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12:45 PM ET, August 18, 2025

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 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 …
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.
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  —  Nonprofit Media Matters for America won a court order blocking a Federal Trade Commission information demand for documents …
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.
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  —  BANGKOK/SHANGHAI — Chinese streaming services are catching up with American rivals in the Southeast Asian market …
more at Techmeme »
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: 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: 
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
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
 Earlier Picks: 
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”
Discussion: IPSO
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
 

 
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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