Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: Paramount Skydance, Comcast, and Netflix bid in the first round for WBD; Comcast and Netflix are seeking just the studio and streaming parts of WBD — The outcome of the sale could alter the trajectory of the entertainment business. — The heavyweights of Hollywood made their cases …
Discussion:
Variety, Awful Announcing, TVNewsCheck, The Wrap, @richlightshed, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, TrekMovie.com, Business Insider, @ndhapple.bsky.social, @benmullin.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, World of Reel, Los Angeles Times, Quartz, Bloomberg Law, Business Standard, Adweek, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Axios and TVBEurope
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Hugo Lowell / The Guardian:
Sources: a White House official discussed with Larry Ellison cutting CNN hosts that President Trump loathes and running CBS shows like 60 Minutes on CNN — Senior officials indicated favorability toward Paramount Skydance to acquire Warner Bros Discovery — Senior White House officials …
Discussion:
Status, Wall Street Journal, Breitbart, RADAR, The Information, American Prospect, @jonathancohn.bsky.social, @freedomofpress, The Independent, @mmeadway.bsky.social, @drrenemd.bsky.social, Nieman Lab, @brentosaur.bsky.social, @karlbode.com, @marklemley.bsky.social, @mattgertz, @rbreich, @callyson.bsky.social, TV Insider, @davidclinchnews, Washington Examiner, @keithboykin.bsky.social, Straight Arrow News, Mediaite, Raw Story, The Wrap, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @karaswisher.bsky.social, @freedom.press, @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com, @punkonbuslives.bsky.social, @vidiot.bsky.social, @stevereddog.bsky.social, @zjmontague.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, New Republic, Alternet.org, Daily Caller News Foundation and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
A look at CBS News under Bari Weiss: plans for a makeover of the CBS Evening News, concerns among veterans about her outspoken support of Israel, and more — The new editor in chief is personally recruiting potential anchors, booking guests herself and asking staff what they do
Renju Jose / Reuters:
Australia adds Twitch to teen social media ban; Twitch plans to deactivate accounts for 16-and-under users from Jan. 9 and bar new underage users from Dec. 10 — Australia's internet watchdog on Friday said it would include Amazon.com-owned (AMZN.O) live streaming service Twitch …
John Buckley / Capital Brief:
Sources: US officials raised concerns with Australia over its streaming content quotas that the government is trying to push through the Senate before year end — The US Embassy has directly raised concerns about the policy in Canberra, raising the stakes for the Albanese government as it pursues an aggressive tech reform agenda.
Dominic Patten / Deadline:
California awards over $313M in tax credits to 17 TV shows, in the second batch of TV awards since an expansion of TV/film credits to $750M annually — Along with the third season of blockbuster Fallout, and a second season of Netflix's Forever, the postponed second season of the Amazon spy couple series …
Discussion:
NBC Los Angeles, @maryscottoconnor.com and Los Angeles Times
Matt Donnelly / Variety:
Q&A with Variety's new publisher and co-president, Dea Lawrence, on her career, on AI and digital creators being “crucial” for the outlet, and more — Dea Lawrence has assumed the top business role at Variety, succeeding Michelle Sobrino Stearns as publisher and also becoming co-president …
Lachlan Cartwright / Vanity Fair:
A look at Rupert Murdoch's California Post, which will focus on LA, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento when it launches in 2026; Ian Mohr will lead CA Page Six — California is a veritable news feast—politicians with national ambitions, climate disasters, the twin industries of Hollywood and tech.
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter
Sophie Culpepper / Nieman Lab:
A look at the “explosion” of LA media upstarts, like the LA Local News Initiative, which has $18M in funding, SFGate's Southland, and nonprofit LA Public Press — A well-funded coalition building out neighborhood news, a new newsletter from an expanding for-profit site …
Reuters:
A Spanish court orders Meta to pay €479M to 87 Spanish digital media outlets for unfair competition practices and infringement of EU data protection regulations — A Spanish court has ordered that the multinational tech company Meta (META.O) pay 479 million euros ($552 million) …
Matt Hughes / The Guardian:
Paramount wins UK rights to show most UEFA Champions League games from 2027 to 2031; sources say its bid was much higher than TNT's current £1B per year deal — - US network made largest bid at this week's auction — Amazon Prime will have first pick of Tuesday matches
Ivan L. Nagy / Columbia Journalism Review:
An ex-Pentagon press corps member says Pentagon day pass requests now require an hour-by-hour activity summary and a list of people they plan to speak to — While veteran national security reporters can't get their calls answered, members of the new, MAGA-friendly press corps have a hotline to the Department of War.
Discussion:
@columjournreview.bsky.social
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
The White House sends out a press release calling ABC News “a Democrat spin operation masquerading as a broadcast network” and cataloging perceived offenses — A day after President Donald Trump blew up at ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce and called for the network to lose …
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Reuters:
The FCC opens a review of agreements between national networks and local TV stations, including about rules controlling how stations preempt network programs
The FCC opens a review of agreements between national networks and local TV stations, including about rules controlling how stations preempt network programs
Discussion:
Federal Communications Commission, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @michaelnaphys.bsky.social, Inside Radio, PCMag, Truth on the Market, Bloomberg, Deadline, The Hill, @brendancarrfcc, TheDesk.net, @diversetechgeek.bsky.social, GB News, NewsMax.com and Cybersecurity Dive, more at Techmeme »
