Mediagazer: Sources: WBD is preparing to tell its shareholders to reject Paramount's latest offer and plans to recommend they support the existing deal with Netflix (Wall Street Journal)

11:20 PM ET, December 16, 2025

Top News:

Sources: WBD is preparing to tell its shareholders to reject Paramount's latest offer and plans to recommend they support the existing deal with Netflix — Company to recommend existing Netflix deal as soon as Wednesday — Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to tell its shareholders …

Discussion: The Verge, Bloomberg, Awful Announcing, Cord Cutters News, The Hill, The Japan Times, CNBC, Media Play News, @michellef_davis, Financial Times and Benzinga

Bloomberg:

Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from Paramount's takeover bid for WBD, citing changed investment dynamics since it joined the bid in October — Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is exiting from the takeover battle for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

Charles Gasparino / New York Post:

Source: Paramount has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30/share, all-cash bid for WBD — Paramount Skydance has no immediate plans to sweeten its $30-a-share, all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - instead continuing to make its case to shareholders that its $78 billion offer is superior …

Discussion: Business Insider, Reuters, Livemint, @danprimack, Dow Jones Newswires and Deadline

Todd Spangler / Variety:

E.W. Scripps' board unanimously rejects Sinclair's unsolicited acquisition proposal of $7 per share in cash and stock, offered in November — Sinclair's takeover move came amid Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion deal for Tegna, which would expand the reach of Nexstar, the No. 1 biggest TV station owner group in the U.S.

Discussion: TV Tech, The Wrap, Baltimore Business Journal, Axios, Bloomberg, Cincinnati Business Journal, Deadline, Wall Street Journal, Front Office Sports, @jbflint, E.W. Scripps Company, CNBC, Radio & Television …, TheDesk.net and TVNewsCheck

Christal Hayes / BBC:

The BBC says “as we have made clear previously, we will be defending” against Trump's defamation lawsuit and “we are not going to make further comment” — The BBC has said it will defend itself against a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump …

Financial Times:
BBC lawyers argue that the Florida court has no jurisdiction over President Trump's case; Trump's lawyers counter that BritBox showed Panorama in Florida

Discussion: The Guardian, Mediaweek, @brianstelter, Washington Examiner, Politico, The Independent, Pasadena Star News, CNN, The A.V. Club, BizPac Review, Reuters and CNBC

Justin Baragona / The Independent:

Nielsen ratings for Bari Weiss' town hall with Erika Kirk were 11% below total viewership for CBS News' standard programs in the same time slot, year to date — According to Nielsen, the Saturday night town hall saw a 41 percent decline in in the key 25-54 advertising demographic compared …

Jake Kanter / Deadline:

The UK government begins its review of the BBC's charter, set to expire in 2027, as ministers consider license fee reforms and allowing more commercial revenue — The UK government has fired the starting gun on BBC charter renewal, a once-in-a-decade review of the broadcaster's funding and operating agreement.

Discussion: BBC, The Guardian, @jayrosen.bsky.social, New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
UK ministers say they are considering options for the BBC, including ads across its channels and subscriptions for older or more commercially oriented content

Discussion: GOV.UK, The Guardian, @stephenkb.bsky.social, Reuters, Deadline and The Drum

Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg:

Instagram unveils its first TV app, initially available on Amazon's Fire TV as a test with plans to expand to other TV platforms — Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram unveiled its first dedicated TV app, which lets users watch the short-form video feature Reels on a larger screen.

Jessica Testa / New York Times:

Netflix announces a partnership with iHeartMedia to exclusively publish 15+ video podcasts from early 2026, including The Breakfast Club and My Favorite Murder — The streaming service now has about 30 video podcasts lined up for 2026, including the influential radio show “The Breakfast Club.”

Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:

Howard Stern signs a new three-year deal with SiriusXM, after a report earlier this year suggested that his show was about to be canceled — The radio host had been in talks with the satellite radio company for months, after a report suggested he would be exiting his post.

Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:

USAGM is relocating from its current offices in Washington, DC, to a building apparently used by NASA; source: the old building is to be demolished — The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is moving out of its current television studios and administrative offices in Washington …

Discussion: @matthewkeyslive

Jacob Savage / Compact:

A writer argues that since 2014, DEI practices led to discrimination against white male millennials for entry-level and mid-level roles in Hollywood and media — For fifteen years I've scalped tickets to pay the bills. But in January 2016 I almost managed a real career.

Discussion: @noahpinion, @ggreenwald, @binarybits, New York Times, @megbasham, @martianwyrdlord, @colorblindk1d, The Post Millennial, @costofglory, @prisonculture.bsky.social, Blaze Media, @iterintellectus, Louder With Crowder, @cernovich, @anncoulter, @posttim.bsky.social, @martianwyrdlord, @fischerking64, @andrealucaseeoc, @esrtweet, @andrealucaseeoc, @danfriedman81, @edroso.bsky.social, Centrally Unplanned, @matthewschmitz, @razibkhan, Cosmopolitan, @christopherrufo, @writes__code, @costofglory, @abigailshrier, @matthewschmitz, @shoe0nhead, @megbasham, @roddreher, @asymmetricinfo, @jamellebouie.net, @ianmsc, @jessekellydc, @asymmetricinfo, @blbalthaser.bsky.social, @l0m3z, The Daily Caller, @davidmastio, @njdixon, @razibkhan, @hpmcd1, @mattdpearce.com, @nicholasdanfort.bsky.social, @inezfeltscher, @richardhanania, @jesspected.bsky.social, @l0m3z, @blbalthaser.bsky.social, @lhfang, @colorblindk1d, @blakesneff, @davidmastio, @herandrews, @dineshdsouza, @biettetimmons.bsky.social, HotAir, @lawrencehurley.bsky.social and @hannahgais.bsky.social

Lauren Thomas / Wall Street Journal:

Sources: DAZN is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in US regional sports broadcaster Main Street Sports Group, formerly Diamond Sports Group — British sports streaming company, eyeing U.S. growth, would take a majority stake in the broadcast partner for big league teams

Discussion: Sports Business Journal, Barrett Media, @thispersonstinks.bsky.social, Awful Announcing and TVNewsCheck

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Rachel Metz / Bloomberg:
OpenAI updates ChatGPT Images to generate images up to 4x faster and edit more precisely, and adds a new section in ChatGPT's app and website for images

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