Top News:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify releases Wrapped 2025, which adds features like Wrapped Party, its first live interactive experience, Top Song Quiz, Listening Age, and Wrapped Clubs — Spotify Wrapped is back. After last year's widely criticized flop that included an AI podcast as its highlight …
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
Spotify unveils 2025's top 50 most popular US podcasts, led by The Joe Rogan Experience for the fifth consecutive year; 24 of the top 50 now offer video content — Almost half of the most-listened to 50 shows now have video available on Spotify — Spotify, as part of the annual Spotify …
Tim Miller / The Bulwark:
An interview with Olivia Nuzzi about her affair with RFK Jr., her book, and more; Nuzzi says “I did something wrong, like those ethics rules exist for a reason” — The author at the center of two major scandals—one roiling journalism, the other implicating Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—speaks with Tim Miller.
Discussion:
Feed Me, Slate, Mediaite, Fox News, Semafor, The Wrap, New York Post, KVIA-TV, DNYUZ, @kennysmith.bsky.social, Page Six, The Hollywood Reporter, National Enquirer, @moorehn, @timodc, @peterawolf, @lizskalka, @a_picazo, @bulwarkonline, @anthonymemerson, @bulwarkonline, @nicksolheim, @bulwarkonline, @therickwilson, Showbiz411, Us Weekly, Poynter, @msmilack75.bsky.social, The Independent, The Daily Beast, HotAir, New York Sun and Cele|bitchy
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
Smartmatic v. Fox News: a Smartmatic lawyer says Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch authorized a plan for Fox News to embrace Trump's 2020 claims to win back viewers — In key hearing in defamation case, Fox counters that network simply covered allegations by Trump associates
Discussion:
NPR, TVNewsCheck, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social and The Wrap
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Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Economist reports revenue up 4% YoY to £170.3M in the six months to September 2025 and pre-tax profit up 28% YoY to £19.7M; a 27% stake is up for sale — The Economist revealed revenue and profit growth for the six months to September as potential buyers expressed interest in a 27% stake in the business.
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Talking Biz News
Minho Kim / New York Times:
A November 25 notice to Congress: Kari Lake said the Trump administration plans to close VOA's six overseas news bureaus, saving $30M+, despite a judge's order — The push to close the offices appears to contradict a federal judge's order from April, which required Trump officials to resume operations at V.O.A.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, @newsguy.bsky.social and Joe.My.God.
Antonio Ferme / Variety:
A US federal trial of Carl Rinsch, accused of swindling Netflix out of millions when making sci-fi series White Horse, begins with an ex-Netflix exec testifying — “Our objective today is to figure out the nature of this project and what we must do to contain it.”
Discussion:
Business Insider
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Scottish Sun editor Gill Smith will be the next editor of The US Sun, succeeding Natalie Evans, who was the inaugural editor of The US Sun from Feb. 2020 — Smith to begin new role based in New York in the New Year. — Gill Smith has been named the next editor of The US Sun after leading The Scottish Sun for five years.
Reuters:
Sources: in talks with WBD, Netflix said a combination of its streaming service with HBO Max would benefit consumers by lowering the cost of a bundled offering — Netflix's (NFLX.O) proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery's (WBD.O) studios and streaming unit is expected to reduce streaming costs …
Discussion:
Android Authority, T3, Media Play News, Android Headlines, Digital Trends and Dylan Jones on LinkedIn
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Charles Gasparino / New York Post:
Sources: if Netflix wins the auction for WBD, Paramount plans to go directly to WBD shareholders to argue that Netflix's bid would face regulatory issues
Discussion:
The Wrap, Felipe de Stefani on LinkedIn, @chrisyogerst.com, Mediaweek, Wall Street Journal, TVBEurope, Yahoo Finance, Cord Cutters News, Axios, International Business Times, Barrett Media, MediaPost, The Streamable, Decode TV, Sports Business Journal, Blockonomi, Broadband TV News, Advanced Television, Tech Times, Forbes Middle East, Hindustan Times and Bloomberg
Tony Maglio / The Hollywood Reporter:
HBO Max's 4K Mad Men re-release had many problems, including lacking post-production edits in some scenes; a source says Lionsgate delivered the wrong 4K file — But the best one definitely did. … The 4K stream of the classic Lionsgate Television series for AMC Network came to HBO Max on Monday …
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Alex Forbes-Calvin / GamesIndustry.biz:
The Observer partners with Magicave to feature the game developer's Mindset Go puzzles every Sunday in the newspaper's print edition — The company's Mindset Go puzzles will be appearing in the publication every Sunday — Game developer Magicave has partnered up with UK newspaper, The Observer.
Discussion:
PocketGamer.biz
James Whitbrook / Gizmodo:
After an online backlash, Amazon Prime Video removes AI-generated English and Spanish dubs that it had quietly rolled out in beta for several anime titles — As quickly as they arrived, many of Prime Video's controversial generated dubs have been removed from the streamer. — READING TIME 2 MINUTES
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Newsweek is developing an AI-powered homepage, modeled after Google's AI Mode, aiming to boost time spent on-site and counter the drop in search referrals — Newsweek is developing an AI-powered homepage, modeled after Google's AI Mode search experience, as part of a broader partnership with Google Cloud.
