Facebook Must Divest Social Media Buys, US Says
Associated Press: The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states have accused Facebook of becoming a social media monopoly by illegally squashing competition by buying up its rivals. Prosecutors called for Facebook to unwind Instagram and WhatsApp and for new...
Facebook Ready for Flood of US Antitrust Lawsuits
Washington Post: More than 40 attorneys general and the US government are preparing to file antitrust lawsuits against Facebook on Wednesday, alleging that the tech giant engaged in unlawful, anticompetitive tactics to buy or kill off its...
Google, Facebook Must Pay for News, Australia Says
Reuters: Australia has finalized plans to make Facebook and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has been strongly opposed by the internet giants. "The world is...
Apple Unveils Its Own Pricey Over-Ear Headphones
Bloomberg: Apple has launched its first over-ear headphones, entering a competitive market dominated by rivals such as Bose and Sony, and expanding its push into accessories to supplement revenue generated by its signature iPhone. The $550 headphones include wireless...
Netflix, Disney Likely Winners in Global TV Industry
Business Insider: The global TV industry will be redefined in the next 10 years, UBS analysts predicted in a new 67-page report. The report sketched out the evolution of the industry thus far, and said it's approaching a new era that will be shaped by...
Disney Chief Rejects Presidential Bid Citing Family
CNBC: When Bob Iger first discussed running for president with his wife, Willow Bay, she told him, "You can run for anything you want, but not with this wife." She broke out into tears," Iger said. "She basically said it will ruin our...
AT&T, Comcast Execs See Streaming User Growth
Bloomberg: AT&T's HBO Max and Comcast's Peacock saw a surge in sign-ups in recent months, an indication they're gaining some momentum in an uphill fight against Netflix and Disney. The two media conglomerates are playing...
ViacomCBS CEO Predicts Film Release Shake-Up
Streamable: While ViacomCBS may not be going the same route as WarnerMedia, CEO Bob Bakish believes the current model of releasing films is bound to change. "As we look at emerging from this Covid world, its pretty clear that the theatrical windows will get...
Fox Corp Issues Warning to Potential News Rivals
Hollywood Reporter: Fox Corp CFO Steve Tomsic has a warning to Donald Trump or anyone else looking to launch a new conservative cable news network to cut into the audience share of Fox News. "We don't take lightly the potential for...
Newsmax Looks to Beat Fox News with Streaming
Fast Company: "Why would you subscribe to Fox when you can get Newsmax for free? We now have a Fox lookalike — maybe we're arguably better than Fox in some ways — and [viewers] don't have to pay $1,500 a year for the damned cable...
Redbox Offers Free On-Demand Streaming Service
Deadline: Redbox has launched Free On Demand, an ad-supported streaming destination promising hundreds of titles that are "curated to the tastes of Redbox audiences." Redbox said the mix will cover "fan favorites, cult classics and popular...
SiriusXM Extends Contract Deal with Howard Stern
Associated Press: Howard Stern has reached a five-year deal with SiriusXM to continue making his show for the satellite radio company through the end of 2025. Terms were not disclosed. Forbes has reported that Stern was already making $90 million a...
McClatchy Tries Ad-Free News in Tie-Up with Scroll
Nieman Lab: A little less than a year after launch, Scroll is partnering with McClatchy to experiment with bundling subscriptions to its ad-free network. Eight McClatchy publications will offer an ad-free version of their site to Scroll...
Hearst Founder’s Story Resurfaces in Netflix Movie
Screen Rant: How did William Randolph Hearst, portrayed by Charles Dance in the new Netflix film "Mank," react to his depiction in "Citizen Kane"? Orson Welles's 1941 classic isn't an official biopic of the American businessman's...
Conde Nast Seeks Diversity at Interior Design Title
MediaPost: Architectural Digest has unveiled its annual AD100 list, highlighting the top 100 design and architecture firms in the world. This year's list features more women, more people of color and more firms from different geographical locations than past lists,...
