Top News:
Reuters:
Nexstar agrees to acquire Tegna for $3.54B in a deal valued at $6.2B including debt, expected to close by H2 2026; Nexstar plans to pay $22 per share — Nexstar Media has agreed to buy smaller rival Tegna for $3.54 billion, creating a local-TV powerhouse that seeks to compete better …
Discussion:
Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Inside Radio, Variety, Adweek, StreamTV Insider, Seattle Business Journal, Associated Press, Multicast News, Atlanta Business Journal, Plain Dealer, FTVLive, CNBC, New York Post, TheDesk.net, Portland Business Journal, Deadline, Baltimore Business Journal, Denver Post, @eriqgardner, @amandamatwell, Wall Street Journal, KWES, Poynter, CBS News, New York Times, @tegna, @tylerhugheswx, @jerodnbc4, The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, Free Press Action Fund Feed, Washington …, @reporterashley, @markmaxwelltv, Investigative Post, @agomezfcc, Axios, TV Tech, @brianstelter, The Streamable, NCS | NewscastStudio, Columbus Business Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, @nxstmediagroup, UPI, CNN, Dallas Business Journal, Dallas Innovates, Cord Cutters News, Bloomberg, @bethfinellowx, Houston Business Journal, @kevinbuffalo, @sarafischer, @matthewcappucci, Los Angeles Times, @brianstelter, @jeremyjojola, Awful Announcing, Advanced Television, MediaPost, al.com, WTOP News, Barrett Media and Radio & Television …
James B. Stewart / New York Times:
Interviews with Shari Redstone and others detail her decision to sell her family's empire, Paramount's settlement with President Trump, her reputation, and more — The media mogul spoke at length for the first time about selling her family's empire, Paramount's settlement with President Trump …
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Washington Free Beacon, Fox News, HotAir, Variety, The Wrap, New York Post, @loudmouthjulia, Daily Caller News Foundation, @mediaevan, Fortune, Media Play News, @alexthomp, @benmullin, @collinconnors, Mediaite, @pkafka, Deadline, @paulthedogman.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, @aidnmclaughlin, @jpodhoretz and Instapundit
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
The Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and others unveil the Public Media Bridge Fund, providing $26.5M+ to help CPB radio and TV stations avoid closure — Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, the president and chief executive of the Knight Foundation.Moriah Ratner for The New York Times
Discussion:
Media Nation, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, Politico, RedState, @knightfoundation.org, Newsbusters, Maribel Perez Wadsworth on LinkedIn, @davidho@mastodon.world, @jaykaydee.bsky.social, The Washington Free Beacon, Public Media Company, Knight Foundation, @joshshepperd.bsky.social, @jeradwalker.bsky.social, @benmullin, @dicktofel.bsky.social, NewsMax.com, @benmullin.bsky.social, Washington Examiner, Inside Radio and TV Tech
Mandy Dalugdug / Music Business Worldwide:
TikTok launches Music On Stage 2025, a global contest for artists from 23 regions on TikTok Live; it will promote winners on its distribution platform SoundOn — TikTok has launched a new global music competition targeting emerging artists and music creators on TikTok LIVE.
Discussion:
Music Ally, TikTok and Music Week
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
Google will pay $30M to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it violated kids' privacy on YouTube by collecting data without parental consent for targeted ads — Google (GOOGL.O) will pay $30 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated the privacy of children using YouTube by collecting …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
GB News plans to launch a DC bureau with live programming starting in September, including “The Late Show Live from DC”, and aims to hire a US political editor — GB News says it marks “huge moment” with US expansion. — Update 19 August: GB News has announced its presenter Ben Leo …
Discussion:
GB News and @josiah.writes.news
Denise Petski / Deadline:
Ron Perlman unveils Watrfall, a financing and content development platform for film and TV that lets fans invest in projects and decide which ones get funded — Along with Perlman, Watrfall is co-founded by Oscar-winning producer Michael Donovan (Bowling for Columbine), Dana Landry …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety and @watrfall_io
Charlie Eccleshare / The Athletic:
TikTok and the ATP Tour announce a content partnership to help players boost engagement and collaborate with established tennis creators on the platform — Seven million people have watched 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic dancing to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars.
Discussion:
KSTP-TV, @cdeccleshare, TikTok, ATP Tour and SportBusiness
Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Matt and Ross Duffer officially sign a four-year exclusive deal with Paramount for theatrical films, TV, and streaming projects, starting in April 2026 — The ‘Stranger Things’ creators will create movie, TV and streaming projects for the studio, with a focus on tentpole films.
Discussion:
Variety, CNBC, Screen Rant, CinemaBlend, The Wrap, Benzinga, Nerdist, Deadline and Screen
Hilke Schellmann / Columbia Journalism Review:
Testing AI tools for journalism work: LLMs worked well for short summaries but poorly for long ones, and scientific research tools lacked depth and consistency — Some tools were sufficient for summarizing meetings. For research, the results were a disaster.
Discussion:
@noahshachtman.bsky.social, @justinling.ca, @mttaggart@infosec.exchange, @shannonvallor.bsky.social, @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social, @brizzyc.bsky.social, Hilke Schellmann on LinkedIn, @tomlommel.com, Peter Vandermeersch on LinkedIn, @hypervisible.blacksky.app and @deminlawrence.bsky.social
David Satin / The Streamable:
Sling TV launches Sling Select, a $19.99/month plan offering 10+ channels including Fox News, FX, FS1, and, in some markets, ABC, NBC, and Fox as add-ons — The plan comes with 10+ channels, and includes ABC, Fox, and NBC in some markets. — Sling TV really wants its customers to have as much choice as possible.
Molly White / Citation Needed:
A look at Justin Sun's lawsuit against Bloomberg for publishing his holdings, which he claims he provided confidentially to qualify for its Billionaires Index — A crypto billionaire who once feared arrest in the US is now a Trump business adviser and White House guest.
Discussion:
@pinemikey.bsky.social and @molly.wiki
