Poll: Media Industry ‘Out of Favor’ Since Start of Pandemic
The Hill: Only two industries are worse off in the eyes of the public compared to before the pandemic: airlines and the media. An Axios/Harris poll found that among 14 industries listed, the health care industry is viewed more favorably than any other since the...
Comcast to Restructure NBCUniversal in Shift to Streaming
AdExchanger: NBCUniversal will soon restructure as viewership shifts from linear to non-linear. "We are leaning into streaming," said Comcast chief Brian Roberts. NBCU a few months ago combined its television and streaming businesses under Mark Lazarus, who is...
Disney Heiress Warns ‘Layoffs Are Coming’ in Tweetstorm
Deadline: Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Disney co-founder Roy Disney, continued her attacks on her namesake company in a fusillade of tweets warning that "layoffs are coming." The 24-part attack centered on what she called the "greed-is-good" ethos of American...
Fox Corp’s Murdoch to Spend Summer at Estate in England
Spectator: Rupert Murdoch is still doing precisely what he wants. Despite his age, and despite concerns over his health, he took a 6,000-mile plane trip from his home in a Beverly Hills vineyard to his Cotswolds mansion, where he is spending the summer with his wife,...
Facebook, Google Must Begin Paying for Media in Australia
Reuters: Australia will force US tech giants Facebook and Google to pay Australian media outlets for news content in a landmark move to protect independent journalism that will be watched around the world. "It's about a fair go for Australian news media...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Faces New Sex Claims at ‘Ellen Show’
BuzzFeed News: According to dozens of men and women who work behind the scenes at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," the control room is a place where sexual harassment and misconduct by top executive producers runs rampant. Many of the targets are said to be lower-level and...
Discovery to Join Cable Giants in Push for Addressable Ads
Hollywood Reporter: Discovery said it plans to join the On Addressability initiative launched by cable giants Comcast, Charter and Cox "to unlock addressable advertising capabilities" across its 18 US networks. The agreement will enable Discovery to offer advertisers...
AMC Networks Entertainment Chief to Exit in Surprise Move
Los Angeles Times: Sarah Barnett is stepping down as president of AMC Networks after just 18 months on the job. The entertainment company known for such TV hits as “The Walking Dead,” “Better Call Saul” and “Killing Eve” announced that Barnett will exit her role...
Comcast to Open ‘The Office’ on Peacock with New Content
Bloomberg: "The Office" is going to be relaunched on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service with new material to hype the popular series. The NBC show, which went on to be one of the most-watched programs on Netflix for several years, moves to Peacock in...
Google Sees Acquisitions Create YouTube Network for Kids
Bloomberg: Moonbug Entertainment is building a kids media empire for the YouTube generation.The company has acquired two of the most popular kids brands on YouTube: Cocomelon, a show that is the most-viewed channel on the entire site, and Blippi, a program hosted by...
Facebook to Secure Deals for Rights to Show Music Videos
Bloomberg: Facebook has completed a series of deals for the right to show music videos, vaulting the social network into a medium dominated by YouTube. Partnerships with the three largest music companies are expected to be announced soon. Music videos are a popular...
Martha Stewart Gets 14 Proposals After Selfie on Instagram
E! Online: Martha Stewart has opened up about her pool selfie that sent the Internet into a tizzy. For those who may have missed it, last week, the lifestyle guru took to Instagram and shared a sultry selfie from her pool. "I've had 14 proposals, I don't know what...
SiriusXM in Talks to Retain Howard Stern During Pandemic
New York Post: SiriusXM said it is in talks to retain Howard Stern — its biggest star — as the business weathers the fallout from the coronavirus. SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer said that the company has reengaged with the provocative radio and TV personality about re-upping...
Meredith, Bonnier Among Media Planning Return to Offices
Digiday: Five months into the coronavirus crisis, the media industry has figured out that it can operate its key functions remotely almost entirely. But being a creative and collaborative industry, there are some jobs and projects that must take place in a studio or...
Hearst’s Oprah Magazine Won’t Feature Oprah on the Cover
USA Today: For the first time in 20 years, Oprah Winfrey will not be gracing the cover of her monthly magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine. Instead, Breonna Taylor will take over the cover in an issue focused on anti-racism. Taylor was fatally shot by police who stormed...
