Mediagazer

9:05 PM ET, September 22, 2023

Top News:

Amazon plans to run limited ads on Prime Video in the US, the UK, Germany, and Canada starting in early 2024, charging $2.99/month extra in the US to avoid ads — - Prime Video will offer a more expensive ad-free option — Streamers want to increase revenue as production costs soar

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns tries to distance himself from SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas after ProPublica published a photo of the two alongside David Koch — The documentary filmmaker says he has not had contact with Thomas beyond taking a photo. — Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns …

Discussion: ProPublica, Insider, Variety, The Mercury News, Breitbart, NPR, The Hill, New Republic, CNN, @dbattistella@mstdn.ca, Rolling Stone and Boing Boing

David Rutz / Fox News:

Rupert Murdoch transitions from chair of Fox Corp and News Corp to the new role of Chairman Emeritus; Lachlan Murdoch becomes the sole chair of both companies — ‘For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change’

Discussion: Fox Corporation, New York Times, The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, New Republic, @brianstelter, Vox, Mediaite, The Hollywood Reporter, American Press Institute, The Guardian, @brianstelter, Talking Biz News, Washington Post, @muiiio@mst.muiiio.com, @edmundlee, @semaforben, Variety, @peterjukes, @murdoch_rc, @maynereport, @lukeoneil47, Adweek, CNN, Associated Press, @davidfolkenflik, News Corp, @pkafka, @janemartinson, New York Post, @bencjacobs, @justinbaragona, @projectlincoln, @pickardje, @frasernelson, @mattgertz, @karaswisher, @gtconway3d, @moorehn, @farhip, @karaswisher, @dougjballoon, @djrothkopf, @edsbs, @eduardosuarez, @stefmowords, @ayocaesar, @emilybell, @dhtoomey, @aaronblake, @therickydavila, @imjasondiamond, @michaelbarthel, @tomgara, @bgrueskin, @grantstern, @mikegalsworthy, @eriqgardner, @sree, @baseballcrank, @kelvmackenzie, @zaleskiluke, @piersmorgan, @stan_chow, @lizaoutlives, @misterabk, @mattgertz, @goangelo, @mehdirhasan, @yashar, @johncleese, @kylenabecker, @jbflint, @ahmedbaba_, @jojofromjerz, @travisakers, @reflog_18, @reflog_18, @youngvulgarian, @jeremynewberger, @piersmorgan, @eyesontheright, @aidnmclaughlin, @exavierpope, @jaheale, @peltzmadeline, @leximcmenamin, @bobbybigwheel, @keitholbermann, @markdistef, @sherman4949, @deggans, @edzitron, @scottygb, @pkafka, @dylanbyers, @arusbridger, @pinboard, @chrchristensen, @sarafischer, @davidmackau, @sherman4949, @pkafka, @brianstelter, @maggienyt, @annaknicolaou, @sarafischer, @jimrutenberg, Sydney Morning Herald, Mumbrella, Politico, Mediaite, Australian Financial Review, @tomgara@threads.net, Newser, The Sun, Insider, Media Matters for America, @timbray@cosocial.ca, Bloomberg, New York Magazine, Breitbart, @BrayingBoozehound …, @karaswisher@threads.net, UPI, @john_b_taylor@threads.net, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Mediaite, al.com, The A.V. Club, The Desk, NPR, Bleeding Cool News, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Spectator, Politico, USA Today, Fortune, Poynter, HuffPost, Cord Cutters News, ITV News, CBS News, Rolling Stone, Financial Times, BBC, The Wrap, Deadline, The Verge, Semafor, Axios, @coreypein.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Guido Fawkes, Daily Mail, The Daily Beast and Forbes

Michael Wolff / The Ankler:

Excerpt from Michael Wolff's The Fall: the first chapter imagines an eventual Rupert Murdoch obituary that details his life and career at Fox Corp and News Corp — The mogul's ‘obituary’ opens the buzzy upcoming book, ‘The End: The Fall of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty’

Discussion: Variety, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @sharonwaxman, Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, Puck, Crikey, New York Times, The Messenger and The Ringer

New York Times:

A profile of Lachlan Murdoch, who is less overtly political than his father, has led Fox through lawsuits, and has some proven successes, such as acquiring Tubi — He solidified his rise to the top of his father's media empire on Thursday. — Lachlan Murdoch's path to succession has been rocky at times …

