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Apple acquires the film CODA at the 2021 virtual Sundance for a record-breaking $25M, above the $22.5M that Palm Springs received last year from Hulu — EXCLUSIVE: In the first big deal of the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival, Apple has landed worldwide rights to CODA, for a number just north of $25 million.
Discussion:
Variety, Business Insider, The Daily Beast, Engadget, @shoshannah7, @kylebuchanan, @erickweber, AppleInsider, The Wrap and IndieWire


Rick Davis, a CNN staffer since its launch 40 years ago and now executive vice president of news standards and practices, retires Jan. 31 — New York (CNN Business)The longest-serving executive in the history of cable news is retiring, and CNN will never be the same. — Around the network he is known simply as Rick.


A look at Bilibili, the “YouTube for China”, as it balances competition and cooperation with Alibaba and Tencent, both of which invested in the video platform — “Should Bilibili keep expanding and become a larger player, their relationship with Tencent will surely deteriorate.”


CPJ finds that police across Russia assaulted at least 8 journalists and detained at least 49 journalists who were covering pro-Navalny protests on January 23 — Russian authorities should allow journalists to cover protests freely and without fear, and refrain from attacking or detaining members …


WWE's deal with Peacock is a sign that streaming will start to bundle like cable TV, as smaller services unable to grow audiences will sell to larger ones — - Analysts predict streaming market will consolidate like cable — Online network gives up solo effort to work with NBCUniversal
Discussion:
@blackamazon, @itswilltime, @davidbix, @davemeltzerwon, @wrestlenomics, @gerryfsmith, @gerryfsmith and @lucas_shaw


Marty Baron earned respect in WaPo's newsroom, but events in the past year showed a need to nurture new voices that differ from the white DC media establishment — After eight years leading the Washington Post—the capstone on a nearly half-century career in journalism—Marty Baron announced this week that he will soon be retiring.
Discussion:
@alexaborchardt, @hamiltonnolan, @abdallah_fayyad, @wesleylowery, @mathewi, @jayrosen_nyu, @carloslozadawp, @benharder, wan-ifra.org and @jayrosen_nyu

The Alliance for Audited Media launches an audit program for digital publishers to combat ad fraud, free to AAM clients through 2021 — The Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) has launched a third-party audit program for digital publishers in an effort to combat ad fraud and reassure media buyers that domains are legitimate.


Verizon's media unit, which owns TechCrunch and Engadget, plans personalization features linked to Yahoo Mail, starting on sites like Yahoo News and Finance — - Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan tells Insider the unit is preparing a “mega” product launch in the coming weeks.
Discussion:
@sarthakgh, @carnage4life, @caseynewton, @reckless, @hkanji, @jason_kint, @kidkotok, @digitalshields, @richlightshed and @larakiara, more at Techmeme »


Pennsylvania public radio station WITF says stories about lawmakers who supported the effort to overthrow the election will systematically identify them as such — - Scott Blanchard/StateImpact Pennsylvania — In the weeks leading up to the 2020 election, WITF's journalists worked …


Internal memo: CBS has hired a law firm to conduct external investigations into recent allegations of racist and misogynist behavior by two senior executives — CBS has set in motion “an external investigation” into allegations of racist and misogynist behavior by senior executives at its local-TV unit …
Discussion:
contextisking.com, @bristei, Los Angeles Times and The Wrap


Sources: Vivendi's Universal Music is looking to go public this year instead of in 2022; the label has been approached about going public via merger with a SPAC — World's largest record label seeks to capitalise on frothy stock market — Universal Music, the world's largest record label …
Discussion:
@annaknicolaou and @annaknicolaou


HD Media, owner of the Charleston-Gazette Mail and other WV papers, has sued Google and Facebook, saying they conspired to further their digital ads dominance — West Virginia-based HD Media has filed a lawsuit against Google and Facebook, saying the two archrivals “conspired to further …
Discussion:
Editor and Publisher