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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New York Times:
Sources: Paramount proposed to pause its merger with WBD because the company thought going to a trial was the fastest way to complete the deal — A flurry of negotiations last week cleared the way for an antitrust court battle with states that could determine the fate of the two iconic media giants.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Cord Cutters News, Benzinga, BMI, Deadline, Radio & Television …, Media Play News, CNN, Ars Technica, Forbes, International Business Times and The Wrap
Natalie Korach / Status:
Eight antitrust experts assess what Paramount's pause on WBD acquisition means, which side it benefits most, and where the merger is headed over the next year — The pause is the latest update in what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential antitrust trials Hollywood has faced in decades, with the saga far from over.
Inside Radio:
Nielsen plans to discontinue its radio and TV audience-ratings measurement services for TV and radio in Puerto Rico at the end of 2026 — Nielsen plans to discontinue measuring radio and TV audiences in the Puerto Rico market in December 2026. That means the island of 3.2 million people …
Discussion:
TheDesk.net, Pedro Javier González on LinkedIn and HispanicAd.com
Alyssa Ray / The Wrap:
At the rescheduled WHCA dinner, Trump praised the press corps' response to the April shooting before insulting journalists and celebrities who criticized him — “[Collins] shouldn't get the award. It was a fake,” the president rails in his White House Correspondents' Dinner speech
Discussion:
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Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
Kalshi asks Netflix to take down a trailer for Instadocs: The Prediction Games, saying it falsely suggests users placed bets in Nevada, where Kalshi is blocked — In a cease-and-desist, the company takes issue with the trailer falsely suggesting that Kalshi is violating a court order barring it from operating in Nevada.
Discussion:
CNN, Awful Announcing, Benzinga, The Hill, TechCrunch, Netflix Tudum, CoinGape, @newsguy.bsky.social, Front Office Sports, The Wrap and Deadline
Michael Birnbaum / Washington Post:
Trump says he supports subpoenaing reporters in leak probes and that reporters should be forced to reveal the source of the leaked SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe — Hours before addressing the White House press corps, the president endorsed using subpoenas against reporters in national security leak investigations.
Dominic-Madori Davis / TechCrunch:
London-based European Technology Network, a TBPN-like show livestreaming 5x a week on YouTube and X, raised a $1.6M seed round from Axel Springer and others — The European answer to TBPN is here and ready to go live five days a week, starting June 27. — Luke Knight and Ronan Chambers …
Discussion:
Telegraph, @elktalkstech and @etnshow
Melos Ambaye / Bloomberg:
US microinfluencers, or those with less than about 100K followers, can now earn enough from brand deals to rival middle-class salaries, but they face precarity — A growing tier of microinfluencers is proving that loyal audiences, affiliate links and brand deals can rival — or exceed — traditional office pay.
Discussion:
@business, The Daily Wire and @simonowens.bsky.social
Akriti Sharma / Bloomberg:
As student protests spread across India, Narendra Modi turns to Reels, swapping his trademark cinematic videos for self-recorded messages aimed at Gen Z — As student protests spread across India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned to Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram Reels …
Discussion:
CNBC, The Indian Express, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Asia Business Daily, @mitrapredator, @jasveer10, Drop Site News, Implicator.ai, Financial Post, The Economist, Al Jazeera, @maitreyabhakal, @jyotsnamohan, @prempanicker, @chetanecostani, Reuters, NPR, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and PBS NewsHour
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.
Kelly McBride / NPR:
How CPB's closure has affected public media, one year in: a rise in donations, attempts to cut state funding, a likely rise in unaffiliated stations, and more — Bigger changes to the public radio network are still coming — One year ago, Congress passed legislation that stripped $535 million …
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