Top News:
Erik Hayden / The Hollywood Reporter:
Vox Media sells The Verge, SB Nation, Thrillist, The Dodo, and more to Penske; Vox's Ryan Pauley will join Penske as president of PMX, the new media brands unit — The deal formally winds down an era at Vox Media, which had sold its namesake site and podcast assets as well as New York magazine to James Murdoch.
Discussion:
Variety, AdExchanger, The Information, The Business of Fashion, @harrymccracken.com, IndieWire, Barrett Media, @lopatto.bsky.social, New York Times, @jetjocko.bsky.social, WWD, Robb Report, @samitsarkar.bsky.social, Rolling Stone, Sportico, @dinfontay.com, Gold Derby, Deadline, Vox Media, The Wrap, @parkerortolani.com, Awful Announcing and Sports Business Journal
Elsa Keslassy / Variety:
Netflix subscribers in France can now access TF1 broadcasts and TF1+ on-demand content within Netflix at no extra cost; TF1 handles ad sales and programming — A year after sending shockwaves through the television industry with news of their unexpected alliance, France's TF1 Group and Netflix …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Yahoo Finance, Screen, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Netflix Press Site
Brandy Zadrozny / MS NOW:
The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars on July 2 and will route more than $100,000 to Sandy Hook families, as legal fights over the website continue — The Onion's staff is tired of waiting for the courts to settle its pending takeover of Alex Jones' brand, so the new Infowars will launch next month.
Hugo Lowell / Wired:
New book: Bezos told Trump that WaPo had been one of his worst investments and “the people there are terrible”; Trump told associates Bezos was “kissing my ass” — “You would not believe the texts I got from these tech guys,” NYT reporters Maggie Haberman …
Discussion:
CNN, Mediaite, Implicator.ai, The Parnas Perspective, New York Magazine, Breitbart, @ericjgeller.com, @rbreich.bsky.social, New York Times, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @wired.com, @eliasisquith.blog, @researchbuzz@researchbuzz …, RADAR, @hugolowell.bsky.social, Gizmodo, @wajali.bsky.social, @jamiegangel, @radleybalko.bsky.social, @timmarchman.bsky.social, The Daily Caller, @katie-drummond.bsky.social, The Post Millennial, Raw Story, @galacticstone@mastodon.social, Legal Insurrection, New York Post, Fox News and The Gateway Pundit, more at Techmeme »
Reuters:
Bertelsmann says US and German authorities have approved the planned merger of its music division BMG with rival Concord; it expects to close the deal in Q4 — German media group Bertelsmann (BTGGg.F) on Wednesday said U.S. competition authorities have approved the planned merger …
Discussion:
Music Week, @musiccomposer.com, Digital Music News, Billboard and Music Business Worldwide
Kevin Roose / @kevinroose:
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
USA Today is using AI-assisted, pre-written soccer World Cup “shell files” for breaking news to capture traffic before Google's AI Overviews generate summaries — In the fight for visibility in an AI-powered search era, USA Today Co. is betting that speed can still beat the machines.
Discussion:
Search Engine Land and @edbott.com
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
NOTUS says it has “amicably resolved” The Washington Star's lawsuit over NOTUS' planned rebrand as The Star and it is working toward a new name — The publication is abandoning a planned rebranding after resolving a trademark dispute with the new publisher of The Washington Star.
Discussion:
@katie_robertson, City Cast DC, @leahlibresco, Washington Post, Bloomberg Law, @barredindc, @kirk_bado and @councilofdc
Stephen Bush / Financial Times:
The BBC will damage or scrap some crown jewels in current affairs by canceling The World Tonight, Crossing Continents, and Money Box Live, and making other cuts — Government should consider direct licence fee increases or give corporation greater freedom to monetise its content — Good morning.
Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
Forbes launches The Daily Brief, an AI-powered audio briefing that turns its top three stories of the day into a five-minute podcast, which is checked by humans — Forbes has launched an AI-powered audio experience on its homepage that turns its top three stories of the day into a five-minute podcast.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Stephen Capus, president and CEO of RFE/RL since 2024, announces his resignation, effective September 15, and will be succeeded by Lisa Curtis — RFE/RL Launches Leadership Transition — Stephen Capus to depart in September; Lisa Curtis steps into role — Share: — Share this page on Facebook
Peter White / Deadline:
Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media strikes an overall deal with Netflix to develop series after Coogler's five-year TV deal with Disney ended — Sinners director Ryan Coogler and his Proximity Media have a new home for their television projects. — Coogler's company has signed an overall deal with Netflix to develop series.
Discussion:
The Wrap, Netflix Tudum, The Hollywood Reporter, @alexpagliuca.bsky.social, The InSneider, Variety and ScreenRant
