Top News:
Eli Stokols / Los Angeles Times:
WHCA board votes to remove One America News from the rotation for WH briefing room seats for violating social distancing rules, citing public safety — President Trump has made contentious exchanges with reporters a feature of his daily coronavirus briefings, often using personal invective …
Discussion:
Poynter, Washington Post, @chrismegerian, @jonlemire, @paulareidcbs, CNN, @chrismegerian, @evanvucci, HuffPost, @elistokols, @elistokols, @celestekatznyc, @w7voa, @farhip, @farhip, @weijia, @jycefisher, @brianstelter, @farhip, @isaacdovere, Mediaite, Politico and New York Post
RELATED:
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
WaPo, NYT, CNBC, and others have stopped sending reporters to Trump's daily COVID-19 briefings, concerned about health risks and the lack of new information — There have been a lot more empty seats at President Trump's daily press briefings — but no, news organizations aren't boycotting …
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, @amy_siskind, @jayrosen_nyu, @maggienyt, @aberman333, @markberman and Politico
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Apple now lets some video streaming apps, like Amazon Prime Video, use their own payment methods for in-app purchases on Apple devices, avoiding Apple's 30% cut — Apple Inc. has relaxed a controversial policy that took a 30% cut of payments when video apps on its platform sold TV shows and movies.
Discussion:
CNBC, The Streamable, ZDNet, Business Insider, @markgurman, @backlon, @brianb, @whatthebit, @nickstatt, @markgurman, @markgurman, @jlantunez, @pierce, @bzamayo, @jeffjohnroberts, The Verge, Variety, The Mac Observer, The Mac Observer, TechCrunch, CNET and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »
The Information:
Sources: YouTube is planning to release Shorts, a rival to TikTok inside YouTube's main app, by the end of the year — YouTube is planning to release a rival to TikTok, the hugely popular video-sharing app, by the end of the year, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Los Angeles Times:
After a seven-year stalemate, the LA Dodgers' TV home, SportsNet LA, will now air on AT&T platforms including DirecTV, AT&T TV, U-Verse TV, and AT&T Now — If there's a baseball season in 2020, many more Dodgers fans across the region will finally be able to watch their team from home.
Alexander Cornwell / Reuters:
Streaming service provider OSN signs an exclusive agreement with Disney to distribute Disney+ in the Middle East and North Africa from April 9 for $9.50/month — DUBAI (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Disney+ content will be available for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa …
Jay Peters / The Verge:
Facebook and Fox News to host a virtual town hall Thursday on the pandemic using Facebook's Portal devices; Facebook is shipping a Portal Plus to each attendee — Facebook is shipping a Portal Plus to every attendee — Facebook and Fox News will be hosting a virtual town hall tomorrow …
Discussion:
Business Wire and Fox News
Kaya Yurieff / CNN:
Doctors are banding together on Twitter and TikTok to settle on frameworks of verifiable sources and information to share with the public — New York (CNN Business)Ali Raja spends his nine-hour shifts in the emergency room at Massachusetts General Hospital treating gunshot wounds …
Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
Former Hulu chief Jason Kilar is named CEO of WarnerMedia, giving him oversight of Warner Bros., HBO, the Turner cable assets, and HBO Max — Former Hulu chief Jason Kilar has been named CEO of WarnerMedia. — Kilar succeeds John Stankey, who was upped earlier this year to AT&T president and chief operating officer.
Discussion:
CNBC, New York Times, CNN, Business Wire, The Wrap, @akruglov, @pkafka, @pkafka, @pkafka, @melissa_repko, @drewfitzgerald, @stevekovach, @stevekovach, @jbflint, @edmundlee, @awallenstein, @davezatz, @dawnc331, @awallenstein, @zeitchikwapo, @edmundlee, @brianstelter, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Multichannel News, The Streamable, Broadcasting & Cable, New York Times and Ad Age
Hanaa' Tameez / Nieman Lab:
Boston.com, the free news site owned by The Boston Globe, launches Boston Helps, connecting people in need during the pandemic with those able to help — “We love our city and these are our neighbors. It's a difficult time and if we can make a difference, we will."
Discussion:
@linda_pizzuti, @kimfox, @niemanlab, @htameez and @mikeorren
Jon Lafayette / Broadcasting & Cable:
Acorn TV, AMC's streaming service with UK content, to launch in the UK on April 29 with a 30-day free trial, after which it will cost £4.99/month or £49.99/year — Bringing British TV to Britain for £4.99 per month — AMC Networks said it is launching Acorn TV …
Discussion:
Variety
Emily Birnbaum / Protocol:
Democratic groups that run political ads say Google's ban on most COVID-19-related ads favors the sitting president; Google says it may reassess in a few months — As coronavirus spread around the world in February, Google decided to ban most nongovernmental advertising about the outbreak …
Discussion:
Techdirt