Top News:
New York Times:
Sources: CNN CEO Mark Thompson told Paramount he would not share oversight of CNN with another exec, as David Ellison weighs whether to put Bari Weiss in charge — The tech scion David Ellison is close to completing a merger that would put the legacy broadcaster and the 24-hour cable news network under the same roof.
Discussion:
RADAR, TV Insider, @benmullin, @mikeisaac, @dylanbyers, @josephwulfsohn, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Mediaite, Mediaite, RADAR, Mediaite, Raw Story, New York Post and The A.V. Club
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Matthew Belloni / Puck:
Although sources suggest Paramount wouldn't sell CNN to appease state regulators overseeing the WBD deal, it may save the company from a protracted legal battle — With Paramount's federally approved acquisition of Warner Bros. entering its endgame, the Ellisons will still need to placate regulators like California's Rob Bonta.
Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:
Streaming services must comply with a California law that bans playing ads louder than the content being watched from July 1, but its implementation is unclear — On July 1, it will be illegal for streaming platforms to play ads louder than the content being watched in California.
Discussion:
Android Authority, Dexerto, CinemaBlend, TechCrunch, @arstechnica@mastodon.social, The Verge, Fox Business and The Hollywood Reporter
The Intercept:
The KIDS Act, set for a US House vote as early as next week, could eliminate online anonymity, raising the risk for journalists, dissidents, and whistleblowers — A House bill ostensibly aimed at protecting children will raise the risk for journalists, dissidents, and whistleblowers.
Emily Dreyfuss / The San Francisco Standard:
An interview with Brian Stelter about the Murdoch family's moves to boost their political influence in California, including the launch of the California Post — There's an old rule in journalism: One occurrence is likely a fluke; two may be a coincidence. But three? Three's a story.
Ben Fritz / Wall Street Journal:
Rentrak: total US Box Office sales so far in 2026 are ~$4.46B, the highest since 2019 and above 2025's $3.91B; EntTelligence says tickets sold are up 7% to 312M — A boom year was accelerated by a franchise-best opening weekend for Disney's ‘Toy Story 5’ — Chris Randleman is feeling excited …
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
A look at AI's potential for animation as Hollywood stays cautious; some animators expect better, not cheaper, films, while others see costs falling 30% to 90% — Some animators believe AI will make films better. Others believe it will bring costs down. — Good afternoon from Los Angeles.
Discussion:
Semafor
Ryan McGrady / The Conversation:
An analysis of 20M blocks of users of English language Wikipedia shows a shrinking number of administrators relying on more-frequent blocks, to raise efficiency — This year, Wikipedia is celebrating 25 years as the internet's encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
Washington Post:
The US Supreme Court paused a lower court order that would have forced ex-Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge to reveal a source or pay $800 a day in sanctions — Press freedom groups have decried efforts to compel former Fox News journalist Catherine Herridge to reveal a confidential source.
Discussion:
The Guardian, Law Dork, Politico, @scottnover and Deadline
Nate Raymond / Reuters:
The US federal judiciary plans to temporarily increase PACER fees from $0.10 to $0.12 per page for five years starting January 1, 2027, to fund a system upgrade — The U.S. federal judiciary on Friday said it will temporarily hike fees to download documents from its online court records system known …
Scharon Harding / Ars Technica:
Netflix has been gradually requiring each profile under a Netflix subscription to use a unique email address; the rule doesn't apply to children's profiles — Recently, my father called me in a panic. — There were just a few minutes until Netflix would start streaming a live MMA event, and he couldn't get into my account.
Jeff Jarvis / Whither news?:
How California's Civic Media Program is wasting the chance to build a competitive local news landscape, and may instead send most of its money to hedge funds — Supporting the past instead of the future of news — California is about to hand out $20 million — half from Google …
Discussion:
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social
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