AT&T-Time Warner: US Rests Its Case in Suit to Block Deal
CNNMoney: Government attorneys rested their case on Tuesday in their lawsuit to block AT&T’s $85 billion purchase of Time Warner as the two company’s top executives prepare to testify. On Wednesday, both Jeff Bewkes and John Stankey will take the...
Time Warner Taps Spielberg for Revival of DC Comics Films
Bloomberg: Is Steven Spielberg the superhero Warner Bros.’ needs? The Time Warner film unit has recruited the auteur often credited with creating the summer movie blockbuster to produce and possibly direct his first DC Comics film. “Blackhawk,” based on a comic book...
Disney’s ESPN+ Video Streaming Service Arrives on Roku
CNET News: When ESPN+ launched last week it was missing the ace of the streaming hardware rotation -- Roku. Now Roku, the most popular streaming platform, has an updated ESPN app that includes a section dedicated to ESPN+. That brings ESPN's new subscription service...
Google’s YouTube Staffers Receive Threats from Creators
Business Insider: YouTube managers had no way to predict Nasim Aghdam would go on a bloody rampage, but they had plenty of reasons to fear that someone like her might one day show up, say former employees. Aghdam's anger and paranoia aren't unique among...
Apple Plans to Debut Premium Subscription News Service
Bloomberg: Apple plans to integrate recently acquired magazine app Texture into Apple News and debut its own premium subscription offering. The move is part of a broader push by the iPhone maker to generate more revenue from online content and...
Disney’s ABC News Takes Over FiveThirtyEight from ESPN
Wall Street Journal: Statistics guru Nate Silver is leaving ESPN, but he’s staying under the Disney umbrella. FiveThirtyEight, the politics and news site Silver founded, is moving to Disney-owned ABC News after five years at sports broadcaster...
Fox Gives Hannity ‘Full Support’ After ‘Surprise’ Revelation
Associated Press: Fox News Channel said that it was as surprised as anyone to learn that Sean Hannity shared a lawyer with President Trump but that its popular prime-time host “continues to have our full support.” Hannity is a hot topic for journalism ethics experts...
AH Belo: Decherd Returns as CEO of Newspaper Publisher
Dallas Morning News: Jim Moroney will retire next month as chairman, president and CEO of the Dallas Morning News’s parent company. Effective in mid-May, Moroney, 61, will turn the corporate keys over to his predecessor, successor and cousin, Robert W....
Gannett to Stay On Sidelines, for Now, in Bidding for Tronc
New York Post: Despite widespread interest in Tronc, USA Today owner Gannett, at least for now, is staying on the sidelines. “Gannett is not going to think about it until they see how things shake out,” said one source close to...
Hearst Eliminates Editor in Chief Position at Bicycling Mag
Bicycle Retailer: Leah Flickinger has left Bicycling magazine, where she had been editor in chief since last April, following a long career with Rodale. On social media, Flickinger said her last day at the title was Friday. "My position was eliminated after Hearst...
Cheddar Live News Unveils Two Networks on YouTube TV
Axios: Cheddar, the streaming video network dubbed the "CNBC for millennials" is launching its original tech and business-focused news network and a new general news network, Cheddar Big News, on YouTube...
Digital Media to ‘Do More Harm Than Good’ in Next Decade
MediaPost: Nearly a third of digital experts predict the internet will do more harm than good over the next decade, in terms of its impact on the overall well-being of people. That’s the top finding of a canvassing of 1,150 industry experts conducted by the Pew...
Netflix CEO: We’re More Like a Media Company Than Tech
CNBC: Netflix's spending priorities are more typical of a media company than a technology one, according to CEO Reed Hastings. "We'll spend over $10 billion on content and marketing and a billion-three on tech. So, I mean, just objectively, we're much more of a media...
Disney Investor Sells Stake Over Rising Costs of Content
CNBC: The acquisition of sports content is becoming more expensive, affecting Disney's ESPN. In response, Boston Private Wealth, a wealth management firm, sold its shares of the media giant. "We're not really able to look at [Disney] and see that as a positive for...
AT&T Defends No-Blackout Offer at Trial Over Time Warner
Bloomberg: AT&T defended a proposal not to pull programming from rival pay-TV companies if it succeeds in buying Time Warner, even while competitors have rejected the plan as too risky....
