5M; Netflix has 8.2M subscribers and ~50% of the market — The Korean streaming wars are heating up. New data shows the country's premium video-on-demand sector reached $1.1 billion …
Discussion:
Benzinga and WORLD SCREEN
