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:
Inside Radio, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., Adweek, StreamTV Insider, Variety, Atlanta Business Journal, Plain Dealer, New York Post, TheDesk.net, Dallas Innovates, FTVLive, CNBC, Portland Business Journal, Poynter, Associated Press, Columbus Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, Deadline, Baltimore Business Journal, @eriqgardner, @amandamatwell, Wall Street Journal, KWES, 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, The Hollywood Reporter, @nxstmediagroup, UPI, CNN, Dallas Business Journal, Cord Cutters News, Bloomberg, @bethfinellowx, @kevinbuffalo, @sarafischer, @matthewcappucci, Los Angeles Times, @brianstelter, @jeremyjojola, Awful Announcing, Advanced Television, MediaPost, Radio & Television …, al.com, WTOP News and Barrett Media
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, 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:
Wall Street Journal, Media Nation, The Hill, Washington Post, @joshshepperd.bsky.social, Politico, The Washington Free Beacon, RedState, @dicktofel.bsky.social, @knightfoundation.org, Newsbusters, Maribel Perez Wadsworth on LinkedIn, @davidho@mastodon.world, @jaykaydee.bsky.social, Public Media Company, Knight Foundation, @jeradwalker.bsky.social, @benmullin, @benmullin.bsky.social, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, Inside Radio and TV Tech
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
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 …
Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:
Newsmax reports Q2 revenue of $46.4M, up 18.4% YoY, a net loss of $75.2M, compared with a $4.8M loss in Q2 2024, primarily due to settlement costs with Dominion — The company renewed its carriage deal with Comcast, inked a new talent agreement with Greta van Susteren and expanded its reach on Hulu with Live TV.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
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
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
Discussion:
NPR, ABC News, The Independent, Chronology, NewsMax.com, Esquire, Advanced Television, CBS News, @jeremymbarr, @jeremymbarr, @aidnmclaughlin, @jeremymbarr, Breitbart, The Guardian, The A.V. Club, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, Salon, JURIST, New York Sun, UPI, Al Jazeera, Daily Caller News Foundation, CyberScoop, MeidasTouch News, Axios, Newsweek, Mediaite, Baller Alert, Washington Post, Forbes, The Hill, Barrett Media, The Wrap, Washington Examiner, al.com, Bloomberg, Deadline, Politico and CNN
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
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.
Sara Merican / Deadline:
Chinese media conglomerate COL launches a global content distribution division, offering over 1,000 microdramas in both English and Chinese — Chinese media conglomerate COL today announced the launch of its global content distribution division, seeking to become the world's largest reseller of micro-dramas.
Discussion:
Variety
