Top News:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Netflix and WBD say Netflix revised its WBD offer to an all-cash deal for $27.75/share, with the same $82.7B value; its original bid had $59B in debt financing — Netflix and WBD announced Tuesday that they amended their definitive agreement for Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. assets …
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Screen, The Wrap, TechCrunch, The Guardian, Screen Rant, Advanced Television, About Netflix, CNN, Axios, Deadline, Yahoo Finance, The Independent, Benzinga, Pulse 2.0, Sharecast, The Standard, Blockonomi, Dow Jones Newswires, CNBC, Barrett Media, Reuters, Cord Cutters News, Outlook Business, Far Out Magazine, iPhone in Canada, The Verge, Forbes, Fox Business, NewsMax.com, Broadband TV News, Bloomberg, Barron's Online, The Daily Upside, FX Empire, @brianstelter, @sarafischer and The Hollywood Reporter, more at Techmeme »
Clare Malone / New Yorker:
A profile of Bari Weiss and an in-depth look at her hostile takeover of CBS News; a source says Weiss has said she is pursuing a “de-Baathification of CBS” — The network's new editor-in-chief has championed a press free from élite bias, while aligning herself …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Poynter, @jayrosen.bsky.social, TV Insider, @alexbronzini, @scarylawyerguy, @zaidjilani, @ericschultz, @djtalkstrash.bsky.social, @elliotkaufman6, @sorayanadiamcdonald.com, @davidklion, @rcobooth, @agoldmund, @nkulw, @brofromanother, @willsloanesq, @claremalone, @nick_field90, @jeremiahdjohns, @edroso.bsky.social, @jonahallon, The Wrap, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, naked capitalism, @brianstelter, @ethangach.bsky.social, @dinfontay.com, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, @carlquintanilla.bsky.social, @tkovach.bsky.social, @seankuhn.bsky.social, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @jamellebouie.net, @jimswift.bsky.social, @claremalone.bsky.social and @jaec.bsky.social
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Washington Post:
CBS airs 60 Minutes' CECOT segment, which Bari Weiss shelved in December as it lacked an on-camera interview with a Trump official, without such an interview — After accusations of “corporate censorship,” CBS aired a postponed “60 Minutes” segment about the CECOT prison that was largely unchanged.
Discussion:
@brianstelter, Deadline, The Guardian, @jgibsondem.bsky.social, Salon, Awful Announcing, @ericumansky.bsky.social, Too Much TV Newsletter, TV Insider, @newsguyusa@flipboard.social, @scottnover, Mediaite, Forbes, New York Times, Yahoo Finance, Newsbusters, Newser, The Wrap, Reuters, Filmogaz.com, The Independent, Fox News, Bloomberg, Bleeding Cool News, Variety, Raw Story, Bloomberg Law and New York Times
Isabella Simonetti / Wall Street Journal:
CBS News airs the delayed 60 Minutes CECOT segment with new introductory and closing remarks; the core of the piece was untouched — CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss's decision to hold the segment in December ignited a firestorm within the network — A “60 Minutes” segment that was held …
Discussion:
CBS News, Associated Press, Deadline, Newsbusters, Mock Paper Scissors, Washington Examiner, @jeremymbarr, Yahoo Finance, CNN, @banikarim, @60minutes, @60minutes, @60minutes, @mlcalderone, @matthewsitman, @mlcalderone, @dylanbyers, HuffPost, RealClearPolitics, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @brianstelter.bsky.social, @jaymesl.bsky.social, Paramount Press Express, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Raw Story, The Hollywood Reporter, Mediaite and The Wrap
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Filings: WBD projects CNN will generate $1.8B in revenue and $600M in adjusted EBITDA for FY 2026; docs show CNN had revenue of $2.2B in 2021 and $1.8B in 2023 — Warner Bros. Discovery is revealing financial details in connection with its planned spinout of Discovery Global.
Discussion:
Deadline, Cord Cutters News and @benmullin
Kerry Flynn / Axios:
Pitchfork launches a $5 per month or $50 per year subscription that lets readers comment on reviews, rate albums, and access its archive of 30,000+ reviews — Pitchfork is launching a new subscription that lets readers comment on reviews, rate albums themselves and access its full archive …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Similarweb: Threads had 141.5M DAUs on iOS and Android as of January 7, driven by Instagram promotions, while X had 125M DAUs; X continues to lead on the web — A report from market intelligence firm Similarweb suggests that Meta's Threads is now seeing more daily usage than Elon Musk's X on mobile devices.
Discussion:
Engadget, @ritholtz.bsky.social, @theandreboso, @wongmjane, @gmiller, The Overspill, @jeremiahdjohns, @clairlemon, @briannawu, @theandreboso, @aziz0nomics, @aziz0nomics, Social Media Today, @boredelonmusk, @jeremiahdjohns, Proactiveinvestors UK, WebProNews, 9to5Google, The Mac Observer, Moneycontrol, @dikaiosvne@threads.com, @thespacemechanic@threads.com, @calbucci@threads.com, @tomgara@threads.com, Android Headlines, MacRumors, PhoneArena, 9to5Mac, Ukrainian National News, The Verge, Digit, @cameronwilson.bsky.social, PYMNTS.com, Analytics Insight, Gizmodo and Irish Independent
Yue Stella Yu / Los Angeles Times:
Gov. Newsom's 2026 budget proposal contains no funding for the California Civic Media Fund, despite a 2024 deal to provide $175M to newsrooms over five years — - 6 min Click here to listen to this article — Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal includes no money for a fund formed last year …
Discussion:
@adamrose.bsky.social and @torrleonard.bsky.social
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Evening Standard plans to outsource its digital operations to Independent Media effective March 1; the Standard will still publish its weekly print newspaper — Editorial and commercial staff on the Standard website have been told they could be transferred to the owner of The Independent.
Discussion:
Financial Times
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Source: Peter Chernin is in negotiations to sell his independent studio, North Road, to French media company Mediawan in a deal worth $700M to $1B — Peter Chernin is in talks to sell his independent production company — Hollywood is on the verge of a real estate crash.
Discussion:
FlatpanelsHD
Meredith Klein / Meredith & The Media:
Q&A with Josh Sternberg, executive editor at Morning Brew, about leading Morning Brew's editorial strategy, the ever-changing media landscape, and more — This week, I sat down with Josh Sternberg, executive editor at Morning Brew. — Did you always want to be a journalist?
Discussion:
Talking Biz News
Committee to Protect Journalists:
How Pakistan's government is increasingly using in absentia convictions and arrest warrants against Pakistani journalists living overseas, starting in late 2025 — Pakistan's government has stepped up the use of in absentia convictions and arrest warrants against Pakistani journalists living …
Discussion:
@ikviews and @humanamin