Fox Lawyer Claims ‘Political Assault’ on Effort to Buy Sky
Hollywood Reporter: British regulators are engaging in a "political assault" on 21st Century Fox over its desire to purchase control of Sky, the group general counsel of the Rupert Murdoch-controlled company said in an opinion piece published in the Financial...
WPP Under Pressure to Release Probe Findings on Sorrell
Times of London: The world’s largest advertising agency is under pressure to publish the findings of an investigation into the conduct of Martin Sorrell after he abruptly ended a 33-year career at the helm of the company. Sorrell, 73, from WPP, is in line for a £19...
Viacom TV Networks Eye New Revenue Streams in Events
Adweek: Viacom has largely backed away from throwing mammoth upfront events, but during the rest of the year, the company has embraced them like never before for flagship networks BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Paramount Network. “Every flagship...
Disney’s ABC to Shuffle Lineup at ‘Good Morning America’
New York Post: “Good Morning America” is reshuffling its staff to capitalize on its recent success. Producers behind the ABC show want to focus on its winning team of Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, with both Amy Robach and Lara Spencer...
Fox News’s Hannity is Revealed as Client of Trump Lawyer
Reuters: President Trump’s personal lawyer was forced on Monday to reveal in a New York federal court that Fox News personality Sean Hannity, one of Trump’s most ardent defenders, was also on his client list. Michael Cohen disclosed Hannity’s name at the order of the...
Vice to Finally Make Debut in India After Delay of One Year
MediaNama: Vice Media, which was supposed to start its India operations in Q1 of 2017, is now finally live in India. For the past one year, the media company was hiring and prepping up for its India launch. The content on its website is a mix of text and...
iHeartMedia Opens Playlists to All Users with Playlist Radio
TechCrunch: iHeartRadio is adding a new feature for all users – both free and paid – that blurs the lines between streaming radio and the typically premium-only option of using playlists: Playlist Radio. The songs it plays are curated and programmed by radio DJs and...
Tronc’s Potential Buyers Include Softbank, Apollo, Gannett
Axios: SoftBank is among several possible buyers for newspaper publisher Tronc. This comes just days after a report that private equity firm Apollo is also kicking Tronc's tires. Financial buyers have mostly avoided newspapers in recent...
New York Times, New Yorker Among Pulitzer Prize Winners
MarketWatch: The New York Times was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes, including the award for public-service journalism. The Times shared the public-service award with the New Yorker for stories about allegations of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein and...
AMI Sees Online Boost from Men’s Journal-Fitness Merger
MediaPost: Men’s Journal claims its website has experienced 166% audience growth year-over year, increasing from 3 million monthly unique visitors to 8 million, now that online content from Men’s Fitness is getting rolled into Men’s...
Meredith Unveils Plans to Launch Fortune Magazine in Italy
Meredith News Release: Meredith is teaming up with "content factory" Magenta to launch Fortune Italy. The magazine will be distributed in Italy, Switzerland and Monte Carlo, and will cover a range of topics from the economy and politics, to technology, startups and...
Fox’s National Geographic Pushes Print in Major Redesign
Folio: National Geographic’s May issue will mark the unveiling of its most significant redesign in nearly two decades, increasing the quality of its paper stock, introducing a brand new front-of-book section, and creating even more room for photography and visual...
Players’ Tribune Pursues Entertainment Content, Licensing
Digiday: The Players’ Tribune wants to be known as more than a place where athletes go to write articles announcing their free-agency signings or retirement. The digital publisher is looking to diversify its revenue through entertainment content and...
WPP Chief Sorrell’s Exit from Ad Giant Sends Shockwaves
AFP: Martin Sorrell's dramatic departure as chief executive of WPP, the world's biggest advertising agency he founded 33 years ago, sent shockwaves through the marketing industry on Sunday. Sorrell, 73, stepped down suddenly, 10 days after WPP launched an...
CBS-Viacom: Redstone Isn’t Preparing to Remove Moonves
New York Times: A person briefed on Shari Redstone’s thinking, who was not authorized to speak publicly about private negotiations, said that Redstone isn’t preparing to oust Les Moonves, at least at the moment. “National Amusements has tremendous respect for...