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A bill strengthening powers of the CMA, UK's competition watchdog, heads toward approval; the CMA could compel tech giants to pay for news on their platforms — The UK has paved the way for Australia-style payments to news publishers from tech giants as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill was passed by Parliament.
Discussion:
TechCrunch

News Corp and OpenAI announce a multiyear agreement to bring News Corp's news content to OpenAI; sources say the deal could be worth $250M+ over five years — Agreement could generate over $250 million over five years for News Corp in cash and credits — Wall Street Journal owner News Corp struck …
Discussion:
News Corp, New York Times, Breitbart, How Things Work, The Information, Conor Grennan on LinkedIn, Music Ally, City A.M., Press Gazette, @iape1096, Columbia Journalism Review, @emilybell, The Register, Luke Sikkema on LinkedIn, Ricky Sutton on LinkedIn, Digital Trends, @marlownyc, The Verge, VentureBeat, The Wrap, Nicholas Gray on LinkedIn, Washington Post, @benny6toes.bsky.social, Artem Fishman on LinkedIn, Variety, Axios, Sydney Morning Herald, @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social, Benzinga, The Hollywood Reporter, MediaPost and Talking Biz News, more at Techmeme »

The DOJ and 30 state AGs sue Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation to break it up, alleging “anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control” — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.
Discussion:
Live Nation Entertainment, The Verge, Variety, TechCrunch, CNN, Reuters, Fast Company, UPI, Benzinga, NPR, masslive.com, Rolling Stone, CMU, Politico, Vibe, UPROXX, The US Sun, Washington Post, KSDK-TV, Wired, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, @eriqgardner, Music Business Worldwide, Fortune, Consequence, DC News Now, Los Angeles Times, @tracyalloway and CBS News, more at Techmeme »

WaPo CEO Will Lewis outlines plans for Post Pro and Post Plus subscriptions, and “flexible payments” to let readers make a one-time payment for reading a story — On Wednesday, Will Lewis, the newly minted publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post …
Discussion:
@sarafischer and @oliverdarcy@threads.net
RELATED:
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
[Thread] In a meeting, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis told staff that the paper lost $77M over the past year, and saw a 50% drop off in audience since 2020
[Thread] In a meeting, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis told staff that the paper lost $77M over the past year, and saw a 50% drop off in audience since 2020
Discussion:
Poynter, @loudmouthjulia, @devinmccueemery, Digiday, @maxwelltani, @maxwelltani, Washington Post, @wilson__valdez, @mcoatney, @macktubs, @darrylmason, @scarylawyerguy, @reubenr80027912, @froomkin, @jaycockburn, @maxwelltani, @maxwelltani, @justicar.xyz, @alttag.bsky.social, @worknowitzki.bsky.social, @cocktailhag.bsky.social, @natalieweiner.bsky.social, @missingthept.bsky.social, @jonastraxler.bsky.social, @dextrosity.bsky.social, @thatweissguy.bsky.social, @charles.littlegreenfootballs …, @atherton.bsky.social, @atherton.bsky.social, @benharris1.bsky.social, @cfaller96.bsky.social, @estarianne.bsky.social, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @hammancheez.bsky.social, @markshatraw.bsky.social, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @tcarmody.bsky.social, @erinannmcc.bsky.social, @852dude.bsky.social, @karlbode.bsky.social, @socio-steve.bsky.social, @eleanorofs.bsky.social, @nslayton.bsky.social, @andrewsshi.bsky.social and @vortexegg.regretfully.online

TikTok bars videos from state-media accounts from users' main feeds outside their home country and won't allow them to advertise outside their home countries — The platform will keep state-affiliated media accounts out of users' feeds if they “attempt to reach communities outside …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Bloomberg and TikTok, more at Techmeme »

Boston-based public media outlet GBH announced layoffs of 31 staff members, or 4% of its workforce, with roughly 10% of its news staff among those laid off — GBH announced layoffs of 31 staff members on Wednesday, representing 4% of its overall workforce.
Discussion:
Media Nation, The Boston Globe, @nikdecostaklipa, @brianstorms@mastodon.social and Current

Michael Schumacher's family wins its legal case against German tabloid Die Aktuelle that published an AI-generated interview with Schumacher in April 2023 — - Die Aktuelle promoted 2023 piece that ‘sounds deceptively real’ — Publisher had sacked editor and apologised to F1 great's family
Discussion:
Decrypt, The US Sun, RTÉ and GB News

Linus Tech Tips, accused in August 2023 of theft, ethical lapses, and sexual harassment, says an outside investigation found the claims were “largely unfounded” — Linus Tech Tips has released the findings from an investigation of the allegations levied upon them in 2023 …
Discussion:
@linustech and Benzinga, more at Techmeme »

Sources: News Corp's Rebekah Brooks and Robert Thomson joined Lachlan Murdoch in Sydney for meetings ahead of a major restructuring announcement next week — Staff brace for significant cuts as media giant prepares to make moves to counter decline of print and slow advertising market
Discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald, @onyadon, @mikecarlton01, @pressgazette and Dave Earley on LinkedIn

Sources: revenue for watch enthusiast website Hodinkee fell to ~$70M in 2023 from ~$100M in 2021, amid accusations of mismanagement as the watch market crashed — The website Hodinkee reinvented watch culture, giving luxury timepieces the same air as a pair of rare Nikes.
Discussion:
@aforjaz@threads.net, @wsj, @simondowens@threads.net and Benjamin Clymer on LinkedIn

Big Lou Media has sold The Riverfront Times, an alt weekly in St. Louis, Mo, to an undisclosed buyer, and the entire writing and editing staff has been laid off — The Riverfront Times, St. Louis' alt-weekly newspaper, is no more, at least in its current state.

Sources: Sundance is weighing proposals from 15 locations to move the festival in 2027; a decision is expected internally around the end of September — EXCLUSIVE: The Sundance Film Festival is looking South for a potential new home, as well as in its backyard.