Top News:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Memo: PBS is cutting its current budget by 21% and reducing dues paid by local stations by $35M to deal with Congress' decision to eliminate ~$500M in funding — The nonprofit will receive less revenue from its members, which are under pressure to make up for shortfalls of their own.
Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:
Sources: Chord Music Partners, a music rights investment vehicle, raised $2B+ so far in a round due to close in October; Searchlight Capital has invested $400M — Universal Music Group-backed investment vehicle Chord Music Partners has raised over USD $2 billion in investable capital to buy music rights.
Discussion:
Billboard, Music Ally, Digital Music News, Business Wire, Sky News and The Hollywood Reporter
Raquel ‘Rocky’ Harris / The Wrap:
The LA Times Guild plans to hold its first-ever strike authorization vote as contract talks near their third year; the union lost about 200 members since 2022 — Since negotiations began in September 2022, the guild has seen layoffs impact approximately 200 Times staffers
Discussion:
@katie_robertson, @katie_robertson, @mattdpearce.com and @jqwritesstuff.bsky.social
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
IPSO says The Telegraph's calculation in a January article that claimed “one in 12 in London” is an illegal migrant was inaccurate and showed a “lack of care” — The Telegraph's sums to conclude that “one in 12 in London” is an illegal migrant were inaccurate, a ruling from press regulator IPSO has confirmed.
Discussion:
IPSO
Bobby Allyn / NPR:
A look at anti-Trump podcast MeidasTouch, one of the few left-leaning video podcasts that at times dethrones Joe Rogan's top position on YouTube rankings — Ben Meiselas is pacing in front of his home in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles, talking on the phone with one hand, a Starbucks coffee cup in the other.
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 — Gannett Company is launching a new morning newscast on its USA Today-branded free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, the company announced on Thursday.
Discussion:
NCS | NewscastStudio
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, The Tennessean, TVNewsCheck, Forbes, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, Us Weekly, Poynter, Plain Dealer, Billboard, The Wrap, CityNews Halifax, Inside Radio, Extra, People, The Hollywood Reporter, Ailis O'Connell on LinkedIn, Marin Independent Journal, Forbes, TMZ.com, KVIA-TV, Just Jared, Variety, TODAY.com, Axios, New York Post, NBC Bay Area, Los Angeles Times, Deseret News and CBS News
Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Q&A with independent journalist Molly White, who writes the tech and crypto newsletter Citation Needed, which has ~29K subscribers, including ~2,400 paid — The cryptocurrency and tech newsletter Citation Needed is pay-what-you-want. White currently has about 29,000 subscribers including …
Discussion:
@sarahscire, @jmcrookston@mastodon.social, @ben@werd.social and Talking Biz News
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Digital Content Next survey: 19 US online publishers, including major newsrooms, saw a median 10% YoY decline in Google referral traffic in the May-June period — Leading US online publishers reported an average fall in referral traffic from Google search of 10% in May and June compared to a year earlier.
Discussion:
Digital Content Next, @shanumathew93, @ednewtonrex, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, @jason_kint, PPA, @pressgazette.co.uk and Android Headlines
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
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:
Jennifer Kho on LinkedIn, MediaPost and Chicago Business
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 …
