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Biden team is planning a 90-minute celebrity TV special for inauguration night, to be broadcast on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC but not Fox — In lieu of an inaugural ball, the virtual event will celebrate “American heroes” who have served on the frontlines during the pandemic.

While media fell dismayingly short in myriad ways in the last four years, it has managed to do its job despite Trump's branding it as “the enemy of the people” — One way or another, Donald Trump will soon be gone from the White House. And that, to quote Prince Hamlet, is “a consummation devoutly to be wished.”
Discussion:
@sulliview, @mattgertz, @susanmcp1, @4lisaguerrero, @kat__stafford, @asteadwesley, @ericboehlert, @moorehn, @sulliview, @mollyjongfast and @timobrien

Internal email: Google has informed its ad partners that it will block all political ads on all its platforms from January 14 — Google informed its advertising partners Wednesday that beginning Jan. 14, its platforms will block all political ads, as well as any related to the Capitol insurrection …
Discussion:
Reuters, Business Insider, @andysternberg, @ghoshd7, @arawnsley, CNBC, Engadget, New York Post and @sarafischer, more at Techmeme »

Jeff Zucker tells employees that CNN Airport Network will shut down on March 31; he blames the rise in mobile video and declines in air passenger traffic — CNN Airport Network — the service that beamed the cable news channel's content into terminal waiting areas throughout the country — is shutting down on Mar. 31.

Amazon launches a mobile-only Prime Video plan in India starting at Rs. 89, or ~$1.30, per month — Amazon is doubling down on one of the biggest strengths of Prime Video streaming service: Aggressive pricing. — The e-commerce giant on Wednesday launched Prime Video Mobile Edition …
Discussion:
The Streamable, Cord Cutters News, XDA Developers, Variety, The Economic Times and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

One week later, Fox News is yet to acknowledge how the incendiary rhetoric from its shows and stars may have helped inspire the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol — Among some prominent Republicans, inside social media companies and in other major institutions throughout society …

A look at potential damage from a successful Alden Global Capital bid for Tribune Publishing, and how civic-minded local investors could offer alternatives — Largely lost in the extraordinary national news of the new year is a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that could have an outsized impact on local news.
Discussion:
@ckrewson, @region_rant, @imleor, @emilybell, @chinewsguild, @tzmorsy, @cforman, @lalpert1, @rumormill, @cjr, @kenherts, @therealjimrich, @chinewsguild, @courantguild, @mcallguild and @lenfestinst

YouTube says it has taken down newly posted videos from Trump for violating its policies against inciting violence and bans new uploads for a week — YouTube said Tuesday that it has taken down newly posted video content from President Trump for violating its policies against inciting violence.

A look at Spotify's push into podcasting as it seeks profitability: ~2M podcasts are available, up from 2,500 in 2017, and 20% of its users listen to podcasts — When Spotify went public in April 2018, Daniel Ek had been struggling with this question for more than a decade: How would the company make money?
Discussion:
@nicktheandersen, @juliastmi, @abbieruzicka and @lucas_shaw

Nonprofit education news outlet Chalkbeat plans to expand its pop-up newsroom Votebeat to cover voting at the local level through the 2022 midterm elections — Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization that covers education at the local level, plans to expand its pop-up newsroom, called Votebeat …

CTA: total spending on streaming services and game software projected to reach a record $112B in 2021, up 11% YoY but less than the 31% growth in 2020 over 2019 — As the virtual CES began, the Consumer Technology Association released its 2021 forecast, projecting $461 billion in overall tech revenue.
Discussion:
The Playlist and nexttv.com

Google admits it is running “experiments”, each reaching about 1% of search users in Australia, which remove some media sites from its search results — The tech giant says it is ‘running a few experiments that will each reach about 1% of Google Search users in Australia’
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Australian Financial Review, @patrickkeneally, @lenoretaylor, @911corlebra777 and The Keyword

In reply to a group of public radio stations who aired Caliphate, the NYT acknowledged errors in how it rolled out the retraction of key episodes of the podcast — On Tuesday, the New York Times acknowledged errors in how it rolled out the retraction of key episodes in its 2018 “Caliphate” podcast series.
Discussion:
Fox News, @perlberg, @wajahatali, @paigepfleger, @pwthornton, @ajmacadam, @jeremymbarr, @erikwemple and @erikwemple
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David Folkenflik / NPR:
Public radio stations have sent a protest to NYT after the collapse of Caliphate, citing Michael Barbaro's behavior and presence of Andy Mills
Public radio stations have sent a protest to NYT after the collapse of Caliphate, citing Michael Barbaro's behavior and presence of Andy Mills
Discussion:
CNN, @kerrymflynn, @erikwemple, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, The New York Times Company, Poynter, Columbia Journalism Review, @weinbergrrrrr, @mcguffindavid, @annamerlan, New York Post, @nicktheandersen, @nwquah, @mc_of_a, @nhpr, @oberandout, @jolentag, @diaahadid, @raju, New York Times, @chsommers, @tylerkingkade, @elizabeth_calo, @erikwemple, @ashleyfeinberg, @davidfolkenflik, @paigepfleger, @loisbeckett, @davidfolkenflik, @willmenaker, @seejanemarie, @bgrueskin, @erikwemple, @davidfolkenflik, @mattlargey, @elizabeth_calo, @davidfolkenflik, @eliztrovall, Mediaite and @erikwemple