AT&T, Disney Rethink Streaming Plans as US Stays Home
Wall Street Journal: WarnerMedia hoped to launch its new streaming service HBO Max next month with a reunion special for the hit comedy “Friends.” It won’t be ready. Also grounded is “The Flight Attendant,” a new drama starring Kaley...
Comcast Disrupts Theatrical Model with Release of ‘Trolls’
Wall Street Journal: With no big-screen options due to the coronavirus outbreak, Comcast’s Universal Pictures must largely skip the theater and release the animated sequel “Trolls World Tour” on digital platforms like its own...
Netflix Teases Racy New Show During Lockdown Success
Fox Business: Netflix is cashing in on the coronavirus quarantine with a new dating show that chronicles how scantily-clad singles get along while on a luxury beach vacation, with one caveat: they’re not allowed to get physical with each...
Apple, Google Team to Track Coronavirus via Smartphone
CNBC: Apple and Google announced a partnership on Friday in which the two companies will work together to provide tools that will help track the spread of coronavirus. Both companies will launch developer tools in May that will "enable...
Fox Corp, Disney, Comcast Hit Pause on Virtual Upfronts
Adweek: The TV advertising upfronts week is in the process of dissolving entirely this year, as most presenters have decided to delay their virtual events for several weeks, or rethink their plans...
Disney Preps ABC Family Singalong with Celebs at Home
Los Angeles Times: Disney announced that a “Disney Family Singalong,” featuring at-home performances from “Moana” actress Auli’i Cravalho, “Full House” alum John Stamos, and “Frozen” star Josh Gad is coming soon to...
Comcast Slates Movies for NBCUniversal ‘Stay-In Theater’
World Screen: NBCUniversal is rolling out “Stay-In Theater” family movie nights across its platforms, including USA, Telemundo, SYFY and E! The family movie night experience is available with limited commercial interruption, thanks to...
Discovery’s Food Network Offers Cooking for Quarantines
Variety: Amy Schumer is leaping from comedy to cuisine by testing out a new cooking series for Food Network. The Discovery-owned cable network will unveil an eight-episode series with the working title “Amy Schumer Learns to...
Vice Media Founder Kicks Off ‘Shelter in Place’ Interviews
Deadline: Vice TV has debuted "Shelter in Place with Shane Smith," a new half-hour weekly interview show hosted by the Vice Media founder. The series is produced through remote video interviews from Smith's home in Santa...
Playboy Unveils ‘Playboy Live’ After Shuttering Magazine
Ad Age: After the onset of the coronavirus forced Playboy to suspend publication of its storied print magazine last month, the media company rolled out a new digital format, “Playboy Live.” The new product features a series of real-time...
Conde Nast Gets Subscription Boost After Lifting Paywall
Folio: In mid-March, Wired joined fellow Conde Nast titles in opening up free access to its coverage of Covid-19, A few weeks later, the shift is predictably driving increases in traffic. Less predictably, Wired says it's seeing a boost to its subscription...
Hearst Content Chief Sees New Opportunities Amid Crisis
Digiday: Like every publisher, Hearst Magazines has had to adapt to creating content in an all-remote world, from putting out magazines to pulling off photo and video shoots. "My motto is 'enter smiling,'" says CCO Kate...
Meredith Editor Mulls Hunt for Snapchat, TikTok Audience
Mr Magazine: Stephen Orr, editor in chief, Better Homes & Gardens: "The magazine media world has been needing to dismantle old ways that are based on the past. Perhaps, you might say, the glory days of the New York magazine...
Conde Nast, Hearst Brace for Ad Losses in Fall Magazines
WWD: Unlike newspapers, the impact of the coronavirus crisis on advertising won’t immediately be seen in magazines since they have a lead time of around two to three months. Experts say the decline will be clearly visible by...
Maven Media Fires Writer During Spat at Sports Illustrated
Washington Post: The bloodletting at Sports Illustrated continued Friday when longtime soccer writer Grant Wahl tweeted that he had been fired. James Heckman, CEO of SI publisher Maven, emailed the SI staff with a personal attack on...
