Gannett Staffers in Small Missouri Town Seek to Form Union
Ozarks Independent: The journalists and staff of the Springfield News-Leader in Missouri have announced the formation of the Springfield News Guild, and will be taking steps to unionize their newsroom. The move comes in response to “faraway executives” ordering “cut...
Maven Sees Mass Layoffs at Sports Illustrated as Necessary
New York Post: The editorial staff of Sports Illustrated is still on edge after wrenching changes that axed nearly 50 people in October, but Maven, the new operator of SI, insists the moves are already adding to the bottom line. “Overnight, Sports Illustrated’s...
Conde Nast Former Editor Joins New Healthy Food Website
New York Post: Moviefone co-founder Adam Slutsky is launching a healthy food site to focus on plant-based eating and dining — and has hired Lucy Danziger, a former top editor at Conde Nast's Self, to oversee the venture, called...
G/O Media Taps Meredith Journo for New Editor of AV Club
MediaPost: Patrick Gomez is the next editor-in-chief of the A.V. Club, G/O Media’s entertainment and pop-culture news site. Gomez will oversee all editorial operations for the site. Prior to A.V. Club, Gomez was a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly and senior...
Study: ‘Media Capital’ New York City Faces Decline in News
CJR: Despite its designation as a global media capital, New York City has experienced many challenges to its local news sector. Shuttered newsrooms, mass layoffs and ownership consolidation have resulted in a serious decline in the city’s news coverage....
Disney Streaming Business Valued at More Than $100 Billion
CNBC: Disney’s streaming business (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+) is already being valued by investors at more than $100 billion, according to an estimate by Barclays, showing that investors have high confidence less than two months after Disney+...
Netflix Rules Over Video Streamers Yet to See Reliable Profits
Bloomberg Businessweek: No major subscription provider generates reliable profits from streaming video. The king, Netflix, has borrowed $13 billion as the cash it spends on programming exceeds the subscriber fees. Disney says that Hulu won’t turn a profit until 2023...
Amazon Says Streaming Device Fire TV Nabs 40 Million Users
Reuters: Amazon said on Monday its streaming device, Fire TV, has surpassed 40 million active users globally. Streaming devices such as Apple TV, Chromecast and Fire TV that bundle together content from different streaming platforms have gained...
Google Begins Privacy Overhaul for Kids Videos on YouTube
Bloomberg: YouTube will overhaul its systems to comply with a landmark privacy ruling, a move that could dent revenue for the Google video giant and thousands of its creators. Google settled with USregulators in September for violating laws on collecting data from...
ViacomCBS Shakes Up Leadership at Viacom Digital Studios
Variety: ViacomCBS has changed up the leadership of Viacom Digital Studios: Kelly Day, who has served as VDS’s president since its inception over two years ago, is exiting the role. Stefanie Schwartz, a 20-plus year Viacom veteran, has been named EVP and general...
Fox News Streamer to Aid Comeback of ’60 Minutes’ Veteran
Los Angeles Times: Lara Logan, the veteran foreign correspondent and former CBS News star, has started rebuilding her career as the host of a new documentary series — “Lara Logan Has No Agenda” — debuting on the Fox News-operated streaming service Fox...
Sony Unveils Car Prototype Offering Next-Gen Entertainment
CNET: Sony took Las Vegas by surprise on Monday when it used its CES press conference to bring a concept car out on stage. Built to showcase and test its new connected car platform Vision-S, the electric car is just a prototype. The car was built by Sony's AI and...
Samsung Rolls Out Yellow-Ball ‘Life Companion’ Called Ballie
MarketWatch: Samsung has seen the personalized technology of the future — in the shape of a yellow softball-sized robot called Ballie. In a keynote speech at CES 2020, company executive H.S. Kim demonstrated what he called the “next evolution of IoT (internet of...
IAC Raises Eyebrows Over $9 Million Pay for Clinton Daughter
The Hill: Chelsea Clinton has reaped $9 million in compensation since 2011 for serving on the board of IAC/InterActiveCorp, a media and internet investment company that has an ownership stake in 150 well-known brands, such as Vimeo, Tinder, Angie’s List, and Home...
Fox, News Corp’s Murdoch Clan is ‘Loving’ HBO ‘Succession’
Daily News: Actor Brian Cox won a Golden Globe for his role in HBO’s “Succession" Sunday night and revealed Rupert Murdoch’s son-in-law recently asked him to “go easier” on the media mogul’s family. “We’re loving your show,” the man said, according to...
