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8:05 PM ET, August 18, 2025

Mediagazer

 Top News: 
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Memo: Mark Lazarus, who will run NBCUniversal spinoff Versant as its founding CEO, says MSNBC will become MS Now, or My Source for News Opinion and the World  —  In the media business, at least, breaking up can still be hard to do.  —  MSNBC will have to take a new name in months to come …
RELATED:
Alex Sherman / CNBC:
NBCUniversal changed MSNBC's name “to accelerate the distinction between MSNBC and NBC News”; MSNBC has been undergoing aggressive hiring for ~100 new positions  —  MSNBC will change its name later this year and drop the storied peacock image from its branding …
CNN:
Filing: Newsmax agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67M to settle a defamation lawsuit over false claims about the 2020 election, with $27M due this month  —  Egregious lies about the 2020 presidential election are going to cost Newsmax $67 million.  —  To avert a high-stakes trial …
RELATED:
Newsmax:
Newsmax says its 2020 election coverage was “fair” but it settled with Dominion as the Delaware court where the trial was to happen wouldn't allow a fair trial  —  BOCA RATON, Fla. - Newsmax Media, Inc. announced today it has reached a settlement agreement with Dominion Voting Systems …
Max Tani / Semafor:
A group of left-leaning writers led by Jerusalem Demsas launch The Argument, an outlet to counter the populist right and boost liberal ideas, with $4M backing  —  The Scoop  —  A group of left-leaning writers and journalists are starting a new publication on Monday aimed at arguing in favor …
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: YouTube has inquired about buying the rights to the Oscars; the show will air on ABC through at least 2028  —  Can Google convince Hollywood's most famous awards show to bail on TV networks and movie studios?  —  Good afternoon from Los Angeles, wherever you may be.
Reuters:
ESPN and Spike Lee say ESPN will no longer air Spike Lee's docuseries about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, citing “creative differences”  —  Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick …
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Sinclair has proposed merging its broadcast TV business with Tegna, in a deal valuing Tegna shares at ~$25-$30 apiece; TGNA closed Monday at $20.18  —  Nexstar Media Group has already been in talks to buy Tegna  —  Sinclair , one of the country's largest owners of local television stations …
Discussion: Bloomberg
Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
After tax incentives boosted growth, Georgia's film industry is declining due to rising costs; source: Marvel is making most of its upcoming content in the UK  —  Tax incentives lured studios to help build the ‘Hollywood of the South.’ Now they're going overseas for cheaper labor costs.
Lucia Moses / Business Insider:
Comics platform Webtoon says it is adapting comics into episodic videos meant for vertical scrolling; it reported revenue of $1.35B last year, up 5.1% YoY  —  - Comics platform Webtoon is getting into vertical video, adapting titles.  — It's trying to grab more of Gen Z's attention as that cohort gravitates to video content.
Discussion: Deadline and Tubefilter
Katelyn Chedraoui / CNET:
Google says users created 100M videos using its AI filmmaking tool Flow since its May launch; Flow leverages Veo 3 and focuses on maintaining visual consistency  —  Google confirmed the 100 million milestone exclusively to CNET.  Here's what's coming next for Flow and its AI-assisted creators.
Bart Barnes / Washington Post:
Jules Witcover, the journalist known for his long-running syndicated column Politics Today co-written with his Baltimore Sun colleague Jack Germond, died at 98  —  He was one of the best-sourced political reporters of his generation, known for a long-running column he wrote with Baltimore Sun colleague Jack Germond.
Patrick Coffee / Wall Street Journal:
Some brands, like Bilt and Alexis Bittar, are producing scripted social media series that are also marketing campaigns whose focus is brand engagement  —  Bilt's new scripted series ‘Roomies’ has attracted attention on social media but hasn't directly promoted the brand—at least not yet
Discussion: Marketing Brew and PR Daily
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
Sounds Profitable, which represents ~200 audio and podcast companies, merges with Podcast Movement in a seven-figure deal  —  Two influential podcast organizations, Sounds Profitable and Podcast Movement, are merging, executives exclusively tell Axios.
 
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 More News: 
Nikkei Asia:
Chinese streaming giants iQiyi and Tencent are gaining on Netflix in Southeast Asia via original productions, free services with ads, and low-fee subscriptions
 Earlier Picks: 
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni:
Sources: Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers are leaving Netflix for Paramount; the deciding factor was Paramount's support for theatrical releases
Bloomberg:
A US district court judge temporarily blocks an FTC probe into Media Matters, part of an antitrust investigation into ad boycotts, calling the probe retaliatory
Free Press:
A coalition of press freedom groups urges Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to release Atlanta journalist Mario Guevara, detained by ICE for two months
 

 
From Techmeme:

Kif Leswing / CNBC:
Apple says general counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson will retire, and Jennifer Newstead, Meta's former chief legal officer, will replace Adams

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:
Sources: Meta is considering deep budget cuts to its metaverse efforts in 2026, potentially as high as 30% and most likely including layoffs as early as January

Will Oremus / Washington Post:
Two studies suggest AI chatbots can shift political views more effectively than TV campaign ads, especially by presenting many claims, regardless of accuracy
 
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