Sinclair Plans App, Websites for Regional Sports Networks
Sportico: Sinclair Broadcast Group has turned to streaming service Deltatre to help build out the digital presence for its new stable of local sports networks. A new app and website are being built for Sinclair’s sports assets. The products will encompass 21 regional...
BBC to Debut Documentary Series About Rise of Murdochs
Express: The BBC will broadcast a special documentary series delving into Rupert Murdoch and his family. "The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty" will look at the media magnate from his humble beginnings to becoming one of the most powerful figures within the television and...
McClatchy Heading Toward New Ownership by Hedge Fund
New York Times: Bids for McClatchy were due last week. A likely outcome is that the newspaper chain will be owned by a New Jersey hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management. Under the deal, McClatchy, a publicly traded company, would go...
Hearst Ups Editor Bypassed for Top Job at Harper’s Bazaar
WWD: Joyann King, the longtime executive editorial editor of Harper's Bazaar's website, will take on the role of executive director of editorial business development for Town & Country and Elle Decor. King had been in the running to succeed Glenda Bailey as editor...
Conde Nast Posts Job Opening for Editor of Vogue Website
Conde Nast: Conde Nast has posted a job opening for the editor of Vogue.com. "The ideal candidate must demonstrate an understanding of the Vogue values of diversity, inclusion and sustainability." Stuart Emmrich announced his exit from the role last...
Forbes, Maven Among Media Getting US Coronavirus Loans
WWD: Bustle Digital, Newsweek, Ozy Media, and TheSkimm are among the companies that have received federal loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, aimed as an incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll amid the...
Crain Denies Report of Selling Flagship Publication Ad Age
MediaPost: Crain Communications has not put its flagship Ad Age up for sale, according to the trade title's publisher, in response to an online report that the 90-year-old magazine/website was on the block. The story, based on an unconfirmed tip, was "categorically...
Daily Wire Editor Steps Down at Conservative News Website
TheBlaze: Daily Wire, the conservative news and commentary site, is marking its five year anniversary with the announcement of a new editor-in-chief. Ben Shapiro, the prominent conservative commentator and co-founder of the Daily Wire, will be stepping...
Disney in Scramble for Revenue, Relevance Amid Upheaval
Washington Post: "Hamilton" has given Disney a much-needed win. But the fervor over the streaming production has concealed a complex set of challenges. With every passing day of coronavirus uncertainty and social upheaval, Disney finds itself scrambling not only for...
Fox Corp’s News Channel Loses Endorsement from Trump
Mediaite: President Trump has told television viewers to dump Fox News in favor of Newsmax or One America News Network after Wall Street Journal editor John Bussey weighed in on a Fox segment about the president's lagging performance in the...
Discovery in Deal to Acquire Tele5 TV Channel in Germany
Advanced Television: Discovery has acquired German entertainment channel Tele5 from media company Leonine and agreed to a long-term deal with the former owner for its scripted content. "This enables us to tap new target audience groups and expand our marketing...
ViacomCBS Plots a Reimagining of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’
World Screen: Comedy Central has inked an expansive deal with Emmy Award winner Mike Judge to reimagine MTV's animated comedy "Beavis and Butt-Head," as well as additional spin-offs and specials. Judge is set to write, produce and provide voice over for both iconic...
Disney Chief Posts a Response to Teen’s Video on TikTok
People: Bob Iger, the Disney executive chairman and former CEO, tweeted: "The world's gonna know your name!!!" in response to a TikTok video posted by a talented teenager taking on different looks of his "favorite heroes," including two Disney ones: a "Star Wars" Jedi...
Fox Corp Expat Murdoch in Line for Big Payday from Tesla
This Is Money: James Murdoch is in line for a near-£50 million payday at Tesla, joining directors who have made a fortune as the electric car pioneer has become the world's most valuable car company. The stock market value of Tesla last week overtook Toyota to hit a...
News Corp Braces for Overhaul by Executive from Australia
Australian Financial Review: Damian Eales, chief operating officer of publishing at News Corp Australia, is packing his bags for New York to take on the newly created role of global head of transformation. Eales will oversee an overhaul of Rupert Murdoch's...