Mondadori Taps WSJ Alum for Editor of US Grazia
Daily Front Row: WSJ. Magazine vet David Thielebeule has been appointed editor in chief and chief creative officer of the US edition of Grazia, overseeing content strategy and development across the brand. Mondadori Group, the largest publishing house in Italy, made...
Abrams Media Preps Website for Whiskey Drinkers
Variety: Dan Abrams is eager to turn a burgeoning interest in bourbon and whiskey into a new line of business. The entrepreneur and legal journalist's Abrams Media has acquired the spirits review site t8ke.review and will use it to launch a new online resource called...
Axios Plans Launch of Local Edition in Des Moines
Adweek: Axios is in the process of setting up local news bureaus in Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Tampa. Each newsroom will start with two local reporters. Ultimately, these local bureaus will serve as regional versions of Axios's brand of short, to-the-point...
Adweek Taps Chief Content Officer, Editor in Chief
Adweek: Adweek CEO Jeff Litvack has announced a shift in editorial leadership. Lisa Granatstein has been promoted to chief content officer, responsible for Adweek content across the business. Stephanie Paterik has been promoted to editor in chief, tasked with leading...
Google Plots Cutting Off Australia Over News Pay
Australian Financial Review: Google engineers have been working on a secret project to exclude Australians from updates to its search function if the company does not agree with proposed laws to regulate how it deals with news...
Facebook CEO Lets Loose Surfboarding in Hawaii
New York Post: Pandemic got you down? Don't worry, Mark Zuckerberg's still out there surfing — er, Hydrofoiling. The Facebook founder, whose personal net worth increased by 46% during the coronavirus pandemic, hit the waves in Hawaii over the...
Apple Founder’s Daughter Makes Debut as Model
Vanity Fair: Steve Jobs's youngest daughter Eve is the latest celebrity offspring to try her hand at a modeling career, making her debut in the new holiday advertising campaign for Glossier. The 22-year-old stars in the self-photographed imagery for the beauty...
Amazon in TV Production Deal with Margot Robbie
Variety: LuckyChap Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon. Under the deal, LuckyChap's Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime...
AT&T’s Streaming Release Plan Angers Film Stars
New York Times: WarnerMedia has called its hybrid movie distribution plan a one-year-only strategy. But most people in Hollywood believe it will prove permanent. Hollywood Reporter: "Their decision makes no economic sense," said filmmaker Christopher...
Comcast Promotes Exec to New Leader of MSNBC
NBC News: Rashida Jones will become president of MSNBC, and the current president, Phil Griffin, will step down after 25 years at the cable news channel. Jones is a senior vice president at NBC News and MSNBC, where she leads breaking news and major events...
Fox Corp Taps Managing Editor for News Channel
Deadline: Tom Lowell has been tapped as executive vice president and managing editor of news at Fox News, where he will oversee all daytime news editorial and news resources. Lowell joined the network in 2003 and has a variety of production...
Vivendi’s Universal Music Buys Bob Dylan Catalog
Associated Press: Bob Dylan has sold publishing rights to his catalog of more than 600 songs, one of the greatest treasures in popular music, to Universal Music Publishing Group. Industry experts have suggested the sale is in the range of $300 million to a...
iHeartMedia Signs Deal with Charlamagne tha God
New York Post: Charlamagne tha God has signed a new, lucrative five-year deal to remain with iHeartRadio. This means that Charlamagne will stay on as host of the nationally syndicated "The Breakfast Club" — plus iHeartRadio is giving him an expanded...
Roundup: Media, Ad Experts Give Outlook for 2021
Forbes: "The old rules no longer apply: Consumer expectations are driving the industry towards new future-proofing opportunities and structures. In order for brands to succeed in a platform world, they must be digitally-resilient and have the infrastructure to...
Publicis Sees a Faster-Than-Expected Ad Recovery
World Screen: Zenith has revised its advertising forecast for this year, projecting a 7.5 percent decline, an improvement on the company's previous warning of a 9.1 percent drop in 2020. Global adspend will reach about $587 billion this year, Zenith...