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USAGM has hired Frank Wuco, a former talk radio host who has called Obama a Kenyan and Nancy Pelosi a Botox-using Nazi, among other incendiary statements — The U.S. Agency for Global Media has hired Frank Wuco, a controversial former talk radio host who once called President Barack Obama …
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@muslimadvocates, @mmasnick, @alanmillernlp, @dlippman, Gizmodo, @schwartzbcnbc, @dlippman, @awarriorscholar, @gavinsblog, @ambdana, @media_evan, The Guardian and Politico
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USAGM removed seven top execs on Wednesday after suspending their security clearances, citing security concerns over hiring of foreign workers — Members of Congress on Thursday condemned a leadership purge at the parent agency of Voice of America, escalating criticism that a new chief executive appointed …
Discussion:
@karenkornbluh and @vivian


Warner Music acquires IMGN, which creates and tracks viral social media content in categories like e-sports, gaming, and ASMR, source says for just under $100M — It's a whole new playing field these days for music labels and publishers, and today one of the big three made an acquisition …


W magazine will now be called W Media after being sold to Bustle Media Group and investors including film and TV producer Jason Blum — The movie and television producer Jason Blum, the racecar driver Lewis Hamilton and the model Kaia Gerber will also be investors.
Discussion:
@eiffeltyler and @kerrymflynn


Sources at publications partnering with Apple News+ say Apple did not tell them about changes that force News+ users into its app instead of to publisher sites — Publishers have long fumed that platforms such as Google and Amazon tie their services and products together in ways that are anti-competitive.
Discussion:
@arctictony, @arctictony, Press Gazette, @arctictony, @nevadapress, @maxwillens, @digiday, @arctictony, @arctictony, @larakiara, @larakiara and AppleInsider


More than 2,000 jobs at UK-based news organizations have been cut during the COVID-19 crisis so far, with a large proportion of editorial staff affected — More than 2,000 jobs at UK-based news organisations have been put at risk during the Covid-19 crisis so far, with more expected to follow.


As ViacomCBS expands CBS All Access with programming from Viacom and Paramount, it is considering rebranding the streaming service to Paramount+ — ‘Paramount+’ tops shortlist as battle with Disney moves centre stage in attempt to lift shares — ViacomCBS is considering a plan to rebrand …
Discussion:
The Streamable, @mattgarrahan, @sherman4949, @mgsiegler, @annaknicolaou and @tvmojoe


Facebook's employees and third-party fact-checkers say Facebook has sometimes overruled decisions on divisive content with little transparency — On May 8, Prager University, a nonprofit conservative media outlet, published a video on Facebook that incorrectly claimed “there is no evidence …
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@rmac18, @craigsilverman, @prageru, @slpng_giants and @taraemcg


Sources: Apple to start offering first video content bundle to TV+ subscribers, combining CBS All Access and Showtime for $9.99/mo, starting as early as Monday — - Subscribers will pay $9.99 for Showtime and CBS All Access — Apple also plans push into services bundles for key offerings
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MediaPost, MacRumors, Digital TV Europe, Variety, The Streamable, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, The Wrap, Vox, Gizmodo, VentureBeat, Decider, Cord Cutters News and Business Insider
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Sources: Apple to launch “Apple One”, tiered subscription bundles, which will include Music, TV+, News+, and a new virtual fitness service, as early as October
Discussion:
American Press Institute, Multichannel News, What's New in Publishing, @rajuv, Protocol, @genepark, @mgsiegler, @edemkumodzi, @film_girl, @gartenberg, @benbajarin, @lanceulanoff, @markgurman, @pkafka, @asymco, @ballmatthew, @arctictony, @alexhern, @somospostpc, @northmantrader, @kalltvatten, Music Business Worldwide, ScreenRant, ZDNet, The Streamable, The Verge, Fast Company and 9to5Mac, more at Techmeme »


UK court rules that Reach must pay damages of £49,000 to a school teacher following defamatory articles in The Sunday Mirror, Mirror Online, and Kent Live — A primary school teacher has been awarded damages of £49,000 over a series of articles published by three Reach titles.
Discussion:
bailii.org


How Nexta, with a small editorial team of four in Warsaw and no website, is using its Telegram channel with 1.5M subscribers to bypass news blackout in Belarus — For days Belarusians have had little information of the unrest filling their streets, with state-run TV making little attempt …


Facing saturation and stiff competition in the US, media giants including Fox News and ViacomCBS are planning to launch new streaming services internationally — Facing saturation and stiff competition in the U.S., media giants are planning to launch new streaming services internationally to accrue more subscribers.


Google's Ad Exchange is demonetizing pages that merely mention issues of race and LGBTQ rights, classifying them as “dangerous or derogatory content” — On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, the Atlantic decided to recirculate King's famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” …
Discussion:
@josh_levin, @michellemanafy, @slate, @jon_fischer and @hypervisible, more at Techmeme »