ViacomCBS Revamps PlutoTV Apps Amid Marketing Effort
Fast Company: PlutoTV, the free streaming video service owned by ViacomCBS, is revamping its apps as it rolls out a major marketing push. PlutoTV mimics the channel-surfing experience of cable, with more than 250 live streaming...
Disney’s FX Begins Exclusively Streaming Shows on Hulu
Engadget: We knew this was coming, as last fall, FX announced that Hulu would become its official streaming home. For the most part, new episodes will air on their respective FX channels and land on Hulu the next...
DAZN Sports Streamer Readies Global Push to Beat ESPN+
CNBC: DAZN CEO John Skipper is making a big move to take on ESPN+, which he ran until 2017. Skipper announced Monday that the streaming sports service will expand to more than 200 markets around the world, seeking a "first mover...
iHeartMedia CEO Says Mass Layoffs Boost Station Quality
Radio World: Analysts have raised the issue of whether iHeartMedia's ratings could be hurt following all the staff cuts. "We don't think the quality will go down," said CEO Bob Pittman. "But rather it will go up. Distance is no longer an issue in our...
Warner Music Delays IPO Amid Jitters About Coronavirus
Reuters: Warner Music Group and Cole Haan have abandoned plans to kick off their initial public offerings early this week, making them the most high-profile financial casualties of the coronavirus outbreak among U.S. companies pursuing stock market...
Spotify Asks Labels, Artists for Money to Advertise Songs
Bloomberg: Spotify is asking record labels and artists for money to advertise their songs within its app, arguing that they'll reach new fans and increase their popularity. The effort is controversial because it’s complicating wider talks over long-term music...
Netflix to Launch Major Comedy Festival in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times: Netflix announced the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, with 100 performances from some of comedy’s biggest names across 20-plus Los Angeles venues. The event culminates in a tribute to George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers and Robin...
Amazon Hires More New Yorkers Than Google, Facebook
Crain's New York Business: Amazon hired 1,700 people in New York City last year, by one count, bringing on more New Yorkers than Google and Facebook combined. The three tech giants added the most New Yorkers to their ranks last...
Google, Poynter Team Up on Social Video to Reach Youth
News and Tech: The Poynter Institute and Google News Initiative are partnering on a program called VidSpark. The project will help three local newsrooms reach young audiences through social video storytelling. "Smart, creative video storytelling may be a real...
Report: Media News Giants Issue Coronavirus Restrictions
Daily Beast: Major U.S. newsrooms are scaling back travel and asking journalists to take precautions in the wake of the spread of coronavirus. Leaders at the biggest newsrooms have sought to allay worries while asking reporters to limit overseas...
New York Times Expects Digital Ad Toll from Coronavirus
Reuters: The New York Times said on Monday it expects digital ad sales to decline 10% in the current quarter due to uncertainty and anxiety about the coronavirus outbreak. The Times has seen a decline in digital ad revenue for three straight...
Tribune Yet to Find Chicago Savior Despite Journos’ Pleas
New Yorker: Chicago Tribune investigative reporters David Jackson and Gary Marx have been trying to find someone to pluck the newspaper away from Alden Global Capital. Thus far, no one has stepped forward to save the...
Hearst Former Editor’s Website Tries News-Inspired Fiction
Nieman Reports: The Chronicles of Now, which launched Monday, marries fiction and journalism. Publishing short stories inspired by news headlines, the site invites readers overwhelmed by the news to take a fresh look at what is going on in the...
Meredith Touts Ranking as No 1 Lifestyle Property Online
PRNewswire: Meredith announced that Comscore has ranked Meredith Digital as the No. 1 lifestyle property online. According to the January 2020 data, Meredith Digital is also one of only four lifestyle properties to surpass 1 billion total monthly...
Disney’s New CEO Move Signals Likely Executive Shakeup
Bloomberg: The appointment of Disney's new CEO is likely to set off a horse race among the company's management ranks. Who will be in charge of the creative vision of Disney after 2021, orchestrating the futures of Marvel, Fox and Mickey Mouse...
