McClatchy’s Saturday Newspapers to Go Digital-Only in 2020
Herald Sun: McClatchy newspapers will convert their Saturday print publications to digital-only editions next year, the company announced in its earnings call Wednesday. The company has moved or announced plans to move 12 of its newspapers to Saturday digital...
Maven’s Sports Illustrated to Reduce Print Output to Monthly
Yahoo Finance: Sports Illustrated was a weekly publication as recently as 2015. In 2020 it will become a monthly. The magazine reduced to twice per month in January 2018. Now, just two years later, it will cut again to one issue per month in 2020 — plus four special...
Benioffs’ Time Magazine Plots New Franchise with ‘100 Next’
E! Online: The first-ever Time 100 Next list is here. Piggybacking off the publication's annual Time 100 list, which recognizes the most influential public figures of the year, the Time 100 Next list highlights the 100 individuals shaping the worlds of entertainment,...
Meredith’s People Gets Legal After Us Weekly’s ‘Sexiest Men’
New York Post: People magazine is said to have sent a legal warning shot to Us Weekly after it published its own “Sexiest Men Alive” list in both print and online on Wednesday — hours after People revealed that John Legend is this year’s “Sexiest Man...
Disney’s New Streamer Dazzles – But Secret Weapon is Hulu
Bloomberg Opinion: Buzz about Disney+ has been building for some weeks. What’s gotten less attention is the crucial role Hulu plays in the company’s strategy. As part of Tuesday’s launch, consumers also now have the option of getting Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu together...
AT&T’s New Streamer Wants a Reunion Special for ‘Friends’
Hollywood Reporter: As mega-hit "Friends" continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary, sources say that the six core stars and the creators of the NBC comedy from Warner Bros. TV are in talks to reunite on HBO Max. Talks are currently underway for an unscripted...
Apple TV in Production-Deal Talks with Former Head of HBO
Wall Street Journal: Former HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler is in advanced talks to sign an exclusive production deal with Apple Inc.’s new TV+ streaming service. Under the terms of the agreement being discussed, Plepler’s new firm, RLP & Co., would create...
Netflix to Offer Season Opener of ‘The Crown’ for Free in UK
Variety: When Olivia Colman steps into the royal shoes of Queen Elizabeth II, viewers in the U.K. and Ireland will be able to watch for free as Netflix makes the eagerly awaited Season 3 curtain-raiser available gratis. The streaming giant will launch the series...
CBS Unveils Channels on Viacom’s Pluto TV Ahead of Merger
Broadcasting & Cable: As its merger with Viacom gets closer to completion, CBS is getting ready to launch streaming channels on Viacom’s Pluto TV ad-supported streaming service. “It's a win-win because it's greater distribution [for CBS content] and it's the top...
Comcast’s NBC Soap ‘Days of Our Lives’ on Indefinite Hiatus
TVLine: The sand appears to be leaking out of the hourglass. The producers of "Days of Our Lives" have released the entire cast from their contracts, with the venerable soap set to go on an indefinite hiatus. While the NBC sudser has not been cancelled, the...
Fox’s Murdochs Regard Carlson as Favorite on News Channel
Washington Post: Tucker Carlson’s approach is said to have gained the appreciation of the Murdochs, who have grown concerned over Fox News’s seeming alignment with President Trump. “[Carlson] is the most important thing in that place,” says a former exec. “He’s that...
iHeartMedia Announces Nominees for 2020 Podcast Awards
Variety: iHeartMedia has announced nominees for the 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, which return for a second run in January to honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts of the year. The 10 podcasts nominated for Podcast of the Year include the New York...
Bloomberg News Staffers Fear Layoffs Amid Rumors of Sale
Business Insider: Some Bloomberg News employees are nervous about possible layoffs, adding to uncertainty created by Michael Bloomberg's possible presidential run. There's already been a string of exits of senior journalists based outside the US and layoffs in the US...
Gannett-GateHouse Merger Faces Woes Amid Stock Decline
New York Post: A weakened deal to merge the ’s two largest US newspaper publishers heads to a shareholder vote on Thursday. And it’s expected to be approved — despite the concerns that has the proposed acquisition of Gannett by New Media Investment Group’s GateHouse...
