AT&T’s New HBO Max is No Game Changer, Analyst Warns
CNBC: AT&T’s new HBO Max may be filled with DC superheroes, wizards, hobbits and Looney Tunes, but that may not be enough for investors. The new platform also faces tough comparisons with Disney+. "HBO Max's launch has thus far been notably less...
WWE Offers Free Version of Streaming Network Without Ads
Hollywood Reporter: A no-cost version of WWE Network launched Monday with more than 15,000 titles including episodes of "Monday Night Raw" and "Friday Night SmackDown." The free version will not be ad-supported at...
iHeartMedia Joins Limbaugh, Breakfast Club for Radio Spat
USA Today: Conservative radio's Rush Limbaugh and the progressive hosts of top-rated "The Breakfast Club" joined Monday to talk about George Floyd and the racial issues connected to his tragic death. The conversation was polite, but they agreed on...
Facebook Staffers Stage Virtual Walkout Over Trump Posts
CNBC: Hundreds of Facebook employees on Monday staged a virtual walkout to protest company policies regarding recent posts by President Trump. Employees took to Twitter to publicly announce their participation in the protest, referring to it with...
Snap CEO Calls for Reparations to Address Racial Injustice
The Information: Snap CEO Evan Spiegel called for the creation of a US commission to address racial injustice and comprehensive tax reform, saying in a lengthy note to employees that he was “heartbroken and enraged” by racism in...
ByteDance Nabs Former Conde Nast Office Space for TikTok
Commercial Observer: TikTok's parent company has signed a 10-year lease for 232,000 square feet at One Five One, the 48-story tower formerly known as Four Times Square. TikTok will have seven floors, two of which were previously for Conde...
Conde Nast CEO Receives Wired Appeal to Recognize Union
Talking Biz News: "Today marks 40 days since the Wired editorial staff announced our union. Since then, many of my colleagues have been laid off and received second-rate severance packages not befitting their contributions to...
News Corp Joins Publishers in Lawsuit Over Book Scanning
Associated Press: Four of the country's biggest publishers have sued a digital library for copyright infringement, alleging that the Internet Archive has illegally offered more than a million scanned works to the...
Gannett, Tribune Still Wobbly, But Bankruptcy ‘Less Likely’
MediaPost: Newspaper publishers face less risk of default than they did as recently as two months ago, when investors panicked over the coronavirus pandemic and its likely effect on the US economy. The industry still faces enormous uncertainty, but a recent report is...
Hearst Finds Big Spike in Astrology Interest at Cosmopolitan
MediaPost: Cosmo readers are deeply interested in astrology, according to an internal report. The brand has seen a huge spike in engagement with horoscopes, with a 67% increase in readership. As a result, Cosmo has launched some new strategies to help fuel that...
Maven Gets Social Buzz from Challenge at Sports Illustrated
New York Post: Sports Illustrated kicked off a #SwimsuitIconChallenge on social media last month, calling for ladies to rock their skimpiest suits in the name of mimicking seminal photos from the brand's nearly 60-year history. Even Carol Alt, a 1982 Swimsuit...
Analysis: Glossy Magazines on Crash Diet as Luxury Ads Thin
Bloomberg: The coronavirus is taking a steep toll on magazines and newspapers that relied on Europe’s luxury brands as a last bastion of already dwindling advertising spending. Stripped of a key source of revenue, fashion glossies have gone on a crash...
Apple CEO Hopes for a ‘Better World’ in Memo to Employees
CNBC: Tim Cook sent a memo to Apple employees Sunday addressing the killing of George Floyd. "We can have no society worth celebrating unless we can guarantee freedom from fear for every person who gives this country their love, labor and...
Disney Chiefs Seek ‘Real Change’ After George Floyd Killing
WDWNT: Disney's top executives released a statement to its employees regarding the murder of George Floyd and the ongoing protests. The letter is signed by Bob Iger, Bob Chapek and Latondra Newton. "There's something unique about what's...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia CEO Advises Learning from Killer Mike
Deadline: Jason Kilar sent a WarnerMedia-wide memo to convey his reaction to protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The CEO recommended staffers read or watch four stories, one of which was a speech by rapper Killer...
