Mediagazer: Hedge fund manager Crispin Odey drops his £79M libel lawsuit against the Financial Times, after FT said 15 women were willing to testify in court against him (Financial Times)

Top News:

Kelcee Griffis / Bloomberg:

Sources: Nexstar has begun directing stations to fill local newscasts with segments from Nexstar's NewsNation instead of national networks' content like NBC's — Nexstar Media Group Inc., the largest owner of local television stations in the US, has embarked on a sweeping effort to limit …

Discussion: Reuters and Cord Cutters News

Financial Times:

Hedge fund manager Crispin Odey drops his £79M libel lawsuit against the Financial Times, after FT said 15 women were willing to testify in court against him — The FT had said 15 women were willing to testify in court against former hedge fund boss — Crispin Odey has dropped …

Discussion: Chris Newlands on LinkedIn, Paul Caruana Galizia on LinkedIn, Daily Mail, The Guardian and City A.M.

Oli Coleman / Page Six:

Source: The Athletic is investigating reporter Dianna Russini's explanation about photos of her with NFL coach Mike Vrabel and “reviewing her coverage” — The New York Times has sidelined top NFL reporter Dianna Russini after Page Six published photographs that appeared to show …

Terrence O'Brien / The Verge:

Google says Polymarket bets “briefly appeared in Google News in error”, after the bets appeared alongside news articles in the “For You” section — Links to bets on world events were appearing alongside legitimate news organizations.

Discussion: Engadget, @barbararybolt.bsky.social and Futurism, more at Techmeme »

Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg / Wall Street Journal:

A look at Ohio-based media company Block Communications, now a divided family business, which has decided to cease publishing the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in May — The twin heirs to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade are estranged as their industry transforms

Discussion: @wsjbusiness, @cgcalnan and Melissa Korn on LinkedIn

Wall Street Journal:

Mubi, which raised $100M led by Sequoia in 2025, faced backlash over Sequoia's ties to Israeli defense tech startups, but has since rebuilt subscriber numbers — After Sequoia valued Mubi at $1 billion, a left-wing revolt sent the indie film company into a tailspin

Discussion: The A.V. Club, Animation Magazine, @benfritz, IndieWire and How-To Geek

Nellie Andreeva / Deadline:

Memo: George Cheeks says Nickelodeon Animation Studios will operate as a label within CBS Studios, similar to BET Studios, consolidating TV production units — The integration of CBS and Paramount cable assets under George Cheeks, Chair of TV Media, continues.

Discussion: Media Play News, @rwmead.bsky.social, Animation Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap and Variety

Ben Sisario / New York Times:

Jury deliberations began Friday in the Live Nation antitrust trial, after state attorneys general continued to pursue the case even as the US DOJ settled — Thirty-four states accused the concert giant of suffocating competition and driving up ticket prices. The company denies being anything but big.

Discussion: Associated Press, NewsMax.com, One America News Network, Sports Business Journal, WTOP News, NBC News, Courthouse News Service, Billboard, Digital Music News, Bloomberg, The Verge, Rolling Stone and Insurance Journal

Dominic Preston / The Verge:

YouTube raises YouTube Premium's prices in the US: Lite is $1 more at $8.99/month, Individual is $2 more at $15.99/month, and Family is $4 more at $26.99/month — The standard plan is going up by $2 a month in the US. … YouTube Premium is getting more expensive in the US …

Matthew Belloni / Puck:

Sources: Disney has retained high-profile litigator Charles Harder to challenge an upcoming unauthorized biography of Bob Iger, by WSJ reporter Robbie Whelan — For a supposed press champion, the former Disney C.E.O. has thin skin. And with the looming publication of an unauthorized biography …

Discussion: Inside the Magic, Simon Owens's Media Newsletter and @mattbelloni.bsky.social

Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:

Colette Watson, president of Canadian cable TV company Rogers Sports & Media, plans to retire in mid-May after 35 years with the company — Colette Watson took the top job in 2022 as the Canadian TV giant expanded into the streaming and digital entertainment spaces.

Discussion: Sports Business Journal

Max Goldbart / Deadline:

BAFTA apologizes to Black and disabled communities after a Tourette's campaigner shouted the N-word at its awards; an outside review found no malicious intent — BAFTA has apologized “unreservedly” to the Black and disabled communities over the N-word debacle, having identified …

Discussion: Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Jonte on LinkedIn, Gold Derby, UPI, The Wrap, The Guardian, Paste, Mirror, BBC, Variety, Screen, GB News and Cele|bitchy