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Spotify reports Q4 revenue up 16% YoY to €4.2B, MAUs up 12% YoY to 675M, subscribers up 11% YoY to 263M, and €1.14B in 2024 net income, vs. a €532M loss in 2023 — Price increases, cost discipline help audio-streaming giant pivot from heavy spending on growth to sustained profits
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Reuters, Fast Company, Billboard, The Wrap, Music Ally, Seeking Alpha, Deadline, The Verge, The Independent, Spotify, @thetranscript_, @thetranscript_, @spotifynews, @eldsjal, Music Business Worldwide, Telecompaper, 9to5Mac, Bloomberg, Business Standard, RTÉ, Irish Independent, Yahoo Finance and Spotify Technology S.A., more at Techmeme »

Fox Corp reports Q2 revenue up 20% YoY to $5.08B, vs. $4.82B est., ad revenue up 21% to $2.4B, driven by political ads, sports, and news, and a $388M net income — The company posted earnings per share of 81 cents and revenue of $5.08 billion in its fiscal second quarter, which ended December 31.
Discussion:
The Wrap, TVNewsCheck, Variety, Reuters, Investing.com, Fox Corporation, The Hollywood Reporter and Associated Press

Nielsen and Paramount settle a monthslong contract dispute with a new agreement that covers both linear and streaming measurement across Paramount's portfolio — The new agreement covers both linear and streaming measurement across Paramount's portfolio. — Nielsen and Paramount have settled a months-long contract dispute.
Discussion:
AdExchanger, Next in Media, Benzinga, Axios, @whatsonpplus, Media Play News, @nielsen, TV Tech, Awful Announcing, Deadline, TVNewsCheck, @bradat, @mrschimpf, @kerrymflynn, Reuters, @jbflint, @bristei, The Wrap, MediaPost and Radio & Television …

Sources: Bill Owens, the head of 60 Minutes, told staff he would not apologize as part of any prospective settlement in a lawsuit brought by Trump against CBS — Bill Owens, the show's executive producer, addressed his staff as CBS's parent company, Paramount, pursues a legal settlement with the president.
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Memo: the Los Angeles Times is offering a voluntary buyout program to all employees who have worked at the paper for at least two years — In an email to staff shared with me, the LA Times says it's offering voluntary buyouts to all staff who have been there for more than two years. [image]
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@1amorey, @cmarinucci, @alexckaufman, @dilanesper, @genepark, @charlesornstein, @kateoharewrites, @blowryontv, @hearinladotcom, @byalexhalverson, @nicksologist, @tatecurtis, @davidfolkenflik, @bymeg, @esotouric, @lainaminute, @sahrasulaiman, @jonfranks, @karyncaplan, @saba_h, The Wrap and @mirandacgreen

In a letter to CBS Monday, Sony says it is taking over worldwide distribution of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on February 10; CBS plans a restraining order — In a letter to CBS Monday, Sony said it has assumed those duties for shows scheduled to start airing the week of Feb. 10.
Discussion:
Variety, Deadline, AV Club, Reuters, TVNewsCheck, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, Cord Cutters News, The Verge and One America News Network

Tegna lays off at least 18 journalists from its national fact-checking team at Verify and directs viewers to its local TV stations where Verify's work continues — Local television broadcaster TEGNA has laid off nearly two dozen journalists who worked on the company's national fact-checking team.
Discussion:
Mediaite, NewscastStudio, @qualityhammer@techhub.social, @thedesk.net and TVNewsCheck

Journalists Lachlan Cartwright and Ravi Somaiya launch Breaker Media, based out of New York City, with a $12-per-month weekly newsletter and podcast — The News — Two prominent New York journalists are launching a scoopy new media venture aimed at storming the city's interlocking scenes of media, culture, and power.
Discussion:
Sewell Chan on LinkedIn, @shantrs, @lachcartwright, @semaforben, Peter Rubin on LinkedIn, @lachcartwright and @ravisomaiya

Patrick Soon-Shiong, who called for a more tempered approach at LAT to covering politics, posted 18 times on X last week to boost RFK Jr.'s nomination — With trust in the news media at deep lows, Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is calling for a more tempered approach …

The Sun launches The Sun Club, a £1.99-per-month paywall for access to some premium online content, including columnists like Jeremy Clarkson, and other perks — The Sun has launched a limited paywall charging £1.99 per month for access to some premium online content.
Discussion:
The Guardian and The Sun

Facing the Trump administration's attacks, US public media should expand its public funding pool, focus on local content, and reduce its reliance on syndication — The system needs more stable funding, a greater emphasis on local content, and reduced reliance on private financing and syndicated programs.

How California newsrooms are fighting mass deportation rumors: developing toolkits, publishing resource guides, training readers in media literacy, and more — As rumored raids fuel anxiety about mass deportations, outlets are offering resources and debunking falsehoods