Conde Nast: Vanity Fair Editor of Media-Tech Vertical Dies
Vanity Fair: John Homans, who died this week at 62 after an illustrious career in print and digital magazines, was a "brilliant editor," says Radhika Jones, editor in chief of Vanity Fair. Homans "understood the true meaning of the phrase 'Vanity Fair,' and that's...
Consumer Reports Editor to Depart During Transformation
Talking Biz News: Diane Salvatore, editor in chief of Consumer Reports magazine for the past six years, has left the publication. She has been editor in chief since May 2015. Consumer Reports says: "We are changing the leadership structure of our print publications to...
Ebony, Jet Magazines Set for Bankruptcy Battle Next Week
New York Post: The battle for control over Ebony and Jet magazines is coming to a head in federal bankruptcy court in Texas next week. The publisher of the two storied publications, which have chronicled black culture in America for more than 75 years, is facing a...
BuzzFeed Ramps Up Commerce with Website for Shopping
Wall Street Journal: BuzzFeed has introduced a standalone website called BuzzFeed Shopping that lets visitors complete purchases without going anywhere else. BuzzFeed earns an average commission of 25% on direct sales, with partner Shop Bonsai receiving a portion of...
Apple, Amazon CEOs Face Hostility in US Antitrust Hearing
CNET: Four of America's richest and most powerful tech CEOs faced a combative audience at the US House of Representatives' antitrust subcommittee Wednesday, taking harsh questions about alleged predatory business practices, theft of digital content and aggressive...
Disney’s ABC Preps for Broadcast of Virtual Emmy Awards
Variety: No surprise, but the 2020 Emmys are going virtual. Shortly after the nominations were announced, this year's Emmy executive producers — including host Jimmy Kimmel — sent a letter to key acting nominees informing them that this year’s ceremony will be...
Comcast’s Universal Deal to Forever Change Movie-Going
Bloomberg Opinion: That sound you just heard is a window shattering, and Comcast billionaire Brian Roberts is holding the brick. Comcast's Universal Pictures is chopping the theatrical window to 17 days as part of a game-changing agreement with AMC, the biggest...
Netflix Acquires Rights to Seven Classic Black TV Sitcoms
Shadow and Act: Netflix has landed the streaming rights to several iconic Black sitcoms from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The streaming giant has landed "Moesha," "The Game" (the CW years, seasons 1- 3), "Sister, Sister," "Girlfriends," "The Parkers," "Half &...
Disney’s Beyoncé Streaming Special to Become ‘Event TV’
CNET: Beyoncé's new visual album, "Black Is King," will debut on streaming service Disney Plus this Friday. As always when it comes to Beyoncé's visual projects, we expect this to be event TV for the streaming age -- a Disney exclusive to rival "Hamilton," which...
ViacomCBS Plans 2021 Rebrand of CBS Flagship Streamer
CNBC: ViacomCBS is adding 70 TV series to CBS All Access on Thursday and will continue to move shows from Viacom's cable networks into the company's flagship streaming service in the coming months before officially rebranding it in 2021. The new name for CBS All...
Fox Corp’s News Channel is Ungrateful to Me, Trump Says
Daily News: President Trump lashed out at Fox News again, accusing the right-wing cable channel of being ungrateful and unwatchable. "It is AMAZING in watching Fox News how different they are from four years ago. Not even watchable," Trump tweeted. "They totally...
Vice Media Names Exec for New Role in Global Distribution
Broadband TV News: Vice Media has appointed Bea Hegedus SVP, global head of distribution. In the newly created role she will lead the company's global distribution and licensing strategy with a focus on building new US domestic and international...
Spotify Subscribers Hit 138 Million as Streaming Rebounds
Reuters: Spotify missed quarterly revenue expectations on Wednesday and forecast a soft current quarter, due mainly to a decline in ads as the COVID-19 pandemic kept advertisers at bay. The results overshadowed a rebound in demand for music streaming as more users...
ByteDance’s TikTok CEO Bashes Facebook on ‘Patriotism’
CNBC: Kevin Mayer is accusing Facebook of using patriotism as an unfair way to attack the Chinese-owned consumer app. "At TikTok we welcome competition. We think fair competition makes all of us better," the TikTok CEO said in a blog note posted...
Hearst Magazine Staffers Vote to Form Union Amid Tumult
New York Post: For the first time in its 133 year history, Hearst magazines have a unionized editorial workforce, after voters opted to be represented by the Writers Guild of America East by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The final tally was 241 votes in favor of the union...