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Disney plans to acquire NBCU's 33% stake in Hulu, gaining full ownership, and expects to pay ~$8.61B, representing NBCU's share of a $27.5B guaranteed floor — The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) announced today that it will acquire the 33% stake in Hulu, LLC held by Comcast Corp.'s (NASDAQ …
Discussion:
The Desk, The Verge, Engadget, Financial Times, Broadband TV News, Axios, CNBC, @lucas_shaw, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, @s_burke97, New York Times, Deadline, @tvgrimreaper, @tim_bays, @tvgrimreaper, @tim_bays, Radio & Television …, @gamoid, CNN, Media Play News, @tvgrimreaper, Adweek, The A.V. Club, @dylanbyers, Variety, @dylanbyers, Next TV, The Hill, Advanced Television, WORLD SCREEN and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »


Filing: text messages show HBO executives used fake Twitter accounts to troll TV critics and comment on trade publication stories from June 2020 to April 2021 — Casey Bloys ordered staffers to create fake accounts to fire back at critics, according to text conversations reviewed by Rolling Stone as part of a new lawsuit
Discussion:
@shannonpareil@threads.net, @paultassi, Forbes, @bigmeaninternet, @taylorlorenz@threads.net, @taylorlorenz@mastodon.social, @nina_metz, The Ankler, @film_girl, @tvgrimreaper, @ddavidrenshaw, @moryan, @marlownyc, @arictoler, The Hollywood Reporter, @annevclark, @cheyenneisround, @marlownyc, @mattzeitlin, @kvanaren, @alissamarie, The Wrap, @mattblaze@federate.social, Eric Deggans on LinkedIn, @pkafka, @teroterotero, Consequence, @emmajanepettit, @aulia@octodon.social, @dlberes, @kenlowery, Vanity Fair, Gizmodo, Winter is Coming, @moryan.bsky.social, @Nickiquote@mstdn.social, IndieWire, @alexwild@mastodon.online, The A.V. Club, Screen Rant and Boing Boing


The EDPB instructs the Irish DPC to ban Meta's use of personal data for behavioral ads across the EU member states and EEA countries within two weeks — An unprecedented shakeup in the advertising technology space has arrived in Europe. Changes are coming to adtech's approach to privacy …
Discussion:
edpb.europa.eu, @eric_seufert, Mobile Dev Memo, @privacymatters, Independent.ie, Bloomberg, Reuters, MediaPost, Wired and CNN, more at Techmeme »


David Mitchell, former editor and co-publisher of a tiny newspaper that exposed the Synanon cult and won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, dies at 79 — His tiny California newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for its exposé of Synanon, a renowned drug rehabilitation program that had turned into a violent operation.
Discussion:
@obits@gratefuldread …, @paleofuture.bsky.social and @pgourevitch


Salem Media partners with Just The News to add podcasts by John Solomon, Victor Davis Hanson, and Bauer and Rose to the Salem Podcast Network — Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM) announced today a new partnership between the Salem Podcast Network and Just The News to place the podcasts of John Solomon …
Discussion:
Inside Radio and RADIO ONLINE


An interview with The Economist Director of Podcasts John Prideaux on putting all the outlet's podcasts behind its paywall, except its biggest, The Intelligence — The Economist's biggest podcast, The Intelligence, will be the only one remaining outside the paywall.


CPJ's Global Impunity Index: 261 journalists were murdered in retaliation for their work over the past decade; Haiti becomes the third-worst impunity offender — The persistent lack of justice for murdered reporters is a major threat to press freedom. Ten years after the United Nations declared …
Discussion:
WAN-IFRA, LatAm Journalism Review, @pressfreedom, FTVLive, Global Investigative … and Voice of America


Sinclair reports Q3 revenue down 9% YoY to $767M and a net loss of $46M, reflecting the deconsolidation of the sports segment that held regional sports networks — Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday afternoon reported that its third quarter total revenue decreased 9% to $767 million versus $843 million in the prior year period.
Discussion:
Sinclair, Inc


A critical look at the SEO industry, as users complain that Google isn't as useful anymore and some SEO experts say it's now harder to game Google's algorithm — As the public begins to believe Google isn't as useful anymore, what happens to the cottage industry of search engine optimization experts …
Discussion:
@soupsoup@threads.net, @wexler, @teamamittiwari, @lilyraynyc, @reckless1280@threads.net, @mariyadelano@threads.net, @raymartinezseo, @geekinchief, @lilyraynyc, Pedro Dias on LinkedIn, @debramastaler, @aleyda, @rustybrick@threads.net, @duaneforrester, @kevin_indig, @cyrusshepard, @rustybrick, The Verge, I Love SEO, @reckless1280@threads.net, @aleyda, @dannysullivan, @miasato.2@threads.net, @dr_pete, Duane Forrester on LinkedIn, @lilyraynyc, @mariyadelano@threads.net, @reckless1280@threads.net, Danny Sullivan, @jane_seidel, Search Engine Land, Molly Willis on LinkedIn, @dismantl@infosec.exchange, @metacurity@infosec.exchange, @WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social, @ryne@androiddev.social and ROI Revolution, more at Techmeme »


Memo: Daily Beast CEO Heather Dietrick is leaving to become chief media officer of Outside Inc., overseeing operations and 150+ staffers, at the end of 2023 — Dietrick has been hired as chief media officer at Outside Interactive, whose 13 editorial brands include Outside Magazine, Backpacker …
Discussion:
The Wrap and The Daily Beast


Apple quietly discontinued Apple Music's $4.99/month Voice Plan, which was introduced in 2021 and let users access the Apple Music catalog exclusively via Siri — Apple this week held a special event to announce new Macs, but what the company didn't tell is that it has just quietly discontinued the …
Discussion:
Apple Support, Engadget, MacRumors, The Verge and TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »


Roku reports Q3 revenue up 20% YoY to $912M, vs. $853.2M est., net loss up 170% YoY to $330M, and forecasts a “similar” YoY ad growth for Q4; ROKU jumps 15%+ — Roku shares rose after the streaming-platform company beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter of 2023 on the top line.
Discussion:
MediaPost, Roku Inc., CNBC, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters and Mobile Dev Memo, more at Techmeme »