Top News:
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill:
President Trump told reporters “it's imperative” for CNN to be sold: “Any deal it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately” — President Trump indicated he'd like to see CNN be sold off as its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery …
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Peter Kafka / Business Insider:
The value of WBD's cable networks including CNN is a key number for Netflix and Paramount bidders; Ellison says they're worth ~$2.5B, while analysts say ~$10B — - Ellison also says those cable networks — including CNN — aren't very valuable. — It's confusing!
Discussion:
The i Paper and Bloomberg
Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Two representatives on the US House Financial Services Committee warn WBD CEO David Zaslav of national security concerns about the financiers of Paramount's bid — Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) wrote in a letter to Zaslav, “This transaction raises national security concerns …
Discussion:
Axios, Variety, No Film School, NPR, Associated Press, Proactive, Financial Post and The A.V. Club
Emily Graffeo / Bloomberg:
A look at Netflix's funding plan for WBD: $59B of debt financing via Wall Street banks, to be eventually replaced with bonds, term loans, and revolving credit
Discussion:
The Wrap, @devonheinen.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Rant and The Hill
Max Tani / Semafor:
Democrats warn that their party, when it returns to power, may attempt to block or unravel any Paramount acquisition of WBD due to national security concerns
Discussion:
@maxwelltani, NOTUS, The Wrap, Telegraph and Cord Cutters News
Rohan Goswami / Semafor:
Sources: some WBD investors warm to David Ellison and his top team, after they were reassured that Paramount's Middle Eastern financing is secure
Discussion:
Status, CNN, Poynter, Business Insider, Media Play News, Screen, Variety, @semaforben, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, @maxwelltani, Benzinga and Breaking the News
David Bauder / Associated Press:
The NYT says it won't be deterred in its work after Trump posted on Truth Social that reporting by The NYT and others about his health was “seditious” — The New York Times, attacked by President Donald Trump for reporting about his physical condition, said on Wednesday …
Discussion:
Deadline, Raw Story, @nytimespr, @trumpwarroom, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, @karyncaplan, @jswatz.bsky.social, @gregmorosoff.bsky.social, @brunojnavarro.bsky.social, @mariopro.bsky.social, Straight Arrow News, MS NOW, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, Alternet.org, CNN, The Wrap, The Hill, Suggest, @atrupar.com, New Republic, Mediaite, New Jersey Online, HuffPost, Mirror US and The Independent
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch:
Google tests AI-powered overviews on some publications' Google News pages; publishers like Der Spiegel, El País, and WaPo in commercial partnerships get paid — Google is testing AI-powered article overviews on participating publications' Google News pages as part of a new pilot program, the search giant announced on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Press Gazette, The Information, 9to5Google and The Verge
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Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Google rolls out Preferred Sources globally, letting users customize “top stories” in Search, and launches highlighted links from users' news subscriptions
Discussion:
BMI, Android Police, Android Central, Search Engine Journal, @glenngabe.bsky.social, The Keyword, KnowTechie and Phandroid, more at Techmeme »
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Mirror Editor-in-Chief Caroline Waterston steps down after less than two years, to be succeeded by Chloe Hubbard, currently UK editor at The Independent — Mirror editor-in-chief Caroline Waterston is stepping down at the end of the year after less than two years in the job.
Alice Brooker / Press Gazette:
UK sports publisher GRV cut ~60 staff since September, reducing its workforce to 94, citing drops in Google traffic; other sports sites report similar declines — A UK-based sports website publisher has cut 60 staff since September as a result of falling Google referral traffic.
David Peisner / New York Times:
Timbaland's Stage Zero launches TaTa Taktumi, an AI pop artist created using Suno's tools; Timbaland says ~85% of the creative work is still done by humans — The producer dreamed up TaTa Taktumi and brought her to life with help from the software Suno. She's arriving at a fraught moment for artificial intelligence in music.
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Spotify plans to begin testing a feature that lets users write a prompt for a playlist and receive a unique set of songs based on their earlier behavior — Spotify announced on Wednesday that, for the first time, it's giving users more control over the streaming service's algorithm.
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube TV plans to launch over 10 genre-specific, cheaper YouTube TV Plans in early 2026, including a Sports Plan featuring ESPN Unlimited and Fox Sports 1 — YouTube TV's base package currently costs $82.99 per month. But early next year, the streaming service will roll out a range …
Discussion:
YouTube Official Blog, Engadget, Ghacks, Android Central, Deadline, Sports Business Journal, @willmckinley.bsky.social, Livemint, NDTV Profit, MacRumors, AppleInsider, The Shortcut, @tvgrimreaper, CNET, @lucas_shaw, Android Police, Pocket-lint, PCWorld, Gizmodo, The Athletic, Chrome Unboxed, Android Authority, TechCrunch, Thurrott, Reuters, 9to5Google, Sports Media Watch, Cord Cutters News, Droid Life, Streaming Better, Front Office Sports, Sportico, The Wrap, BMI, Business Insider and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »
Kara Voght / Washington Post:
A profile of Brian Glenn, Real America's Voice WH reporter and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend, who is giving up his WH gig after the Trump-MTG split — The day before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she was quitting Congress, her boyfriend was outside the White House.
Joe Wilkins / Futurism:
McDonald's Netherlands pulls an AI-generated Christmas ad, made by ad agency TBWA\NEBOKO with film production company The Sweetshop, after social media backlash — There's just one issue: pretty much everybody hates it. — This year, McDonald's decided to get in on the corporate slopfest …
Discussion:
Ad Age, @yfcherries, SiliconANGLE, Mediaweek, Mashable, HuffPost, NewsMax.com, @peterwildeford, Entertainment Weekly, @aishamadeit, @chatgpt21, @erulez_23, @ronaldmannak, @mattwalshblog, @lukemiani, @writerofscratch, @lucian_armasu, @andymasley, @gnoofiest, @girldrawsghosts, @firagawalkwthme, @saberspark, @jacksfilms, @echotrx, @octanesam, @richarderoeper, Wil Reynolds on LinkedIn, Wagner James Au on LinkedIn, @joncomms, @cinephiliabeyond.org, Newser, @culturecrave, Breitbart, WCNC-TV, eWeek, @disabilitystor1.bsky.social, WinBuzzer, BBC, @mutantastronaut.bsky.social, @spookycutewitch.bsky.social, @bcmerchant.bsky.social, TheJournal.ie, New York Post, Interesting Engineering, The Sun, Orlando Sentinel, The A.V. Club, Gizmodo, Forbes, Digital Trends, The Verge and Kotaku
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