Vice Media Writes Down Value of Global Arm Amid Concerns
Financial Times: Vice Media has written down the value of its international subsidiary, Vice UK, blaming "Brexit uncertainty" for its losses widening in 2018 during an unforgiving year for digital publishers. The numbers highlight serious challenges facing the US...
Hallmark Cards to Slash 400 Jobs in Plan for Transformation
Kansas City Star: Hallmark Cards will reduce its global workforce by some 400 people as it undergoes a wider “transformation,” execs announced. “The way people shop and the competitive dynamics in the marketplace are changing at a pace that is having a significant...
Gannett Seeks New Chief Financial Officer as Exec Preps Exit
USA Today: Gannett said Monday that Alison “Ali” Engel is stepping down as chief financial officer of the media company at the end of the first quarter to pursue other opportunities. Gannett’s board of directors has begun a process to identify someone to fill the...
Maven’s Sports Illustrated Staffers Reveal Effort to Unionize
Washington Post: The staff of Sports Illustrated plans to unionize, saying it wants a greater say in the future of the magazine and raising concerns about the magazine’s direction under its new operator, Maven. “Decisions made by new management have put SI’s...
Hearst Magazine Columnist’s Lawsuit Faces Block by Trump
New York Post: President Trump is seeking to dismiss the defamation lawsuit brought against him by a journalist who accuses him of rape, arguing in a filing that New York courts have no jurisdiction over him. Elle magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll sued Trump in...
Conde Nast Expat Resurfaces in Global Position at L’Officiel
WWD: It’s onto the next for Stefano Tonchi. The former editor of W — where he reigned for a decade before a conspicuous fallout last year with its former owner Conde Nast that led to his ouster, his filing a lawsuit and Conde a countersuit (both ongoing) — has a new...
Meredith Mines Data with New Contextual Ad-Targeting Tool
Digiday: Meredith is rolling out new ad units with targeting based on a mix of content viewed on Meredith sites and location and time data. Meredith said the targeting relies on mixing its own first-party data with retailer product...
Bustle Digital Nabs Hearst Veteran for New Fashion Director
WWD: Emma Rosenblum has looked to a familiar face as she attempts to beef up Bustle Digital Group’s fashion offerings. The editor in chief of BDG’s lifestyle arm has tapped Tiffany Reid for its newly created fashion director role. The two both previously worked at...
AT&T, Comcast, Quibi Look to Bring Streaming Wars to CES
CNET: Every year, CES draws the tech-obsessed to gawk at fancy televisions and off-the-wall gadgets. This year, though, the conference's long-running media sideshow is flooding onto the main stage, including two keynotes by companies vying to shape the future of...
Comcast’s ‘1917’ Nabs Golden Globes in Big Upset to Netflix
Los Angeles Times: Going into the 77th Golden Globe Awards with deep pockets and something to prove, spendy streamer Netflix missed out on its shot at a coveted and historic prize: Best picture. Universal’s WWI drama “1917” scooped the prize for best picture,...
Google, Facebook Surpass Media as Tenants in New York City
New York Times: Among companies in tech, advertising and media, Google and Facebook are now New York City’s largest tenants, beating out legacy companies like Conde Nast, News Corp. and WarnerMedia. Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google will soon have 20,000 workers in...
Facebook’s Zuckerberg is Caught Shopping at Costco by TMZ
TMZ: Mark Zuckerberg has more money than one could ever possibly spend, but he's still pinching pennies ... and his hunt for a bargain brought him to Costco. The Facebook founder and CEO was photographed in the TV aisle of the budget store in Mountain View,...
Fox News Expat Carlson at Work on New Interview TV Series
Deadline: Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson is returning to the interviewer’s chair as part of a deal with Blumhouse Television, the studio behind Showtime’s "The Loudest Voice." Carlson has partnered with the indie studio to develop an interview...
iHeartMedia Re-Ups Limbaugh in Long-Term Radio Contract
CNN: "The Rush Limbaugh Show" will continue well into the new decade. Limbaugh, whose contract was due to expire later this year, has renewed his deal with syndication company Premiere Radio Networks, a division of the radio giant...
News Corp to Offload Video-Ad Firm Unruly at Huge Discount
Sky News: News Corp. is to sell the video advertising platform Unruly at a huge discount to the price it paid for the business in 2015. The company has reached a provisional deal with Tremor International, a London-listed ad-tech company, to offload...