Fox Corp’s Murdoch Set for Feature Film Adaptation of ‘Ink’
Deadline: James Graham is working with Bron Studios to adapt his play "Ink" into a feature film. The Tony Award-winning "Ink" tells the story of a brash young Rupert Murdoch as he seeks to transform the fortunes of British tabloid newspaper the...
Comcast is Terrible, Image Must Be Destroyed, Trump Says
Philadelphia Inquirer: Speaking to thousands of his supporters at a campaign rally, President Trump vowed to "destroy" the image of Comcast, a company that once paid him to host a reality TV show. Trump also bashed NBC, the TV network he often accuses of...
ViacomCBS to Pay Sports Analyst Romo $17 Million a Year
New York Post: Tony Romo has agreed to the largest sports analyst contract in TV history. His new contract with CBS will pay him around $17 million per season, which is more than double the previous NFL high of $8 million per...
iHeartMedia Readies Spring Debut of Podcast with Clinton
Politico: Hillary Clinton plans to launch a new audio program in late spring, just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election. The yet-to-be-titled show will be co-produced by audio giant...
News Corp, Time Warner PR Veteran to Advise Bloomberg
Reuters: Gary Ginsberg, the global head of communications for SoftBank, has taken an indefinite leave of absence to advise Michael Bloomberg's U.S. presidential campaign. Ginsberg was a long-time top adviser to Rupert...
ViacomCBS: ‘Judge Judy’ to End as Host Plans New Series
Hollywood Reporter: "Judge Judy" is coming to an end after 25 seasons, host Judy Sheindlin says. At the same time, she isn't ready to hang up her gavel just yet. The syndicated court show host has hinted of a forthcoming series "Judy...
Twitter CEO is Targeted for Removal by Billionaire Investor
Bloomberg: Activist investor Elliott Management has taken a sizable stake in Twitter and plans to push for changes at the social media company, including replacing CEO Jack Dorsey. The New York-based firm has nominated four directors to Twitter's...
Netflix Shares Rise with Coronavirus ‘Stay at Home’ Assist
CNBC: Netflix is one of the top 10 performers in the S&P 500 as stay-at-home stocks fared better than the rest of the market while health officials ratcheted up warnings about the coronavirus. Netflix could "benefit in a world of quarantined...
ByteDance’s TikTok Becomes ‘Cable News’ for Teenagers
New York Times: US teenagers — many of them too young to vote — are forming political coalitions on TikTok to campaign for their chosen candidates, post news updates and fact check opponents. "TikTok is cable news for young people," said one 19 year...
Twitter, News Corp Put Curbs on Travel Over Coronavirus
MarketWatch: Twitter said it was suspending all non-critical company travel and events, due to the spreading coronavirus. CNBC: News Corp. has halted nonessential business travel for its employees due to concerns over the coronavirus...
New York Times in Talks to Acquire Podcast Studio Serial
New York Times: The New York Times is in exclusive talks to acquire Serial Productions, the podcast studio that has attracted 300 million+ downloads. The deal could form the basis for a new paid product that execs believe could become the HBO of...
Conde Nast’s GQ China Editor Exits Amid Sex Allegations
WWD: Ming Zeng, editorial director of GQ China, left the Conde Nast publication on Friday, according to a one-line announcement published by the magazine on its website. GQ China has been under scrutiny over the past...
Hearst UK Seeks to Turn Editorial Staffers Into Influencers
The Drum: Hearst UK has partnered with digital talent agency Sixteenth to better train and deploy influencers across its network, centering on its editorial staff. The publisher of 26 brands has created the Hearst Influence...
Pride Media Taps Editors for Out, The Advocate Magazines
New York Post: Financially wobbly Pride Media has tapped a new editor of Out magazine and named two insiders to be co-editors-in-chief of The Advocate. The appointments were made by Diane Anderson-Minshall, the third CEO at Pride Media in less than a...
Texas Tribune Hires Apple App Store Expat for New Editor
New York Times: The Texas Tribune, a digital news platform founded in 2009, has hired Stacy-Marie Ishmael, a digitally savvy journalist, as its new editorial director. Ishmael, 35, is a veteran of the Financial Times, BuzzFeed News and...