Top News:
Connor Hart / Wall Street Journal:
Hasbro launches Sixth Wall, an AI studio working with ElevenLabs and voice actors to create and license AI-native versions of its characters and franchises — Hasbro launched Sixth Wall, a new artificial-intelligence studio aiming to bring the toymaker's cast of characters into the new technological era
Discussion:
The Hollywood Reporter, Dexerto, The Wrap, Hasbro, Business Wire, blooloop, Variety, The A.V. Club, Forbes, Screen and Axios
Tyler Falk / Current:
NPR is overhauling its dues model so that fees are based on news stations' broadcast reach rather than donor revenues and projects dues will fall 15% to 18% — NPR is finalizing a new model for calculating stations' membership dues that also offers options for them to save money.
Discussion:
TheDesk.net and U.S. Home
Adam Rose / The Guardian:
Police at an NJ immigration center's protests treated media inconsistently; the US Press Freedom Tracker counted 30 assaults by officers on reporters in a week — New Jersey police must not deny streamers press freedoms — The line of New Jersey state police blocked every exit on the street.
Amos Barshad / Columbia Journalism Review:
Some right-wing news influencers are using Meta's Ray-Ban sunglasses as a recording tool that unwilling subjects may not be aware of, leading to tension — For CJR's new special issue on access, I spent time with Jonathan Choe, a news influencer and Turning Point USA correspondent …
Discussion:
@lawrencehurley.bsky.social, The Asia Business Daily and The New Things
Najat Kantouar / Wall Street Journal:
Comcast commits to investing £6B to develop its Universal United Kingdom Resort in Bedfordshire, its first resort complex in Europe; the UK is investing £1.3B — The project will be Universal's first resort complex in Europe — Comcast pledged to invest more than 6 billion pounds …
Washington Post:
Two Stars and Stripes advisory board members sue the US Defense Department, saying new restrictions on the paper violate the First Amendment and federal law — The suit comes after Defense Department officials pledged to overhaul the publication and rid it of “woke distractions.” — Summary
Discussion:
@seanparnellasw, @newsguyusa@flipboard.social, The Hill and Stars & Stripes
Katie Deighton / Wall Street Journal:
Run-A-Muck, a media startup that has launched a newsletter and is developing 20+ TV, movie, and podcast projects, raised a $10M seed at an $80M valuation — Run-A-Muck, the media company co-founded by Pamela Drucker Mann, announced a $10 million seed round ahead of its move into short-form fiction
Discussion:
Pamela Drucker Mann on LinkedIn
Mickey Djuric / Politico:
Canada's government says it will issue a new policy direction under the Online Streaming Act, forcing the CRTC to reduce or eliminate fees for US streamers — The Liberal government announced Wednesday it will issue a new policy direction under the Online Streaming Act …
Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Prime Video releases its first weekly list of its most popular original series and films on the service, joining Netflix in making global top 10 lists each week — ‘Jack Ryan: Ghost War’ and ‘Off Campus’ are the No. 1 movie and series for the final week of May, the streamer says.
Discussion:
About Amazon, @2xaught7.ing, IndieWire, Comic Book, Tom's Guide and Kansas City Star
Byron Kaye / Reuters:
Meta says Australia's proposed tax on domestic revenue for tech giants that don't sign news licensing deals violates the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement — Meta (META.O) accused Australia of violating a free trade agreement with the U.S. by proposing a new tax on certain tech giants …
Bloomberg:
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square plans to sell its stake in Universal Music Group, days after the Amsterdam-listed group rejected his takeover bid — Bill Ackman is looking to sell his stake in Universal Music Group NV just days after the Amsterdam-listed group rejected a takeover bid by the hedge fund billionaire.
Danielle Lerner / USA Today:
A look at the growing trend of active NBA and WNBA players appearing as broadcast contributors and analysts, a practice common in tennis and the NFL previously — When the NBA Finals begin airing on ESPN this week, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green will return to “Inside the NBA” …
Discussion:
@danielle-lerner.bsky.social, Awful Announcing and Sports Business Journal
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Source: CBS News fired Scott Pelley “for cause” hours after he met Tuesday with Bari Weiss, Nick Bilton, Tom Cibrowski, and CBS HR over his 60 Minutes criticism — People in entertainment TV shows Media — CBS News fired veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday …
Discussion:
MediaPost, Status, Zeteo, Poynter, Fox News, Raw Story, The Wrap, Inside Higher Ed, Nicole Schuman on LinkedIn, @dylanbyers, Puck, New York Times, RADAR, Status, Comics Grinder, The Preamble, Townhall, Us Weekly, New York Sun, Daring Fireball, @markfollman.bsky.social, Newsbusters, Atlanta Black Star, IJR, The Guardian, New Republic, @myronbpitts@threads.com, @karaswisher@threads.com, @ft, Wonkette, Breitbart, @davidfolkenflik, @jeremymbarr, @jeremymbarr, @jimstewartson, New York Post, Defector, Deadline, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, PJ Media, TVLine, Business Insider, The Parnas Perspective, @authorrandallb, @levinejonathan, @richarddeitsch, @mikefreemannfl, The Gateway Pundit, @mattbelloni, Mediaite, @brianstelter, HotAir, The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. Home, New York Post, Blaze Media, The Maine Wire, HuffPost, Straight Arrow, The Indian Express, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, New York Magazine, Forbes, Financial Times, Washington Examiner, KRDO, Daily Press, KING-TV, Bloomberg, Variety, The Guardian, The Wrap and Variety
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
On a staff call, Bari Weiss defends firing Scott Pelley, saying the foundation of “trust and mutual respect” was broken after Pelley's outburst on Monday
Discussion:
@benmullin, @jeremymbarr, The Hollywood Reporter, @geoffrbennett, RedState, Hartford Courant, Washington Post, @nick_field90, @mattyglesias, @mmpadellan, @markhalperin, @hunterboone, Reality Tea, HotAir, Variety, @bethanyshondark, @curtishouck, @sfmcguire79, @jeremymbarr, @jeffjarvis, @marcofoster_, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @ggreenwald, @jeremymbarr, Staff Stories, @lachcartwright, The Wrap, Public, Rolling Stone, Fox News, Townhall, Us Weekly, Mediaite, MediaPost, HuffPost, Forbes, PBS NewsHour, E! Online, CNN, @reckless.bsky.social, Adweek, Hollywood Life, Fortune, HELLO!, @jayrosen.bsky.social, @jessehawken.bsky.social, KRDO, ME, MS NOW, The A.V. Club, RADAR, Business Insider, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit and Just Jared
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