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Deadline:
SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP have “reached a tentative agreement” on terms for a successor contract to their 2023 contracts; the deal is now headed for a board review — Of course, until this is voted on by some 160,000 members of the actors' guild, everything will remain tentative for the time being.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Variety, NBC Los Angeles, The Wrap, Bleeding Cool News, The Hollywood Reporter, ABC7, The A.V. Club and amptp
Seb Joseph / Digiday:
A look at Baller League, a six-a-side indoor soccer league of creator-managed teams streaming free on YouTube and Twitch and averaging 4M+ views on match day — Baller League has something rare in creator economy business circles: a plan that doesn't end with it becoming a media company.
Discussion:
@simonowens.bsky.social
Rashi Shrivastava / Forbes:
A profile of music AI startup Suno, valued at ~$2.5B with 2M+ paying users and $300M annualized revenue as of February, as it battles record labels and artists — The music AI startup is battling record labels and angry artists as it upends how millions of people create songs.
Discussion:
Rashi Shrivastava on LinkedIn, The Verge, Music Business Worldwide and NPR, more at Techmeme »
Rebecca Davis O'Brien / New York Times:
Sources: the US EEOC is poised to sue the NYT over a white male employee's allegation that he was denied a sought-after promotion because of his race and gender — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently referred a reverse-discrimination complaint by an employee to the agency's legal unit for review.
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A look at the work of photographer Ann Hermes, who has documented 50 newsrooms across the US, many in smaller towns and cities, and hopes to photograph 100 — If you think the life of a journalist is glamorous, take a look at Ann Hermes' photograph of Tom Haley from a winter day in Rutland, Vermont.
Discussion:
@ndhapple.bsky.social
American Press Institute:
Survey: 57% of US teens and adults, and 81% of teens aged 13 to 17, say they get at least some news and information from influencers or independent creators — The report is the latest study from the Media Insight Project. The Media Insight Poll is a collaboration of The Associated Press-NORC Center …
Discussion:
The Korea Herald
Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
BBC News staff are told they face 15% cost cuts, steeper than the 10% shared previously for the corporation as a whole, in the biggest downsizing in 15 years — Staff warned news operations face 15% cut, above BBC-wide 10% target, as corporation pushes through £600m savings plan
Bloomberg:
Sources: Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro is exploring a “super app” that integrates Disney+ with parks passes, games, merchandise, and cruise and resort apps — Walt Disney Co. senior executives are discussing how to unify the company's disparate mobile apps and turn its streaming service …
Taylor Lorenz / Wired:
How influencers boosting US-based AI and opposing Chinese AI are paid with money tied to Leading the Future, funded by execs from OpenAI, Palantir, a16z, others — Build American AI, a nonprofit linked to a super PAC bankrolled by executives at OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz …
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times:
CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason is launching and financing YouTube series Alchemy, of which he'll retain full ownership, an unprecedented arrangement — - 6 min Click here to listen to this article — CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason launches “Alchemy,” a YouTube series featuring …
Discussion:
Tubefilter
Scott Feinberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
The Academy tightens rules about AI use for Oscar competitors in 2027, says only human-authored screenplays are eligible, and revises international Oscars rules — The organization also announced changes impacting a host of other categories and its Governors Awards.
Discussion:
NPR, PCMag, Bitcoin News, Oman Observer, Kotaku, Decrypt, Celebrity Insider, FemaleFirst, The Economic Times, IGN, Esquire, Engadget, Consequence, PC Gamer, France 24, Deadline, Billboard, Los Angeles Times, Screen and The Wrap
Jacob Bryant / The Wrap:
The Daily Wire undergoes layoffs, and a spokesperson says cuts were mostly in Nashville; the EIC says cuts were nowhere near 50% of staff, as some rumors stated — A company spokesperson says the restructure comes as the company builds out its Northeast and D.C. teams
Business Wire:
USA Today reports Q1 revenue down 4% YoY to $548.5M, net income of $19.9M, up $27.2M from Q1 2025, 1.46M paid digital subs, and $45.9M digital subscription rev — USA TODAY Co., Inc. ("USA TODAY Co.", “we”, “us”, “our”, or the “Company") (NYSE: TDAY) today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
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