Top News:
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
WBD Chair Emeritus John Malone says he discussed WBD-Fox merger with Rupert Murdoch in July 2024; sources say a possible deal was raised but not pursued — ‘Cable cowboy’ reveals talks as he reorganises media empire and prepares to give most of his $10bn fortune to good causes
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, Mumbrella, Broadband TV News and @jeffjarvis.bsky.social
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Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
An interview with John Malone on his upcoming memoir, CNN being an “anti-Trump news service”, advising David Zaslav on his compensation package, and more — John Malone helped create the modern media industry over the last half century. In a new memoir, “Born to Be Wired,” he looks back on what he has wrought.
Discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald, @bristei, @benmullin, @joshkraushaar, @pkafka and @katzish.bsky.social
Chip Reid / CBS News:
Mark Knoller, a former CBS News White House correspondent known for keeping meticulous records of every presidential act, dies at the age of 73 — Longtime CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller has died at the age of 73. — He died in Washington, D.C., according to a close friend.
Discussion:
Mediaite, HuffPost, @ianbremmer, @peterbakernyt, @edokeefe, @johngizzi, @johnjharwood, @joshgerstein, @samstein, @stevenportnoy, @thirdwaymattb, @bretbaier, @jerry_cipriano, @margbrennan, @yashar, @brithume, @keegan_tweets, @eamonjavers, @sfutterman, @fangsbites, @tvietor08, @davidgoodmantv, @kellyo, @exjon, @rorycooper, @katiecouric, @andrewfeinberg, @steveholland1, @horsleyscott, Suggest, @chucktodd, @kenbazinet.bsky.social, @westwingreport, @danaperino, @kevincorke, @brianstelter, @robt_gibbs, @w7voa, @cehoskinson, @mcfaul, @jordanfabian, @johannamaska, The Gateway Pundit, @nickbryantny, @aghamilton29, Joie Chen on LinkedIn, Fox News, @devorahleah.bsky.social, KARE-TV, Deadline, Variety, Irish Star, The Hollywood Reporter, @lukerussert.bsky.social, @tamarakeithnpr.bsky.social and TVNewsCheck
Minho Kim / New York Times:
Kari Lake says the USAGM sent layoff notices to 532 VOA employees, leaving ~100 staffers still employed; Lake had to rescind a previous layoff effort in June — The layoffs set up a potential battle with a federal judge who blocked previous efforts by Kari Lake, a fierce Trump ally, to restructure the agency.
Discussion:
Advanced Television, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Chris Hannas on LinkedIn, The Kyiv Independent, ZeroHedge News, NewsMax.com, The Gateway Pundit, The Indian Express, UPI, @scottnover, Newser, TVNewsCheck, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Associated Press, Politico, Washington Times, The Wrap, @savevoa.bsky.social, Washington Examiner, @albadawn.bsky.social, NPR, Raw Story and CNN
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
KPop Demon Hunters' rise to become the most-watched Netflix original movie followed a slow burn and reaffirms the old Hollywood rule that nobody knows anything — We take readers' questions on the surprise summer hit, the future of Peacock and Netflix's toughest competition — Good afternoon from 35,000 feet.
Matt Alt / New Yorker:
A profile of Weekly Shōnen Jump, Japan's top manga magazine and home to Naruto, which has created a formula for generating hit franchises from young talent — The magazine, home to such series as “Naruto” and “One Piece,” has created a formula for coaxing hit franchises out of young talents.
Katie Campione / Deadline:
How California rushed to expand the state's film and TV production tax credits in eight months, uniting union leaders, lawmakers, top filmmakers, and workers — When California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared last October that he aimed to more than double the annual funding for the state's Film …
Alison Main / CNN:
Charles Bierbauer, a former CNN correspondent and White House Correspondents' Association president from 1991 to 1992, has died at the age of 83 — Former CNN correspondent Charles Bierbauer has died, his family announced on Sunday. He was 83 years old. — Bierbauer retired from CNN …
Joshua Rothman / New Yorker:
A look at the potential future of personalized, AI-generated entertainment, and how it could both submerge human originality and enable new forms of expression — We're used to algorithms guiding our choices. When machines can effortlessly generate the content we consume, though, what's left for the human imagination?
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Phil Hoad / The Guardian:
An inside look at how Netflix's use of data led to generic “algorithm films” intended for broad appeal, with AI set to further entrench the production style
An inside look at how Netflix's use of data led to generic “algorithm films” intended for broad appeal, with AI set to further entrench the production style
Discussion:
Mirror, Us Weekly, Links I Would Gchat …, Celebrity Insider, GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT, Boston.com, Town & Country, @rwstinner.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, Glasgow Live, What's on Netflix, @berthac.bsky.social, Digital Trends, @arjun.bsky.social, @cliffharris.bsky.social and Reading Chronicle, more at Techmeme »
Stefanno Sulaiman / Reuters:
TikTok suspends its live feature for the “next few days” in Indonesia, citing “increasing violence in protests” over lawmakers' pay — ByteDance's TikTok has suspended its live feature for the “next few days” in Indonesia following protests in the country, its spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
Discussion:
@wisnu_prasetya, Metro.co.uk, Travel And Tour World, @toomuchidea, @0xtequilaa, @veronicakoman, Tempo, Chicago Tribune, @vngnc, New York Times, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, The Japan Times, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, Antara News, Al Jazeera, Semafor and The Straits Times, more at Techmeme »
Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
Sources: Google is set to face a modest EU antitrust fine over adtech practices, in an investigation triggered by a complaint by the European Publishers Council — Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google is set to face a modest EU antitrust fine in the coming weeks for allegedly anti-competitive practices …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Mastodon says it does not “have the means to apply age verification” to its services and it's up to server admins to observe local laws in places they operate — Decentralized social network Mastodon says it can't comply with Mississippi's age verification law …
Discussion:
Victor Wynne, Ace of Spades HQ, @BrideOfLinux@mastodon …, @vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz, @paulywill@mstdn.ca, @Greguti@pouet.chapril.org, @dyckron@mstdn.ca, @darkswordsman.com, @art@mastodon.sdf.org, @literalgrill@sakurajima.moe, @profcarroll@federate.social, Pixel Envy, @jenbanim@mastodo.neoliber.al, @kim_harding@mastodon.scot, @cdarwin@c.im, @jdp23.thenexus.today, @kentindell.bsky.social, @laurenshof@indieweb.social, @AAKL@infosec.exchange and @TechCrunch@mstdn.social
