Mediagazer: Roku has removed YouTube TV from its channel store after Roku and Google failed to come to a distribution agreement; existing users will continue to have access (Chris Welch/The Verge)

3:40 PM ET, April 30, 2021

Top News:

EU charges Apple with antitrust violations, alleging it squeezed rival music streaming apps by requiring them to use Apple's in-app payments system — EU accuses Apple of forcing many apps to use its in-app payment system on which it takes commissions, saying it ‘distorted competition’ in music streaming

Chris Welch / The Verge:

Roku has removed YouTube TV from its channel store after Roku and Google failed to come to a distribution agreement; existing users will continue to have access — If you've already got the app, be careful not to delete it — Roku has pulled YouTube TV from its channel store.

David Pierce / Protocol:

ByteDance announces that its CFO Shouzi Chew will now also become the CEO of TikTok; TikTok's interim CEO Vanessa Pappas will be TikTok's COO — Shouzi Chew, the CFO of ByteDance, got a new job title on Friday: CEO of TikTok. Vanessa Pappas, who's been running the company …

Discussion: The Wrap, Adweek, Variety, Daily Herald, @loudmouthjulia, @pierce and Los Angeles Times, more at Techmeme »

TikTok:

TikTok Names CEO and COO — ByteDance CFO Shouzi Chew named TikTok CEO in dual role — Singapore and Los Angeles - TikTok today named a new CEO and COO, in a strategic reorganization to optimize TikTok's global teams and support the company's unprecedented growth.

Discussion: TechCrunch, Ad Age, Tubefilter, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Engadget

Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:

Source: Stewart Bainum offers to double his stake to $200M in a bid for Tribune and would tap $100M in debt financing; he seeks a partner to buy Chicago paper — - Stewart Bainum offers to include $200 million of his own money — Bid partner Hansjoerg Wyss dropped out of an earlier proposal

Discussion: New York Times, @davidfolkenflik, @jenwsheehan, @missryley, @davidfolkenflik, @harrysiegel, @ndhapple, @hopnotes, @jayrosen_nyu, @zoegalland, @stevenkjohnson, @froomkin, @royalpratt, @agrimm34, @lat_iliana and @jkbjournalist

Julie Reynolds / DFM Workers:
Alden has said it will pay $375M to buy remaining Tribune shares, but its financial issues indicate it may force Tribune to take on debt to finance the purchase

Discussion: @darrendcarroll, @lillianereed, @theoreticalb, @darrendcarroll, @ctguild, @mcallguild and @darrendcarroll

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Nine ViacomCBS networks, including Comedy Central and MTV, are now available on Hulu + Live TV, four years after Hulu launched the service — Starting Friday (April 30), nine ViacomCBS networks will be available on Hulu + Live TV: Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., VH1, CMT, MTV, TV Land and Paramount Network.

Discussion: The Streamable, The Desk, TV Technology, Engadget, Cord Cutters News and Media Play News

Iris Chyi:

Study on COVID-19's impact on 20 US newspapers: digital subscriptions grew 64% between 2019 and Q3'20, print fell 21%, and the median digital sub was $181/year — What happens When Digital Transformation Finally Works — A persistent problem facing U.S. newspapers is users' lukewarm response to their digital offerings.

Discussion: @dw_grant and @mikelizun

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Jeff Bezos says Prime Video streaming hours are up over 70% YoY, with more than 175M Prime members having streamed TV shows and movies in the past year — Amazon knocked the cover off the ball again in the first quarter of 2021 — and released a new data point: More than 175 million Prime members …

Discussion: MediaPost, Hollywood Reporter, IGN India, Amazon Inc., Ad Age, Broadband TV News, MediaNama, CNBC, @ukonwaojo, @xpangler, ZDNet, Deadline, IndieWire, The Verge, The Streamable, Fast Company and The Wrap, more at Techmeme »