Hearst TV Host Sees a ‘MeToo Moment’ for Journos of Color
New York Times: Soledad O'Brien: "As other journalists of color in these recent weeks have spoken up about their lack of representation and influence in newsrooms, and how that warps coverage, I know exactly what they’re talking about: how treatment leads to unfair...
Netflix Employs ‘Most Liberal’ Staffers of Tech Companies
CNBC: Netflix employees have sent 98% of their political contributions to Democrats, according to one analysis. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has donated to both Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden. Tech employees not only strongly favor Biden, they’re also funneling money to...
Google’s YouTube Slammed by Composer Over Copyrights
Bloomberg: Maria Schneider, a Grammy-award winning composer, has sued YouTube for failing to protect her and other "ordinary creators" from unauthorized copying and use of their work on the giant video-sharing platform. Small content providers "are relegated to manual...
Facebook Chiefs to Meet with Groups Pushing Ad Boycott
Bloomberg: Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg will meet with at least three civil rights groups on Tuesday after their organizations led an advertising boycott of Facebook. The social media giant and the groups didn’t disclose further details of the...
Pinterest Tests New Revenue-Share Model with Publishers
Digiday: Pinterest is testing a new advertising model, splitting revenue derived from a unique co-sales arrangement with publishers that will heavily feature video ads. But unlike previous video campaigns on the platform, high performing publishers will be creating...
Gannett Faces $500 Million Lawsuit Over Covid Test Story
Law360: Vivera Pharmaceuticals has hit Gannett, several execs and four USA Today reporters with a defamation lawsuit, alleging it has suffered over $500 million in damages because of a story that criticized its Covid-19 antibody tests and detailed its CEO's past...
Conde Nast ‘Mental Health’ Cover in Bad Taste, Critics Say
BBC News: Vogue Portugal has responded to criticism over its depiction of mental health treatment on a recent magazine cover saying its aim was to "shine a light" on the important issue. The "Madness Issue" features a woman in a bathtub in a hospital setting with a...
Hearst’s Cosmopolitan Publishes Cover with Bearded Lady
Kashmir Monitor: Harnaam Kaur, the British model of Indian descent famous for her full beard, has made it to the cover of the July issue of Cosmopolitan India magazine. Kaur has battled "endless abuse for her body and facial hair," the magazine...
Penske Media Sends Variety Leader to Diversity Specialist
Variety: Variety editor Claudia Eller took a voluntary leave after a terse social media exchange with a freelance reporter about newsroom diversity. A rep for Variety says Eller, who has led Variety's editorial operations since 2013, is "working with a diversity...
Vox Media, BuzzFeed Eye Opportunities in Sales of Sex Toys
Digiday: Online sales of sex toys have, well, risen during the coronavirus lockdowns. BuzzFeed and The Strategist have seen their own conversions on this product category increase during the pandemic. BuzzFeed is now considering launching a destination to find sex toy...
Air Mail Editors Look Back a Year After Newsletter Launch
Air Mail: "Even in these gloomy economic times, subscriptions continue to grow, our sponsors remain on board, and readers write in to express pleasure and delight," write Air Mail newsletter editors Graydon Carter and Alessandra Stanley. "Mostly, it turns out, they...
Disney Makes Bold Bet on Streaming Launch of ‘Hamilton’
Deadline: "Hamilton," the hottest show of its generation, opens Friday on the streaming service Disney Plus without a giant launch party or a massive media campaign. The "non-event" is an appropriate metaphor for the challenges facing Hollywood in launching new...
ViacomCBS Publisher Beats Bid to Squelch Trump Tell-All
New York Times: A New York appellate judge has ruled that Simon & Schuster could go ahead with its plans to release a tell-all book by Mary Trump, the niece of President Trump, reversing a lower court's decision from this week that had temporarily halted...
Fox Corp, Cox to Join Investors in Live-Streamer Caffeine
Bloomberg: Live-streaming website Caffeine has raised $113 million to invest in new forms of entertainment that users can watch and engage with in real time. The aim is to differentiate its programming from industry leaders Twitch and YouTube. Caffeine has had its...
Disney Strikes Deal for a Big Reveal Across TV, Streaming
Detroit Free Press: Ford Motor Co. will unveil the all-new Bronco SUV across Disney broadcast, cable, digital and streaming properties on July 13. Three custom three-minute films will air on ABC, ESPN and National Geographic. All three films will be available on...