ViacomCBS Brands to Go Dark as Tribute to Racism Victims
Deadline: ViacomCBS announced that all entertainment and youth brands and platforms will be going dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which marks the time in which George Floyd was killed. The time will serve to recognize all victims of...
Netflix, Amazon Among Media Supporting Black Lives Matter
Hollywood Reporter: Netflix stood in solidarity with nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd on Saturday by sharing on its social accounts the "duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up."...
Google-YouTube Star Faces Backlash for Mall-Looting Video
BuzzFeed: Jake Paul turned up in social media videos on Saturday night during the looting of the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, Arizona. The YouTube personality denied participating in the vandalism. "I do not condone...
Report: Journalists Targeted in Attacks as US Protests Rage
Reuters: Over a three-day period, organizations that track press violence documented about two dozen attacks. What seemed like isolated attacks on the press at rallies and protests over the last few years has intensified as trust in media...
Comcast Mulls Addition of Right-Wing Talk Shows at CNBC
New York Times: NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is said to be considering turning CNBC's prime-time hours, currently occupied by "Shark Tank" reruns and business-focused reality programming like "The Profit," over to right-wing talk...
Fox Corp Boosts Stake in Sports-Wagering Company Flutter
Casino: Fox Corp. has increased its stake in FanDuel owner Flutter Entertainment, the world’s largest online gaming company. "Fox is bullish about the opportunities in the digital sports wagering market," said Fox CEO Lachlan...
Netflix Closes Deal to Buy Historic Hollywood Movie Theater
Los Angeles Times: Netflix has closed its long-in-the works deal to buy the Egyptian Theatre for an undisclosed sum from American Cinematheque. The deal marks the beginning of a new era for one of Los Angeles' oldest cinema...
Microsoft News Cuts 50 Editorial Employees at MSN Website
Seattle Times: Microsoft won't renew the contracts for dozens of news production contractors at MSN and plans to use artificial intelligence to replace them. The roughly 50 workers were told that their services would no longer be needed beyond June...
Conde Nast’s Wintour Wants a Woman of Color for Biden VP
The Hill: Anna Wintour called for Joe Biden to pick a woman of color as his running mate as soon as possible amid a wave of protests over the death of George Floyd. Biden must "assume the mantle of president in waiting," Wintour wrote in a Vogue...
Meredith Unveils #BeTheKind Campaign to Inspire Audiences
MediaPost: Meredith has launched a company-wide campaign called #BeTheKind, in an effort to bring its audience’s attention to acts of kindness during difficult times. The campaign was inspired by and builds upon content produced by Meredith...
Forbes Media Reveals Own Bad Reporting in ‘Billionaire’ Flap
Showbiz411: Forbes has unmasked its own bad reporting, publishing an article that contradicts its original piece, from 2019, declaring Kylie Jenner "the youngest billionaire" in the world. What the new article fails to admit is that Forbes started all this in the...
Conde Nast, Hearst Delay September Issues of Fashion Mags
WWD: Some publishers are pushing back the release dates of their most crucial issues of the year from August to September, allowing more time for ads to roll in. It will also give editors additional time to shoot models and celebrities, a difficult task during...
Hearst OKs Home Voting for Magazine Union Election in July
WWD: Hearst magazine staffers will get their election eight months after revealing their goal of unionizing. Staffers will be able to vote by mail, with ballots being sent out on June 12 as most employees work from home. The deadline to send them back is July...
BuzzFeed News Union Inks Work-Share Deal to Rescue Jobs
The Hill: The BuzzFeed News Union has reached a deal to cut salaries in an attempt to save jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The agreement will allow staffers to work 20 percent reduced weekly schedules with a 20 percent cut in pay through the end of...
Roundup: Media Pros See Subscriptions as Unlikely Panacea
Vanity Fair: News outlets with robust subscription businesses are feeling less pain in the current moment. But the model is unlikely to be a long-term solution, media professionals say. Advertising isn't "going away as a business model," says Vox Media CEO Jim...