Megan Graham / CNBC:
Amazon says its “other” unit, comprised mostly of advertising, had Q1 revenue of $6.9B+, up 77% YoY, beating expectations and up from 44% YoY growth in Q1 2020

Discussion: @nolanantonucci and AdExchanger

Amanda Meade / The Guardian:

In Australia, 20+ News Corp regional newspaper sites have been merged with city papers, putting local papers' content behind a paywall on the metro paper's site — Local websites absorbed by the Daily Telegraph and Courier-Mail in what it calls ‘world-class, hyperlocal news technology’

Discussion: @manjusrii, @pilhofer, @mrkrudd, @awelder, @davispg and @wheatwatcher

Max Seddon / Financial Times:

Russia designating Meduza as a foreign agent may spell the end of independent journalism in the country; its editor says new restrictions may force it to close — Independent news site designated ‘foreign agent’ as Russian government puts pressure on journalists

Discussion: @stewartmcdonald, @risj_oxford, @raju, @maxseddon, @meduza_en, @alexey__kovalev, @polinaivanovva and @meduza_en

The Intercept:

The Intercept says it stands behind reporter Mara Hvistendahl and her reporting on Oracle's ties with China, and condemns “bullying” by Oracle EVP Ken Glueck — Editor's Note: In response to The Intercept's recent coverage of Oracle, the company's executive vice president …

Discussion: @tracyweber, @kimzetter, @marahvistendahl, @eisingerj, @marahvistendahl, @marahvistendahl, @marahvistendahl, @craigcalcaterra, @marahvistendahl, @aaschapiro, @mdraznin, @marahvistendahl and @pathedger18

Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:

WWD reporter Kali Hays was let go, sources say because she refused to delete a document where staff discussed newsroom issues, including lack of diversity — Already depressed morale at “fashion bible” WWD hit a new low when a reporter behind a forum letting staffers vent their grievances …

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More News:

Bloomberg:
Endeavor, owner of UFC and WME, rose 5% in its trading debut after raising $511M in its IPO; shares opened at $24 and closed at $25.20

Discussion: @crystalttc, Variety, Los Angeles Times, @heidi_chung, Fast Company, Business Wire, MMA Fighting, The Wrap, New York Post, Insider and Deadline

Ina Fried / Axios:
Coalition of groups including Pen America, EFF, and more call on Biden to form a task force to combat deliberate disinformation without limiting free expression

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Reuters:
Sources: Forbes Media, bought by Integrated Whale Media in 2014, is in talks to go public via merger with a SPAC; it also is taking bids from private investors

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Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Allen Media has agreed to buy seven TV stations from Gray TV for $380M in cash; Gray is selling the stations as a condition of acquiring Quincy Media's assets

Discussion: KSNB, Los Angeles Times and Deadline

Earlier Picks:

@usatoday_pr:
[Thread] In a letter, Gannett disputes specific wage and demographic data shared by the NewsGuild after a study of 14 unionized Gannett newsrooms

Thomas Moore / The Hill:
Survey of 1,762 non-satellite TV stations: 20.5% of TV newsroom leaders said staff had been physically attacked in 2020; 39% in top-25 markets reported attacks

Discussion: @sduncovered, @rtdna, @timjeby, @geoffwsyx6, @syracuseunews, @tednesi, @renokimburrows, @murrownyc, @econhardship, Poynter, RTDNA Recent Articles, TVSpy and TV Technology

Sheila Dang / Reuters:
Facebook says it is giving $5M to support local journalists using its new newsletter service; candidates covering communities of color will be given priority

From Techmeme:

Raffaele Huang / Wall Street Journal:
Apple removes WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, and Telegram from its App Store in China, after orders from the country's regulators citing national security concerns

Ryan Morrison / Tom's Guide:
Microsoft researchers introduce VASA-1, an AI model that can create a realistic talking face video from a portrait photo and an audio file, in research preview

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
Sources: EU may accept Apple's proposal to open its NFC payments tech to rivals, and may close its antitrust probe in May, letting Apple avoid hefty fines

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