Valence Media Eyes Cuts at Hollywood Reporter, Billboard
TheWrap: The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard are set for deep staffing cuts by parent Valence Media in an effort to reduce personnel and headcount expenses by up to $10 million. The cuts are expected to rise to "$9-$10...
New Corp to Furlough Part-Time Staffers at New York Post
@maxwelltani: The New York Post has furloughed many of the part-time employees at the News Corp.-owned daily tabloid, according to sources. The Post is also said to be cutting overtime as well for some...
Report: US News Job Losses in Pandemic Surpass 28,000
New York Times: The news business was shaky before the coronavirus started spreading across the country last month. Since then, the economic downturn has led to pay cuts, layoffs and shutdowns at many news...
Craigslist Personal Ads Return for the Lonely in Lockdown
Daily Beast: Craigslist, usually a cluttered minefield of rental scams and dick pics, has become a bulletin board for coronavirus heartache. The personal ads have taken on a different tone; they’re sentimental, panicked, sad, and...
Apple, Netflix Talk with Scorsese to Rescue DiCaprio Film
Wall Street Journal: ViacomCBS's Paramount Pictures balked at the ballooning cost of Martin Scorsese's next big-budget film, "Killers of the Flower Moon." The director's reps have been holding talks with Apple, Netflix and others, as they seek a new...
Disney Furloughs Arrive at Media Conglom’s Film Studio
Deadline: Furloughs that Disney announced last week in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic have begun to cycle through the film studios. Disney has been hammered by a complete loss of revenue from its shuttered theme...
ViacomCBS Sets Up $100 Million Fund for Covid-19 Relief
Variety: ViacomCBS has launched a $100 million fund to provide support to the crew members, actors and filmmakers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the production shutdown caused by the coronavirus...
Fox Corp News Channel Host ‘On the Mend’ from Covid-19
Los Angeles Times: "Fox and Friends" weekend co-host Jedediah Bila is the latest TV news personality to test positive for Covid-19. Bila, 41, told her Instagram and Twitter followers Thursday that she is home...
AT&T’s WarnerMedia: Health Officials Will Return to CNN
CNN: Vice President Mike Pence's office reversed course after declining for days to allow top US health officials to appear on CNN and discuss the coronavirus, in what was an attempt to pressure the network into carrying White House daily briefings in...
Comcast’s NBC ‘Saturday Night Live’ Plans Remote Show
NBC News: "Saturday Night Live" will be back this weekend. The NBC comedy show will air remotely produced content in its usual Saturday time slot, 11:30 p.m. ET, a surprise return from its coronavirus-induced...
Sony Invests $400 Million in Chinese Video Website Bilibili
Reuters: Chinese video site Bilibili will receive a $400 million equity investment from Sony Corp America, as the two companies seek to collaborate in entertainment to attract China's Gen Z. Bilibili and Sony also will team in anime and video...
Snap Nabs Hulu Veteran to Oversee Ad Sales for Snapchat
Adweek: Peter Naylor, the svp and head of advertising sales at Hulu, is leaving the streaming service for a new role at Snap. Naylor will join Snap in a newly created position in which he will be responsible for growing the digital firm's advertising...
Amazon CEO Wears Face Mask During Visit with Workers
Fox Business: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos thanked employees working amid the coronavirus pandemic at Whole Foods and one of the company's fulfillment centers. "We're all incredibly proud of the thousands of our colleagues on the front...
Zoom Evolves Into a Social Network of Sorts Amid Covid-19
Bloomberg Businessweek: As billions of people around the world socially distance to blunt the toll of the coronavirus, those who still have jobs are trying to work them from home. To do so, they're turning to remote collaboration tools -- especially...
Yelp Lays Off, Furloughs 2,000+ Staff Due to Coronavirus
CNBC: Yelp announced Thursday it is laying off 1,000 employees and furloughing about 1,100 more citing impact from the Covid-19 pandemic. "We have had to make some incredibly hard decisions to reduce our operating...