New York Times, BuzzFeed Journalists Reveal Their Salaries
Bloomberg: Dozens of media employees have begun sharing a spreadsheet detailing salaries at different publications, seeking to shed light on pay disparities that could help some workers get a raise. The spreadsheet, whose creator is unknown, lists the title, company,...
Nikkei’s Financial Times Taps First Female Editor in 131 Years
New York Times: For the first time in its long history, the Financial Times will be led by a woman. On Tuesday, the daily known for its robust coverage of international markets, its distinctive salmon-hued paper and its impenetrable digital paywall, announced that...
Meredith’s People Tweets Interview with ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
USA Today: John Legend has been named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2019. The magazine went on a bit of a binge, tweeting out portions of Legend's sexy interview. The special issue features two different covers: one wet look, one dry...
Conde Nast Hosts ‘Women of Year’ After Glamour Exits Print
WWD: Glamour may have ceased its regular glossy print edition at the beginning of the year, but that didn’t stop the Conde Nast brand from doing what so many magazines have to do these days: hold a celebrity-filled awards ceremony. And given the times, it was a just...
Hearst Gives ‘The Crown’ a Digital Cover at Town & Country
MediaPost: Town & Country has released its first “digital cover” starring Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Princess Margaret in season 3 of the Netflix show “The Crown.” While some magazines that have shuttered their print editions have taken to publishing digital...
Atlantic Redesigns Print Magazine, Logo, Subscription App
MediaPpst: The Atlantic has unveiled a redesign, the most dramatic in its 162-year history, along with a new iOS app. Most notable within the redesign, readers will find a reimagined logo, a simple “A” in a commissioned typeface called Atlantic Condensed, inspired...
Allbritton’s Politico Readies Tech-News Site Called Protocol
Vanity Fair: “We used to say Politico was the ESPN of politics. I’d love for this to be the ESPN of technology.” That’s Politico owner Robert Allbritton, speaking about his forthcoming publication, Protocol, which will mark the arrival of his second major journalism...
Vox Media Makes Jump Into OTT with New Channel for Eater
Adweek: Vox Media is entering the OTT world with food-themed content produced by Eater. The publisher is repurposing programming for a new OTT channel under its restaurants and culinary vertical Eater, which is available to download on...
Google, Facebook, Amazon Prep for New Smart Glasses War
CNBC: Big Tech isracing to create smart glasses that we wear everywhere and that may replace our phones. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Snap, Facebook Apple, Magic Leap and others are all working on some form of smart glasses or...
Apple Streaming Exec Departs Ahead of Disney Rival Debut
Fox Business: AppleTV+ has been up and running for 10 days, and after a launch that was greeted with mixed reviews, there are already changes in the executive suite. Kim Rozenfeld is leaving as head of current scripted programming and unscripted...
Disney Streaming Service Launches Tuesday as ‘Big Winner’
World Screen: Five global platforms will have 529 million SVOD subscribers by 2025, according to Digital TV Research. Of these five global platforms — Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max — Disney+ will be the biggest...
Viacom to Launch 10 Vevo Channels on Streaming Pluto TV
Variety: Music television is back: Major label-owned music video platform Vevo is launching a series of linear channels for leanback viewing on Pluto TV, the ad-supported video service that got acquired by Viacom earlier this...
CBS Chief to Get $100 Million Severance and Still Keep Job
Bloomberg: CBS acting CEO Joe Ianniello is in line for a hefty haul when Viacom completes its proposed merger with the broadcast network. While he won’t get to lead the combined entity, he’ll collect $100 million...
Comcast NBC News Alum Kelly Fizzles in Digital Comeback
Showbiz 411: Megyn Kelly’s big comeback on You Tube and Instagram has fizzled. She’s scratched up just 22,000 followers on the latter, and a mere 6 subscribers on the former. Kelly’s homemade video looks...
Liberty Media on Hunt for New Opportunities in Podcasting
Wall Street Journal: Liberty Media plans to step up its bet on podcasts and is looking for opportunities to develop unique content that will draw in customers. The majority owner of Sirius XM believes consumers aren’t tapped out on...
Chernin’s Barstool Sports Founder Downplays Talk of Sale
The Outline: The Chernin Group, which holds a majority stake in the popular sports website Barstool Sports, is said to be exploring a sale of the site. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy downplayed a potential sale on his radio show...