Mediagazer: US prosecutors charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner (Wall Street Journal)

4:55 AM ET, December 17, 2025

Top News:

Sources: WBD is preparing to tell its shareholders to reject Paramount's latest offer and plans to recommend they support the existing deal with Netflix — Company to recommend existing Netflix deal as soon as Wednesday — Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to tell its shareholders …

Discussion: The Verge, Bloomberg, Media Play News, Sky News, Sharecast, @michellef_davis, Cord Cutters News, Awful Announcing, The Hill, Financial Times, CNBC, Semafor and Benzinga

Bloomberg:

Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from Paramount's takeover bid for WBD, citing changed investment dynamics since it joined the bid in October — Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from the takeover battle for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

Peter Grant / Wall Street Journal:

The WBD deal could worsen soundstage vacancies as productions may shift to the studio's facilities, affecting companies like Hackman, owner of 60+ soundstages — Set and studio landlords like Hackman Capital are already suffering from a slowdown in U.S. TV and film production

Discussion: Daily Mail

Charles Gasparino / New York Post:

Source: Paramount has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30 per share, all-cash bid for WBD — Paramount Skydance has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30-a-share, all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - instead continuing to make its case to shareholders that its $78 billion offer …

Discussion: Reuters, The Times, Livemint, @danprimack and BMI

Todd Spangler / Variety:

E.W. Scripps' board unanimously rejects Sinclair's unsolicited acquisition proposal of $7 per share in cash and stock, offered in November — Sinclair's takeover move came amid Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion deal for Tegna, which would expand the reach of Nexstar, the No. 1 biggest TV station owner group in the U.S.

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Christal Hayes / BBC:

The BBC says “as we have made clear previously, we will be defending” against Trump's defamation lawsuit and “we are not going to make further comment” — The BBC has said it will defend itself against a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump …

Financial Times:
BBC lawyers argue that the Florida court has no jurisdiction over President Trump's case; Trump's lawyers counter that BritBox showed Panorama in Florida

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Justin Baragona / The Independent:

Nielsen ratings for Bari Weiss' town hall with Erika Kirk were 11% below total viewership for CBS News' standard programs in the same time slot, year to date — According to Nielsen, the Saturday night town hall saw a 41 percent decline in in the key 25-54 advertising demographic compared …

Jennifer Maas / Variety:

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Discussion: Glossy

Chris Gardner / The Hollywood Reporter:

Daniel Kwan and 500+ writers, actors, and technologists launch the Creators Coalition on AI to push standards for AI training and use across creative industries — The organization, which published four distinct goals and a call to action while gathering hundreds of signatories …

Discussion: Creators Coalition on A.I., Decrypt and @hitrecordjoe, more at Techmeme »

Wall Street Journal:

US prosecutors charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner — Prosecutors say Nick Reiner killed his father and mother in their Los Angeles home — LOS ANGELES—Prosecutors charged Nick Reiner Tuesday …

Payton Turkeltaub / Variety:

UCLA study: among the most-watched streaming series in 2024, 80% of lead actors were white and white men accounted for 79% of all show creators, vs. 77% in 2023 — In 2024, there were fewer leading roles featuring women and women of color than the year before, despite households of color …

Discussion: UCLA, Los Angeles Times and The Wrap

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:

Instagram unveils its first TV app, initially available on Amazon's Fire TV as a test with plans to expand to other TV platforms — Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram unveiled its first dedicated TV app, which lets users watch the short-form video feature Reels on a larger screen.

Jake Kanter / Deadline:

The UK government begins its review of the BBC's charter, set to expire in 2027, as ministers consider license fee reforms and allowing more commercial revenue — The UK government has fired the starting gun on BBC charter renewal, a once-in-a-decade review of the broadcaster's funding and operating agreement.

Discussion: BBC, The Guardian, @jayrosen.bsky.social, New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
UK ministers say they are considering options for the BBC, including ads across its channels and subscriptions for older or more commercially oriented content

Discussion: HoldtheFrontPage, GOV.UK, The Guardian, @stephenkb.bsky.social, Reuters and Deadline

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US Press Freedom Tracker: 32 journalists arrested or charged in 2025, vs. 50 in 2024, and 170 assaulted, nearly as many as the previous three years combined

Discussion: U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @crystalheathdvm.bsky.social, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, @pressfreedomtracker.us, Freedom of the Press … and @pressfreedomtracker.us

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