Top News:
Jay Peters / The Verge:
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says creators will be able to generate Shorts using their own AI likenesses starting in 2026 — The capability is launching sometime in 2026, though YouTube isn't sharing details about how it will work. … Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot …
Discussion:
Engadget, The Wrap, Search Engine Journal, Social Media Today, 9to5Google, PCMag, CNBC, The Indian Express, @mike@fosstodon.org, Android Police, TechCrunch and Phandroid
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan publishes his annual letter, saying YouTube aims to reduce “AI slop” and has strengthened parental controls, and teases Shorts updates — The executive published his annual letter to the YouTube community Wednesday, outlining his priorities for the video platform.
Discussion:
YouTube Official Blog, Variety, MediaPost, CNET, Decrypt, Matt Thornton on LinkedIn, PhoneArena, Neowin, Dexerto, Tubefilter, Newser, Célia Salsi on LinkedIn, Music Ally, @knoebel.bsky.social, Tara Walpert Levy on LinkedIn, Bloomberg, Deadline, Sean Downey on LinkedIn, Daily Ausaf, @aneternalenigma.com, @nealmohan, @kylebrussell, Chris Schremp on LinkedIn and Thurrott, more at Techmeme »
Emma Roth / The Verge:
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says YouTube TV plans to launch “fully customizable” multiview for non-sports channels and channel packages focused on various topics
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says YouTube TV plans to launch “fully customizable” multiview for non-sports channels and channel packages focused on various topics
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, Android Headlines, Pocket-lint, TechCrunch, Cord Cutters News, How-To Geek and Android Authority
Perry Stein / Washington Post:
A judge blocks US government officials from examining devices seized from reporter Hannah Natanson's home until the judge can review and rule on access issues — The seizure “chills speech, cripples reporting, and inflicts irreparable harm,” The Post said in statement.
Discussion:
CNN, The Guardian, Mediaite, New York Times, Freedom of the Press …, NBC News, Ars Technica, Al Jazeera, Politico, The Hill, Raw Story, Courthouse News Service, MS NOW, Straight Arrow News, Deadline, @hannahnatanson.bsky.social, @clancyny.bsky.social, @reedfrich.bsky.social, Martin Baron on LinkedIn, @maxwelltani, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @bselena.bsky.social, @acarv.in, @trevortimm.bsky.social, @allanschlosser.bsky.social, Associated Press, @freedom.press, @drewharwell.com, @jeremymbarr, @washingtonpost.com, Fox News, NewsMax.com, US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @clancyny.bsky.social, Jodie Ginsberg on LinkedIn, @joffirphd.bsky.social, @frankamari.bsky.social, The Independent, Washington Examiner and NOTUS
Business Insider:
Layoffs hit Vimeo for the second time since September 2025, when it laid off 10% of its workforce; Bending Spoons acquired Vimeo for around $1.38B in November — - Vimeo is laying off staffers globally in a new round of cuts. — The job cuts arrived a few months after tech holding company Bending Spoons bought Vimeo.
Alex Ritman / Variety:
The BBC confirms a “strategic partnership” with YouTube to produce exclusive content, including news and YouTube channels aimed at children and young adults — The BBC has confirmed what it is billing as a “strategic partnership” with YouTube that will see the British broadcaster …
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Vox executives detail how Vox is using Patreon to grow reader revenue and interactions; sign-ups grew 350% in the first two months after Trump's inauguration — Explainer journalism brand Vox is using membership and subscriptions platform Patreon to help build a “two-way relationship” with its audience.
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Mediaite launches One Sheet, a daily media newsletter curated by reporter Colby Hall that aggregates media news from other media newsletters, for $8 a month — A new daily email from Mediaite intends to cut through the cacophony of online media news. — The media news site Mediaite …
Discussion:
Mediaite, TheDesk.net, Tubefilter, @alexeheath, @dylanbyers, @grynbaum, @emily_sundberg, @loudmouthjulia, @katie_robertson and @maxwelltani
Washington Post:
An Israeli strike killed three journalists in Gaza, one of whom freelanced for AFP and CBS; Israel says it targeted operators of a drone affiliated with Hamas — The journalists were killed Wednesday in a strike on their car in central Gaza. Israel's military said it struck “several suspects” who were operating a drone.
Discussion:
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Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
Sources: the EU is expected to approve UMG's $775M acquisition of Downtown Music, after UMG offered to divest Downtown's royalty services platform Curve — Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) is set to secure EU antitrust approval for its $775 million bid for Downtown Music after regulators signalled acceptance …
Discussion:
CMU, Variety, Music Ally and Music Business Worldwide
Ernesto Van der Sar / TorrentFreak:
Unsealed docs: Spotify and labels sued Anna's Archive over plans to release scraped Spotify data; US court grants a temporary order taking down some domains — Spotify and several major record labels, including UMG, Sony, and Warner, have taken legal action against the unknown operators of Anna's Archive.
The Information:
Sources: OpenAI begins offering its chatbot ads to dozens of advertisers, initially charging per ad view, not per ad click, and asks them for <$1M commitments — OpenAI has started offering its new chatbot ads to dozens of advertisers, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
MobileSyrup, MediaPost, Search Engine Land, Computerworld, WebProNews, Proactive, Sherwood News, Reuters and PCWorld, more at Techmeme »
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The Hollywood Reporter:
The FCC says TV talk shows should now comply with equal time political broadcasting rules; the board's lone Democrat calls the change a censorship escalation — The FCC released new guidance Wednesday that stipulates that daytime and late night talk shows will be expected to comply with equal time rules.
Discussion:
LateNighter, New York Times, Fox News, Variety, TheDesk.net, Los Angeles Times, TV Tech, Washington Examiner, The Wrap, Raw Story, Ars Technica, @laurentguy.bsky.social, @natanael.bsky.social, Deadline, Forbes, @maraleia.bsky.social, @radicalcompliance.bsky.social, @farhip, Cord Cutters News, Breitbart, Reuters, Bloomberg, @greene.haus, Newsbusters, @frydawolff.bsky.social, @avi.zollman.com, Consequence, @farhip, Politico and NewsMax.com
Mickey Djuric / Politico:
A Canadian federal court overturned a 2024 order that would have shuttered TikTok Canada's business operations over national security concerns — “We welcome the decision to set aside the order to shut down TikTok Canada, and look forward to working with the Minister towards a resolution that's …
