BuzzFeed Seeks Editor for Takeover of HuffPost
New York Post: BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti has finalized his company's acquisition of HuffPost. The search for a new editor-in-chief is expected to move into high gear now that a deal is done. "HuffPost will operate as its own distinct brand within BuzzFeed, and will...
Vox Media Finds Next Top Editor at The Atlantic
New York Times: Swati Sharma, a managing editor of The Atlantic, will be the next editor in chief of Vox.com, the Vox Media site known for explanatory journalism and podcasts, in a changing of the guard at the pioneering digital outlet nearly three months after two of...
Los Angeles Times Trims Choices for New Editor
Los Angeles: Upwards of 30 candidates have been vying for the executive editor job at the Los Angeles Times, but only a handful have survived the initial interviewing. The paper's owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, has reportedly engaged a high-powered New York...
Google Nears Deals for News Content in Australia
Sydney Morning Herald: Google has stepped back from a threat to shut down its search engine in Australia and is on the brink of striking deals with some of the nation's largest news organizations after months of hard fought negotiations over planned media bargaining...
Facebook to Take On Apple with Own Smartwatch
The Information: Facebook is said to be building a smartwatch it hopes to start selling next year. The watch will let wearers send messages using Facebook's services and also offer health and fitness features. Facebook's planned foray into smartwatches would inch the...
Amazon CEO, Girlfriend Face Paparazzi in Mexico
Daily Mail: Jeff Bezos has been spotted landing in Cabo San Lucas with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez for a romantic getaway following his announcement that he would step down as the CEO of Amazon. Bezos and Sanchez arrived at the luxurious Mexican vacation spot in a...
Netflix Nabs ‘Chappelle’ After Tiff with ViacomCBS
IndieWire: Dave Chappelle said "Chappelle's Show" is returning to stream on Netflix. The comedian has settled his fight with Comedy Central parent comedy ViacomCBS over a streaming license for the iconic sketch comedy series, which ran for three seasons on Comedy...
Disney’s Ousted Streaming Star to Join Daily Wire
Deadline: Less than 24 hours after her explosive ouster from Star Wars series "The Mandalorian" for incendiary social media posts, Gina Carano has hit back at her detractors and revealed a new movie project she is making with conservative website the Daily Wire. "I...
AT&T Hopes for HBO Max Boost from ‘Snyder Cut’
CNET: Zack Snyder's version of "Justice League" is almost here, and we've been gifted with an extensive new trailer for the HBO Max original, which arrives on March 18. The main difference between the streaming and the theatrical versions might just be the added...
ViacomCBS Preps a Populist Push for Paramount+
Bloomberg: ViacomCBS believes it can stand out from the streaming crowd by making what CBS chief George Cheeks calls populist programming. It wants to let HBO and Netflix compete for awards while it makes the kinds of shows that have made CBS the most-watched TV...
Vivendi Plots IPO for Universal Music by Year End
Dow Jones: Vivendi shares rose sharply after the European media giant said that it plans to distribute 60% of its subsidiary Universal Music Group's capital to shareholders and to spin off its profitable music label by year's end. "Vivendi's leading institutional...
Disney’s ABC Scolds Reporter for Covid Violation
Deadline: ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has been suspended for violating a company policy on Covid-19 safety. A spokesperson for the network declined to comment, as did Gutman. A source familiar with the situation said that Gutman was suspended for...
Fox Corp’s News Hosts Hit Back in Fraud Lawsuit
Associated Press: Three Fox News hosts — Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro — are seeking the dismissal of claims against them and their employer as part of a $2.7 billion libel lawsuit brought by a voting technology company. Bartiromo, Dobbs and Pirro, as...
AT&T to Eye Few Candidates for New Head of CNN
NBC News: As AT&T tries to position itself for a new era, the list of people who are seen as capable of running a major television news organization like CNN is short and mostly made up of the individuals who already have experience in similar jobs, according to...
ViacomCBS Lands Oprah Q&A with Harry, Meghan
People: Oprah Winfrey is sitting down with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Just one day after Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, announced they are expecting their second child, CBS revealed that Oprah is going to have an "intimate conversation" with the couple for a...
