Top News:
Al Tompkins / Poynter:
Nexstar's FCC filing in its $6.2B proposed merger with Tegna asks for urgent approval, which would require changing rules that limit station ownership — The broadcaster is pressing the FCC to fast-track a $6.2B deal that would expand its reach to more than half of US households
Aisha Down / The Guardian:
Researchers say Russia-aligned Pravda network is engaging in “LLM grooming”, flooding the internet with disinformation to influence chatbots like ChatGPT — Thinktank says internet flooded with disinformation by Russia-aligned Pravda network, which many websites treat as credible
Anita Komuves / Reuters:
RFE/RL Hungarian service Szabad Európa, which was restarted in 2020, shuts down after USAGM's Kari Lake claimed it harmed Trump's foreign policy in a key ally — - RFE/RL to end Hungarian service after relaunch — Service restarted in 2020 after ‘decline’ in media voices
Discussion:
Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Telewizja Polska S.A, Associated Press and UPI
Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:
Fubo pulls NBCUniversal channels from its service, including local NBC stations, regional sports networks, CNBC, and MS Now, following a distribution dispute — Subscribers of sports-centric streaming service Fubo are no longer able to watch channels from Comcast's NBC Universal on that platform …
Discussion:
Awful Announcing, The TV Answer Man!, Dan Rayburn on LinkedIn, @richlightshed, Cord Cutters News, The Streamable and al.com
David McCabe / New York Times:
A US judge is expected to rule next year on breaking up Google's ad tech monopoly, after the DOJ and Google delivered closing arguments in a remedies hearing — Judge Leonie M. Brinkema is on the clock. — The federal judge, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia …
Discussion:
Adweek, AdExchanger, WebProNews, Courthouse News Service, Bloomberg, The Verge, Financial Times, Channel NewsAsia, Los Angeles Times, @balancecrafting, @hedgeyetechlaw, @balancecrafting, @aripap, @balancecrafting, @megangra, @balancecrafting, @balancecrafting, BMI, Reuters, Outlook India, Associated Press and Global Competition Review, more at Techmeme »
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen / Nieman Lab:
A look at the system for distribution of direct media subsidies developed for the government of Denmark, which spends ~0.2% of its GDP on direct media subsidies — “A foundation can pick winners on the basis of its own values and priorities and support them from private sources.
Ginia Bellafante / New York Times:
Vanity Fair is reviewing its ties to Olivia Nuzzi, hired in September, after being “taken by surprise” by an essay that raised new questions about her ethics — The magazine, which recently hired the journalist, said it had been “taken by surprise” by new claims in an essay by her former fiancé, Ryan Lizza.
Discussion:
The Wrap, @kennysmith.bsky.social, @fizzvstheworld.bsky.social, @bluevirginia.bsky.social, @ajaxsinger.bsky.social, @kearseymorton.bsky.social, @erinnm.bsky.social, @refrmdemocracy, @kvarnsen.bsky.social, @slukemorgan.bsky.social, @recordedvoice.bsky.social, @itsthebrandi.bsky.social, @outpaigeous.bsky.social, @realturkana.bsky.social, @jaredlholt.bsky.social, @mattdpearce.com, DNYUZ, New York Post and RADAR
Mayank Parmar / BleepingComputer:
Google says ads that some users are seeing in AI Mode are part of a test; the ads have a “sponsored” label and appear at the bottom of the page — Google has started rolling out ads in AI mode, which is the company's “answer engine,” not a search engine.
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:
TVBEurope, Deadline, The A.V. Club, The Independent, @sarafischer, Front Office Sports, Business Insider, The American Bazaar, CNBC, Sports Business Journal, Mercury News, Reuters, @sarafischer, WebProNews, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, @sarafischer, The Streamable, Yahoo Finance, @brianstelter, @sarafischer, Cord Cutters News, Proactive, Olivier Wolff on LinkedIn, @richlightshed, Variety, Axios, Bloomberg Law, Broadcast, BMI, RTÉ, Puck, Advanced Television, Media Play News, The Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, TrekMovie.com, Awful Announcing, Mumbrella, The Wrap, Reuters, @ndhapple.bsky.social, @benmullin.bsky.social, TVNewsCheck, Washington Examiner, World of Reel, Quartz, Los Angeles Times, Benzinga, Financial Times and Bloomberg
Andy Larsen / Salt Lake Tribune:
The nonprofit Salt Lake Tribune plans to remove its paywall in Q1 2026 and projects 2025 net revenue of about $1M on gross revenue of $13.57M — Andy Larsen breaks down what's happened in 2025 — and what's to come next year — in The Tribune's business — Welcome to The Salt Lake Tribune's 2025 annual report!
Discussion:
Salt Lake Tribune and The Moderate Voice
Barbara Peng / Business Insider:
Business Insider joins Microsoft's Publisher Content Marketplace pilot, which compensates publishers when their content is used in AI-generated results — Business Insider is one of the most-cited sources in large language models, but we are often not appropriately credited or compensated by AI companies.
Discussion:
Ari Isaacman D'Angelo on LinkedIn and @maxwelltani
Corbin Bolies / @corbinbolies:
Memo: WSJ's Emma Tucker hires Axios EIC Aja Whitaker-Moore as co-deputy EIC, promotes David Crow to the same role, and hires Dan Colarusso to lead biz/finance — NEW: WSJ editor Emma Tucker sent a memo to staff saying she hired Axios EIC Aja Whitaker-Moore as a deputy EIC and Dan Colarusso as “coverage chief for Business, Finance and Economics” [image]
Discussion:
@xpangler and @dylanbyers
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
BBC board member Shumeet Banerji resigns, saying he was cut out of discussions that led to the resignation of the BBC's director general, Tim Davie — Shumeet Banerji was away during crucial discussions that led to resignation of director general and BBC News chief
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, @mrjamesob.bsky.social, Sky News, Mirror, Deadline, The Independent, The Times, Telegraph, GB News and Financial Times
