Top News:
Brian Stelter / CNN:
Filing: Paramount and state AGs agree to freeze the WBD merger until an antitrust trial occurs or until June 2027; a preliminary injunction hearing is canceled — Paramount announced Friday afternoon that its takeover of CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, will be delayed for many months …
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Natalie Korach / @nataliekorach:
Memo: HuffPost EIC informs staff that ~15 editorial jobs will be cut, the first layoffs under new owner Byron Allen, and executive editor Kate Palmer is leaving — Scoop: Byron Allen has begun his first round of layoffs since acquiring the BuzzFeed properties, with HuffPost staffers being notified of 15 editorial cuts Thursday [image]
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Status, TheDesk.net, @matthewkeyslive, @fitzador.bsky.social and @jvl.bsky.social
Associated Press:
The DOJ withdraws subpoenas that would have forced three NYT reporters to testify about sources, after a federal judge criticized the DOJ for sloppy legal work — Criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the government on Thursday withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three …
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CNN, New York Times, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Ars Technica, @dennycarter.bsky.social, @timobrien.bsky.social, Poynter, The Post Millennial, American Prospect, The Status Kuo, Matea Gold on LinkedIn, emptywheel, CNBC, Law Dork, The Boston Globe, UPI, @bennet.senate.gov, @aclu.org, ABC News, US District Court, Southern District of New York, @dianaresists.bsky.social, @flingjore.com, PoliticusUSA, The Bulwark, @jonesmurphy@mastodon.social, @hammancheez.bsky.social, Newser, NBC News, MS NOW, @3dogz.bsky.social, Lawyers, Guns & Money, @trumpstaxes.com, Washington Examiner, @freedomofpress@social …, Straight Arrow, Deadline, @greatplainsgrandpa …, The Independent, @nanakim.bsky.social, The Hill, @dbnewtondoors.bsky.social, @rosesbloom24.bsky.social, Axios, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, The Wrap, @timkarr.bsky.social, @chrisgeidner.bsky.social, @chrisgeidner.bsky.social, Law.com, Society of Professional …, @innercitypress.bsky.social, New Republic, New York Magazine, Reuters, The Guardian and CBS News
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Facebook plans to test a full-screen “immersive video” player when users open the app, replacing the newsfeed, in select international markets this year — The social platform says it will test a video-first look for users when they open the app in select countries, potentially bringing it to the U.S. next year.
James Faris / Business Insider:
Internal docs: Paramount+ plans to launch a free tier for movies and shows in Q3, requiring users to register via email — Paramount+ is looking to level up by making more of its content free. — Paramount's flagship streamer plans to expand access to movies and shows available …
Discussion:
@ejgertz.bsky.social, Streaming Better, Decider, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News and @phillysky.bsky.social
Todd Spangler / Variety:
WBD sues Amazon, accusing it of a “lawless employee shopping spree” to poach WBD employees who are under contract, including HBO marketing veteran Pia Barlow — In its lawsuit, WBD alleged that “Amazon has chosen to ride on the coattails of other well-established Hollywood mainstays …
Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, Deadline and @artisny.bsky.social
Munsif Vengattil / Reuters:
Delhi High Court rules OpenAI's use of ANI content to train ChatGPT wasn't copyright infringement as the news agency didn't show ChatGPT reproduced its reports — An Indian court said on Friday that OpenAI's use of news agency ANI's content to train its ChatGPT service did not amount to copyright infringement.
Discussion:
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Brian Stelter / CNN:
The WHCA dinner goes forward Friday night with tighter security, a smaller guest list, and ongoing tensions as Trump's administration tries to weaken news media — Media Donald Trump Gun violence Human rights — Friday's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner will be smaller …
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Katie Kilkenny / The Hollywood Reporter:
QVC and HSN hosts vote to unionize and join SAG-AFTRA, an organizing drive fueled by concerns around generative AI — About 80 percent of participating presenters supported joining the performers' union SAG-AFTRA. … During the election, 37 hosts voted to join the national performers' union …
Discussion:
Philadelphia Business Journal and The Wrap
Nicole Sperling / New York Times:
How special-edition popcorn buckets designed for major movies became lucrative; AMC Theatres estimates they will generate $100M in revenue this year — Fans of “The Odyssey,” the summer blockbuster directed by Christopher Nolan, could choose between two popcorn buckets …
Discussion:
@elvialimon, Entrepreneur, KTLA, @dannygroner.bsky.social, CinemaBlend and PC Gamer
Brooks Barnes / New York Times:
Sony Pictures Entertainment plans to restore the Cinerama Dome and adjacent 14-screen theater in Los Angeles, reopening in 2028 and operated by Alamo Drafthouse — The iconic Cinerama Dome and adjacent 14-screen theater complex will reopen in 2028 after a renovation. The venue closed in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Corbin Bolies / Variety:
Patreon lays off 20% of its employees, or 93 people, citing a “painful” restructuring due to “profound” changes in the creator economy over the past six months — Patreon, the creator-focused monetization platform, said on Thursday it was laying off 20% of its employees …
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Reuters:
Sources: Jeff Bezos pushed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to highlight AI in an overhaul of the service, leading to an internal effort called Project Lighthouse — Jeff Bezos has identified a new, high-profile platform to help showcase the hundreds of billions of dollars Amazon (AMZN.O) has bet on artificial intelligence: Prime Video.
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Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter:
Amazon is integrating its Luna cloud gaming service into Prime Video via a new Games tab, starting with games like Hogwarts Legacy and EA Sports FC for Fire TV
Amazon is integrating its Luna cloud gaming service into Prime Video via a new Games tab, starting with games like Hogwarts Legacy and EA Sports FC for Fire TV
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HotHardware, T3, Trusted Reviews, This Week in Videogames, Broadband TV News, Wccftech, Advanced Television, Creative Bloq, ScreenRant, Telecompaper, Phandroid, AFTVnews, Aftermath, Neowin, CNBC, The Verge, GeekWire, PCMag, Thurrott, Deadline, Push Square, TechCrunch, 9to5Google, KitGuru, Video Games Chronicle, DayOne, IGN, Variety, The Game Business, Polygon.com, TechRadar, Engadget, GamesIndustry.biz, Android Authority, Amazon Game Studios and Blue's News
