Top News:
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
Q&A with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos about the $83B WBD bid, Trump's involvement in the deal, maintaining a 45-day theatrical window for WBD releases, and more — The company's co-chief executive sat down for an extensive interview for the first time since announcing plans to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's film and TV business.
Discussion:
Engadget, Deadline, StreamTV Insider, Business Insider, The Hollywood Reporter, Gizmodo, WebProNews, Cartoon Brew, /Film, The Verge, Media Play News, primetimer.com, Screen, Variety, @alissawilkinson.bsky.social, @tvgrimreaper, PR Daily, @dannygroner.bsky.social, The Wrap, Spyglass, Inc, World of Reel, Android Headlines, GamesRadar, Far Out Magazine and Screen Rant, more at Techmeme »
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
Some CBS News staffers expressed deep skepticism about a story that used unnamed sources to report that the ICE officer who shot a woman had “internal bleeding” — Anonymously sourced report that Jonathan Ross ‘suffered internal bleeding’ after killing Renee Good faced skepticism inside CBS newsroom
Discussion:
The Present Age, The Independent, Status, Salon, @rachelbitecofer, @deanobeidallah.bsky.social, The Independent, Too Much TV Newsletter, @truxmintinbox.bsky.social, @portlandken.bsky.social, @murshedz.bsky.social, Newser, @tbonier, @charliesaito22.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, @lebassett, TV Insider, @eddwilson.bsky.social, @olganyc1211, Raw Story, @red-sparrows.bsky.social, Mediaite, @shonamurray.bsky.social, @callyson.bsky.social, @markfollman.bsky.social, @sarcasmodemiami.bsky.social, @skewray@mathstodon.xyz, @furtherexchange.bsky.social, @2xaught7.ing, @nitishpahwa.com, @adamisacson.com, @peterflaire.bsky.social, @poniewozik.bsky.social, @adamweinstein.bsky.social, @jessehawken.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, Blaze Media, NBC News, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Wonkette and r/Journalism
Mike Fleming Jr / Deadline:
Q&A with Kathleen Kennedy about the highs and lows of her 14 years at Lucasfilm, going back to producing, the future of Star Wars, exploring AI tools, and more — She's handing the reins to her longtime lieutenants. The Disney division will be run by Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni …
Discussion:
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Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as the president of Lucasfilm after nearly 14 years and will be succeeded by the studio's Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan
Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as the president of Lucasfilm after nearly 14 years and will be succeeded by the studio's Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan
Discussion:
Screen Rant, The Spectator, The Movie Blog, GeekTyrant, @benfritz, @benfritz, Dexerto, Gizmodo, LaineyGossip, Comic Book, MediaBrief, Mashable, @thewrap, Deadline, Daily Mail, BBC, Entertainment Weekly, Cord Cutters News, Engadget, Forbes, TMZ.com, Collider, Empire, Financial Times, Variety, Daily Disney News, @ericjgeller.com, Polygon.com, Consequence, The Verge, Reuters, The Wrap, CinemaBlend, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, heise online and Just Jared
Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Sources: the BBC plans to announce a major deal to make bespoke shows for YouTube for the first time, which will later be aired on the BBC iPlayer and Sounds — British public sector broadcaster will make unique shows for the platform and generate revenue from ads overseas
Discussion:
Deadline, Advanced Television, TVBEurope, The Guardian, Daily Star, Cord Cutters News, @pranman.com, Telegraph, BBC, nScreenMedia, RTÉ and Reuters
Financial Times:
OpenAI plans to test ads below ChatGPT replies for users of free and Go tiers in the US; source: OpenAI expects to make “low billions” from ads in 2026 — $500bn start-up seeks ways to fund expansion and fend off competition from rivals Google and Anthropic
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Maxwell Zeff / Wired:
OpenAI will match ads to conversation topics using some personalization data, but claims it will not sell user data or expose user conversations to advertisers — OpenAI says ads will not influence ChatGPT's responses, and that it won't sell user data to advertisers.
Discussion:
OpenAI, Vogue, WebProNews, PPC Land, The Economic Times, Telegraph, Analytics India Magazine, @alextecplayz@techhub.social, @whoa-magic.lol, Orange County Register, The Verge, Axios, 9to5Mac, @hypervisible.blacksky.app, @wired.com, Business Insider, Newser and Futurism, more at Techmeme »
Washington Post:
The Pentagon says Stars and Stripes will move “away from woke distractions” and cease publishing AP “reprints”; its EIC says he'll work to save its independence — Plans for more Defense Department control surface after job applicants were asked about their commitment to President Donald Trump's policies.
Discussion:
Stars & Stripes, The Guardian, @seanparnellasw, CNN, Straight Arrow News, PEN America, @buckyrea.bsky.social, @freedomofpress@social …, @blackforestcyclist …, @defensebaron, DeeDee Doke on LinkedIn, @brianstelter, @brucedlittle.bsky.social, @reichlinmelnick, @idreesali114, @danlamothe, @rarmyreddit, @danlamothe, @caitlindoornbos, @jimlaporta, @ktoropin, @defensebaron, @kimmasters.bsky.social, NBC News, @starsandstripes.bsky.social, Mediaite, @chadstanton.blacksky.app, @laurenmeidasa.bsky.social, @altnatarchives.altgov.info, @rjohnston4, @wyattderpy, @53856ted, @friendspancakes, @attorneynora.bsky.social, @angrydonkeynews.bsky.social, @hcrichardson.bsky.social, New York Post, New York Times, Newser, Politico, @dearlstephens.bsky.social, The Hill, The Daily Wire, NOTUS, Fox News, Associated Press, @sodrock.bsky.social, @terigoodson.bsky.social, NewsMax.com, @scottnover.bsky.social, Washington Times, New York Daily News and r/Journalism
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
NBCU and AMC Theatres strike a deal to bring live coverage of the Milan-Cortina Olympics to 150+ AMC locations in the US between February 6 and February 22 — The companies experimented with the idea during the 2024 Paris games, and are now expanding on the idea.
Discussion:
Barrett Media and Awful Announcing
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube adds over 100 full episodes from previous seasons of Sesame Street and also hosts an expanded library of Sesame Street content on Shorts — It's a sunny day for “Sesame Street” fans: YouTube, under an agreement with Sesame Workshop, has become the largest digital library for content …
Business Insider:
TikTok has launched a standalone micro drama app, PineDrama, in the US and Brazil, offering vertical serialized shows for free without ads or paywalls for now — - TikTok has rolled out a new micro drama app in the US and Brazil called PineDrama. — The app's feed looks a lot like TikTok's …
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter
Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:
Goalhanger now has 250K+ paying subscribers across podcasts like The Rest Is History, who pay an average of £60/year, or an annual subscriber income of ~£15M — Podcast production company Goalhanger now has more than 250,000 paying subscribers across its network of shows including …
Nicholas Quah / Vulture:
A look at long-running BBC Radio 4 program In Our Time, which reaches 2M+ listeners a week, as Misha Glenny replaces original host Melvyn Bragg, who has retired — Misha Glenny remembers the episode that pulled him into In Our Time: plate tectonics. The BBC Radio 4 program he's now taking …
Discussion:
@niemanlab.org and @vulture.com
