Top News:
Liz Hoffman / Semafor:
Sources: US DOJ antitrust regulators appear ready to approve Paramount's $110B WBD takeover after a two-hour meeting Tuesday; DOJ staff grilled David Ellison — The Scoop — US antitrust regulators appear ready to approve Paramount's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery …
RELATED:
Davide Barbuscia / Bloomberg:
Filing: David Ellison made a verbal commitment to ratings agencies to provide a capital backstop to manage Paramount's $50B debt after the merger with WBD — It began as a concession in private conversations to assuage wary credit analysts looking at Paramount Skydance Corp.'s blockbuster takeover …
Discussion:
@mvlakai.bsky.social
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Document: The Guardian US reports FY 2026 revenue up 25% YoY to a record $81M and profit up 41% to $34.5M; digital reader donations make up 70.7% of revenue — - Digital reader donations make up most (70.7%) of the annual revenues for The Guardian U.S., according to the presentation.
Discussion:
@arusbridger.bsky.social, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social and Steve Sachs on LinkedIn
New Jersey Online:
Donald Newhouse, who inherited a media empire, led Advance Publications' newspaper and cable TV divisions, and was Newark Star-Ledger president, dies at 96 — Donald E. Newhouse, who as President of The Star-Ledger and head of Advance Publications' newspaper group presided over a prolonged period …
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, Vogue, New York Times, Gigi Cohen on LinkedIn, Newser, Wall Street Journal, The Wrap, BuzzMachine, Newhouse School …, Bloomberg and New Jersey Globe
Michael Sainato / The Guardian:
The US OPM releases a draft NDA for federal workers to prevent leaks to journalists; the government would be entitled to all “royalties” received from leaks — The OPM released a draft NDA designed for federal agencies to use with new and existing employees
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Wrap, Mother Jones, CNN, WJBK-TV, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Freedom of the Press …, @beyerstein.bsky.social, @impactofficer.bsky.social, Poynter, Reality Tea, @dwilliams1210.com, Can We Still Govern?, @freedomofpress, New York Times, NewsMax.com, Vox, GovExec.com, Federal News Network, @jan6risingvoice.bsky.social, NBC News, @justiceconnection.bsky.social, NPR, NOTUS, ABA Banking Journal, Washington Examiner, UPI, Time, CBS News, HuffPost, @justinhendrix.bsky.social, @wedefendthevote.org, @socialmedialab.ca, @karlauerbach@sfba.social, Baller Alert, @justinbaragona.bsky.social, Courthouse News Service, Politico, @elfsternberg.bsky.social, Raw Story, Bloomberg, @jcbua.bsky.social, @fightingliberal.bsky.social, @kylegriffin1.bsky.social, MS NOW, @hellishchildren.bsky.social, Mediaite, @kimmasters.bsky.social, @bcfinucane.bsky.social, @michaelsderby.bsky.social, @robertscotthorton.bsky.social, @Nonilex@masto.ai, The Hill and New Republic
Brian Steinberg / Variety:
Nielsen: Tony Dokoupil's CBS Evening News averaged 4M+ viewers and 605K in the 25-54 demographic for the week ending May 22, the show's best ratings in weeks — Tony Dokoupil is pushing back. — The “CBS Evening News” anchor, who has been under intense scrutiny since taking the role in early January …
Discussion:
The Wrap
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
The Economist says President Luke Bradley-Jones will become group CEO on August 1, as Lara Boro steps down after seven years; he became president in 2024 — Lara Boro steps down after seven years leading The Economist Group. — The Economist president Luke Bradley-Jones …
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Roku launches its first major homescreen overhaul in over a decade, including a large “marquee” ad spot to tout apps or shows, in a bid to drive more engagement — Don't worry, Roku City isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's going interactive. But there will be more personalization, and a more prominent ad unit too.
Discussion:
Adweek, Variety, Bloomberg, TechRadar, Deadline, 9to5Google and The Shortcut
Bloomberg:
Bolloré, UMG's largest shareholder, says Bill Ackman's UMG offer undervalues UMG and it should reject the bid; the deal needs two-thirds shareholder approval — Bolloré SE's chief executive officer said billionaire Bill Ackman's offer for Universal Music Group NV undervalues the record label.
Discussion:
Billboard, Reuters, Financial Times, Telegraph, Dow Jones Newswires, Forbes, @lucas_shaw, The Next Web, Music Ally, Deadline, Music Business Worldwide and The Independent
Todd Spangler / Variety:
YouTube makes its AI content labels more prominent on desktop and mobile, and will apply them automatically if it detects “significant photorealistic AI use” — Is that YouTube video clip you're watching real or was it made with AI? — YouTube wants to make it easier for viewers …
Axios:
Sources: Bond Capital is leading a new investment for AI startup Suno, which would value it at ~$5B, up from $2.45B last fall; Suno is expected to raise $250M+ — Bond Capital is leading a new investment for AI music startup Suno, which would be valued at around $5 billion, Axios Pro has learned.
Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
ABC Director of News Justin Stevens is leaving effective immediately after 19 years with the Australian broadcaster, including four years managing ~2,000 staff — Managing director Hugh Marks says Stevens made ‘incredible commitment’ to broadcaster over 19 years
Discussion:
ABC, Mediaweek, Sydney Morning Herald, TV Blackbox, Variety and Mumbrella