Spotify Workers Won’t Have to Return to the Office
CNBC: Spotify is the latest tech company to shift to a flexible work model following the Covid-19 pandemic. The streaming company announced it's adapting a "Work from Anywhere" model, which will allow employees to choose whether they want to be in the office full...
Parler Returns Online with Interim CEO, New Tech
The Verge: The alternative social network Parler has reopened after a month offline with a new interim CEO: Mark Meckler, who previously cofounded the right-wing group Tea Party Patriots. The relaunch comes after Apple, Google, and Amazon suspended service in the wake...
Playboy Stumbles After Pivoting Away from Media
Quartz: Wall Street is evidently not impressed as Playboy tries to write a future very different from its past as the publisher of an iconic men’s magazine. The company is in the midst of a pivot away from some of the pillars its business has relied on, such as media...
Meredith, Hearst Turn Magazines Into Bookazines
CNN: In recent years, "bookazines" — a blend of books and magazines — have become more crucial to publishers' success. Meredith's most recent earnings report specifically singled out bookazines, which are usually presented as single-topic, in-depth magazines often...
Conde Nast Encourages New Voices at Magazine
Forbes: Dawn Davis, the new editor in chief of Bon Appétit, aims to champion diversity and shine a light on underrepresented voices as she upholds the brand's 64-year legacy. "Through storytelling, we can leverage the brand's reach to spotlight talent and voices...
News Corp’s WSJ Sends Trump Warning to GOP
TheWrap: The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch, argued Sunday night that although the Senate didn'tconvict Donald Trump in the trial over his second impeachment, the former president will never recover. The editorial also made it clear that anyone still...
New York Times Faces Threat from Media Gossip
New York Post: "The constant harping and carping of media reporters has only made the environment more poisonous," according to former New York Times boss Jill Abramson. New York Times: The Times won't restart its Journeys travel business next year. The decision...
Politico Journalist Gets a Threat from Biden Aide
Vanity Fair: A White House official tried to quash a story about his relationship with a reporter by issuing threats and using derogatory language to another reporter pursuing it. White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo is dating Axios political reporter Alexi...
Abrams Media Founder Buys a New York Winery
Wine Spectator: ABC News chief legal analyst, author, Mediaite founder and longtime wine lover Dan Abrams has purchased the 40-acre Laurel Lake Vineyards estate on Long Island's North Fork. The purchase price was not disclosed. Architectural Digest: Measured and...
BuzzFeed Gets Buzz from ‘Create a Perfect Lover’
TechCrunch: A new BuzzFeed quiz is the first in what is hoped will be a series of "stunt-y experiments" that the publisher launches this year. The quiz, timed for Valentine’s Day weekend, promises to "create your perfect boyfriend (or girlfriend) using AI technology."...
Apple CEO is Master of Diplomacy, Nature Nerd
Bloomberg Businessweek: Allies and rivals alike praise Tim Cook's operational skills, diplomatic instincts and unflappable temperament. "Tim may not be able to design a product like Steve Jobs," said Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett. "But Tim understands the world...
Disney Says Streamer Disney+ is Growing Fast
Los Angeles Times: Disney said its marquee streaming service grew to nearly 95 million subscribers during the first quarter of its fiscal year, while the pandemic continued to weigh on the entertainment giant's finances. The Disney+ subscriber count of 94.9 million is...
AT&T Launches Streamer HBO Max Outside US
Reuters: Video streaming service HBO Max will launch in 39 regions across Latin America and the Caribbean in late June, in the first foray outside the United States. HBO Max, home to titles like "Wonder Woman 1984" and "Love Life," was launched in May last year and...
Fox Corp to Expand Live News Streams for Tubi
Deadline: Fox Corp streaming service Tubi is expanding the live news offering it debuted last fall, adding nearly 80 stations owned by Cox, Hearst, Scripps and Tegna. The 24-hour live feeds will join those of 17 Fox-owned stations and Altice USA’s News 12 New York in...
Discovery Plans Magnolia Debut on Discovery+
Associated Press: "Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines's Magnolia enterprise is finally coming to full bloom, with an app launch in July and the debut of a television channel in January 2022. Magnolia Network, which replaces the DIY Network, will feature...