Discussion: Bloomberg, New Republic, Fortune, The Daily Beast, Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Times, @Lilmikesf@c.im, CNN, Variety, Forbes and New York Post

Matthew Garrahan / Financial Times:
The way Rupert Murdoch structured the ownership of his companies doesn't necessarily mean Lachlan's ascension ends the fight for control of the family empire

Discussion: The Guardian, Forbes, City A.M., Axios, Sydney Morning Herald, Reuters, Insider, Wired, Rolling Stone, The Messenger and Vanity Fair

PEN America:

US public schools had 3,362 book bans from July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023, up 33% from the previous school year; Florida schools accounted for 40%+ of the bans — Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor — Introduction — The freedom to read is under assault in the United States …

Discussion: Politico, New York Post, Publishers Weekly, Pasadena Star News, The Rural Blog, @JaneRLaForge@mstdn.social, New Republic, Publishing Perspectives and The Hill

Sam Schube / GQ:

How Apple SVP of Services Eddy Cue led the company's push into live sports streaming and is using its MLS deal to test reshaping how sports are consumed — Longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue happens to be an enormous sports fan. And with Apple entering the wild west of broadcasting live sports …

Discussion: The Information, Sportico, @geoffgagnon, @tsoh_investing, @samschube, The Sun, 9to5Mac, The Messenger and UPI, more at Techmeme »

Max Seddon / Financial Times:

Russia's flagship state news TV channel, Rossiya 24, is running ads for a Tucker Carlson show “at the weekend”, but Carlson denies hosting a show on Russian TV — Rightwing former Fox News presenter said he was unaware of the ‘absurd’ claim — Russia's flagship state news channel …

Discussion: BBC, Insider, Mediaite, Forbes, @edbott.com, @anneapplebaum@journa.host, @anneapplebaum, Newser, @anneapplebaum and @maxseddon

Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:

The FT debuts an e-paper app for international readers; ABC: the FT digital edition had a 16,343 average circulation in August, of which 81% was outside the UK — The FT's e-paper has evolved since it first launched on desktop in 2015. — The Financial Times has launched an app …

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk

Sara Fischer / Axios:

Memo: Snap President of Americas Rob Wilk leaves, after joining the company in March 2023, replaced by Patrick Harris, who joined Snap after 10+ years at Meta — Snap Inc. has promoted former Meta executive Patrick Harris to the position of President of Americas, overseeing sales …

Discussion: The Information

Wendy Lee / Los Angeles Times:

Studio CEOs attended another marathon bargaining session with the WGA on September 21; talks between the WGA and studios resumed on September 22 — Jobs, Labor & Workplace — The Writers Guild of America and major studios — held a marathon bargaining session Thursday …

Discussion: Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, @megjameslat, @jorgecoolreyes, @slack2thefuture, Next TV, Bleeding Cool News, The Messenger, CNN, The Wrap and Reuters

Tom Ambrose / The Guardian:

WBD announces an expansion of Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, in Hertfordshire, UK, including adding 10 sound stages starting in early 2024 and finishing in 2027 — Studios behind Harry Potter films to undergo 400,000 sq ft expansion by 2027, in boost to struggling industry

Discussion: Variety, Advanced Television, CNN, @wes_greer, @bobdigi69, @wbd, Press Association, Collider, Bleeding Cool News, The Wrap, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

YouTube debuts YouTube Create, an app that lets creators edit videos, adding effects, GIFs, royalty-free tracks, and more, in beta on Android in eight markets — YouTube this morning introduced a new app for creators, YouTube Create, that will offer a suite of easy-to-use and free tools …

Discussion: Music Ally, ICYMI, Insider, The Indian Express, Communicate Online, CNN, The Information, Tubefilter, Bloomberg, 9to5Google and The Verge

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube unveils YouTube Studio AI features coming in 2024 and lets select creators test Aloud, a dubbing tool that creates AI-generated dubs in other languages

Discussion: @snazzylabs, The Messenger, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
YouTube announces Dream Screen, a Shorts feature that lets users create an AI-generated video or image background using text prompts, rolling out in early 2024

Discussion: Voicebot.ai, CNET, Gizmodo, Deadline and MediaPost