Top News:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
BuzzFeed reaches a deal to sell Hot Ones owner First We Feast for $82.5M in cash to a consortium of investors led by an affiliate of Soros Fund Management — The sale, to a group that includes the show's host, Sean Evans, and Soros Fund Management, will allow BuzzFeed to pay down tens of millions of dollars in debt.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Business Insider, Forbes, Nicholas Schonberger on LinkedIn, Bloomberg, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Information, @benmullin, @jusaire, @pkafka, @ernie.tedium.co, @katienotopoulos.bsky.social, @pkafka, @maxwelltani, @pkafka@threads.net, @lanceulanoff, @sizpatel and @katienotopoulos.bsky.social
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Todd Spangler / Variety:
BuzzFeed says selling First We Feast will cut its outstanding debt by $89M to $30M and let it operate with a cash balance larger than its total outstanding debt — “Hot Ones” is going solo. — BuzzFeed announced a deal to sell First We Feast, the studio behind the popular YouTube chicken …
Discussion:
Reuters, NBC News, BuzzFeed, Inc., Benzinga, Just Jared, Rich Antoniello on LinkedIn and The Verge
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Warner Bros. Discovery announces a restructuring to create two separate units: one for linear TV networks and one for production studios and streaming platforms — The maneuver was unveiled just days after Comcast said it planned to spin off the bulk of its NBCUniversal cable networks …
Discussion:
Business Insider, Warner Bros. Discovery, Reuters, The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, Cord Cutters News, Yahoo Finance, Broadband TV News, @asharma, CNBC, The Information, Bloomberg, @bristei, @bristei, @mediaevan.bsky.social, @tvgrimreaper, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, The Verge, WORLD SCREEN, Barron's Online and The Hollywood Reporter
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Brian Stelter / CNN:
Warner Bros. Discovery's shares jump 13%+ after the company announced a restructuring that is expected to take effect by mid-2025 — Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's corporate parent, announced Thursday, it is establishing a new corporate structure that splits its cable networks off from its growing streaming business.
Discussion:
Adweek, @mediaevan and @lucas_shaw
Costas Pitas / Reuters:
Donald Trump picks former news anchor and hardline Republican Kari Lake to be the director of US government-funded media outlet Voice of America — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was picking Kari Lake, a former news anchor and a hardline Republican who failed to win …
Discussion:
CNN, New York Times, Adweek, USA Today, RedState, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, The American Spectator, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, Alternet.org, Politico, Townhall, Washington Post, Associated Press, @aidnmclaughlin, @yashar, @nicksortor, @usa_polling, @damintoell, @andrewfeinberg, @libbeydean_, Al Jazeera, @admcrlsn, Breitbart, The Hill, @farhip, @samstein, Raw Story, UPI, Twitchy, Arizona Mirror, Roll Call, Fox News, Mediaite, @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social, @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social, @dangillmor.mastodon …, Crooks and Liars, The Independent, New York Post, NBC News, The Desk, @matthewkeys.net, Daily Mail, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, @bubbaprog.lol, @davidakaye.bsky.social, @helenkennedy.bsky.social, @olgalautman.bsky.social, @samlitzinger.bsky.social, @dandrezner.bsky.social, @kerravon.bsky.social, @joshtpm.bsky.social, Axios, Bloomberg, WTTG-TV, Washington Examiner, Deadline, HuffPost, Daily Kos, Washington Times and ABC News
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Jessica Toonkel / Wall Street Journal:
Current and former Netflix staff say the company has walked back its parental-leave benefits, after shifting its focus from subscriber growth to profitability — Employees worry the pullback and other new restrictions mean the entertainment giant is losing the identity that fueled its success
The Guardian:
Guardian and Observer journalists hold a second 48-hour strike against The Observer sale to Tortoise Media; the Scott Trust has agreed to the sale in principle — Second two-day action follows news that the deal was agreed in principle last week by the Scott Trust
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Katie Robertson / New York Times:
The NYT Tech Guild and its 600+ members reach a tentative deal with management on a contract enhancing job security, setting flexible hybrid schedules, and more — The union, which represents some 600 tech workers at the publication, had been negotiating for a contract for more than two years.
Nic Fildes / Financial Times:
Australia plans a levy on tech companies like Meta with $250M+ in local revenue to force them to pay publishers for journalism, after Meta quit the prior deal — Move is designed to close loophole after Meta walked away from existing deal to use media content
Discussion:
New York Post, Engadget, Sydney Morning Herald, TechCrunch, @jason_kint, B&T, Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Register, Australian Financial Review, Raw Story, BBC, Business News Australia, 9News, The Guardian, Reuters, Mumbrella, Australian Business Journal, @ketanjoshi.co, @asherwolf.bsky.social, Dave Earley on LinkedIn and Crikey, more at Techmeme »
Nilay Patel / The Verge:
YouTube removed the ability to click video titles in YouTube Player for Publishers; outlets lose ad revenue by using the standard player to link to YouTube — For about a year, I've gotten notes from readers asking why our YouTube embeds are broken in one very specific way …
Discussion:
@ianbetteridge.com and @reckless.bsky.social
Julia Jacobs / New York Times:
The NLRB issues a complaint against Netflix's Love Is Blind and classifies its contestants as employees, a case that could have ripple effects across reality TV — The National Labor Relations Board's case against the Netflix hit could have ripple effects across the reality TV industry.
Discussion:
Quartz, Axios, Deadline, @poniewozik.bsky.social, AV Club, The Wrap, @noamscheiber.bsky.social and Media Play News, more at Techmeme »
Matt Yoder / Awful Announcing:
YouTube tells customers that the monthly price for YouTube TV's base plan will jump from $73 to $83 in January 2025, after raising it from $65 to $73 in 2023 — Streaming services became a popular alternative to cable and satellite television because they were available for far cheaper with consumer-friendly options.
Discussion:
The Hill, Variety, Sportico, TVLine, The Wrap, The Streamable, Engadget, Deadline, KCTV, The Information, Front Office Sports, The Hollywood Reporter, BGR, The Verge, Google Help Center, Media Play News, Cord Cutters News, Ars Technica, CNET, masslive.com, @maxwelltani, Digital Trends, @mgsiegler@threads.net, @chriswelch@threads.net, 9to5Google, Streaming Better, @tvanswerman, @bigseanq_, @tvgrimreaper, @mikejanela, @gimmetheludt, @tvgrimreaper, @jd60pe5, @rheidrick24, @austin_rief, @justafamilyman_, Droid Life, Consequence, BetaNews and @joepompliano, more at Techmeme »
Ken Klippenstein:
Slack messages: NYT editors tell reporters to “dial back” on using photos of alleged UnitedHealth gunman Luigi Mangione and to avoid publishing his “manifesto” — Times management directs staff to “dial back” Luigi Mangione headshots
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