Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Paramount Skydance lays off ~1,000 staff, mostly in the US; in a memo, David Ellison says the cuts “are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success” — Paramount Skydance, aiming to get leaner and meaner, today is laying off about 1,000 employees, mostly in the U.S. David Ellison …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNBC, The Guardian, Fox Business, The Hill, @maxwelltani, The Wrap, Times of India, NBC News, TVNewsCheck, UPI, Dow Jones Newswires, PR Daily, Washington Times, @jamesfaris_, The Hollywood Reporter, Washington Post, Business Insider, Paula Lauzon on LinkedIn, Bloomberg, Fortune, GamesRadar, Deadline, @bostonjerry.bsky.social, @variety, @aram@aoir.social, @scottnover, NewsMax.com, Barrett Media, WPXI-TV and Breitbart, more at Techmeme »
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Los Angeles Times:
Sources: Paramount layoffs will affect CBS, CBS News, and cable channels including MTV and Comedy Central — - Paramount began laying off 1,000 workers this week with another 1,000 planned later on as new owners pursue $2 billion in expense cuts across the company.
Discussion:
CNN, Adweek, Telegraph, @samthielman.com, Newsweek, Axios and New York Sun
Emma G. Fitzsimmons / New York Times:
The Times of London takes down a story about former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio criticizing Zohran Mamdani, after de Blasio says the outlet fabricated his comments — The former New York City mayor said comments attributed to him about Zohran Mamdani, reported in The Times of London on Tuesday, were fabricated.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Guardian, The Wrap, Washington Post, New York Magazine, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @sturgeons_law, @sallygold, The 19th, New York Sun, IJR, @pourmecoffee, @nahmias, @emmagf, @drstrangetwit, @billyfreelandny, @billdeblasio, The New World, @billdeblasio, @sethmpk, @daveweigel, @ericlach, Blaze Media, @freedlander, @pblest, @daveweigel, @maggieserota, @shaifalip, @mikebeauvais, @katie_honan, @jbillinson, @jbarro, @grahamstarr, @daveweigel, New York Post, Gothamist, HuffPost and RedState
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Zachary Leeman / Mediaite:
The Times of London says its “reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be” Bill de Blasio; it took down its story after two hours — The Times of London was duped by a Bill De Blasio impersonator, with the former New York City mayor saying he was “appalled” to see the false quotes published.
Discussion:
@bencjacobs, @daveweigel and @petertwinklage
Scott Nover / Washington Post:
Radio Free Asia CEO Bay Fang says RFA will stop publishing on October 31 and close its bureaus across Asia, amid a crisis brought on by US federal funding cuts — The government-funded nonprofit, a staple of U.S. soft power in the region since 1996, is facing nearly total closure …
Discussion:
New York Times and @scottnover
Financial Times:
John Malone steps down as chair of F1 owner Liberty Media and Liberty Global; he remains the shareholder with the most voting rights — Tycoon is relinquishing board roles at Liberty Media and Liberty Global after buccaneering 50-year career — John Malone is stepping down as chair …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, TVNewsCheck, Variety, The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Bloomberg, @kieran_jsmith, Reuters, @brianstelter and @peark.es
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Apollo Global reaches a deal to sell AOL to Bending Spoons, sources say in a deal valued at ~$1.5B; AOL has about 30M MAUs across its email and web properties — Apollo Global Management has reached a deal to sell AOL to Italian tech holding group Bending Spoons in a deal valued at roughly $1.5 billion, Axios has learned.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Information, Reuters, @phkeane and Business Wire
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
RISJ survey across 24 countries: news creators and influencers gain more attention in countries with struggling traditional media and high social media usage — A new report highlights how “messy, fragmented, and loosely defined news sources have become for many people.”
Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
A US judge turns down Dr. Phil's bid to proceed under Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his media startup Merit Street and converts the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation — A court determined that the TV host improperly filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect his own interests, with the intention of paying certain creditors over others.
Discussion:
@joshgerstein, Hollywood Life, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, al.com, Deadline and The Wrap
The Hollywood Reporter:
Sources detail how Paramount's Taylor Sheridan partnership fell apart, even as NBCU's Donna Langley courted him; Paramount never made an offer to retain him — David Ellison has the deepest pockets in Hollywood. Sheridan has the best track record in streaming. Why the most obvious deal in TV didn't happen.
Discussion:
Daily Mail, New York Post, /Film, NewsMax.com, IndieWire, The Wrap, Mirror, Advanced Television, The A.V. Club, Wall Street Journal and Screen Rant
Liam Scott / Columbia Journalism Review:
Newspaper archives are at risk in the US, most commonly lost when papers shutter, move, or are purchased; some partner with libraries to preserve their archives — Archivists worry in particular about photographs that have never been digitized. — The Smokehouse Creek Fire burned through …
Discussion:
Penny Riordan on LinkedIn, @samlitzinger.bsky.social and @scottnover.bsky.social
Olivia Poh / Bloomberg:
Publicis agrees to acquire Singapore-based Hepmil Media Group, which works with 3K+ creators to make memes and content for 450+ brands, for an undisclosed sum — Advertising giant Publicis Groupe SA agreed to buy Singapore's Hepmil Media Group to bolster its social-media expertise in Southeast Asia's rapidly growing online market.
Discussion:
campaignlive.com, TNGlobal, The Business Times, Tech in Asia and The Straits Times
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