Comcast, ViacomCBS Continue to Lay Off Staffers
Broadcasting & Cable: Layoffs are continuing at Comcast's NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS, with a new group of people losing their jobs on Wednesday. For NBCU, the staff cuts were the result of a restructuring announced earlier this...
AMC Cuts About 100 Workers in Shift to Streaming
Deadline: AMC Networks is letting go 10% of its US workforce, eliminating nearly 100 positions in a reorganization designed to streamline the company's linear and streaming operations. CEO Josh Sapan announced the cuts during a virtual town hall...
Fox Corp Hit with Lawsuit Over Trump ‘Propaganda’
Law360: Attorney Michael Avenatti has hit Fox News with a $250 million libel lawsuit claiming the network acted as a "propaganda arm" of the White House, alleging it worked to eliminate him as a threat to President Trump's reelection...
News Corp: Murdoch Speaks About Son’s Board Exit
Sydney Morning Herald: Rupert Murdoch has made his first public comments about the abrupt resignation of his son James Murdoch from News Corp's board, rejecting assertions the company denies climate change or that he did not consider his son's point of...
Sinclair to Rename 21 Sports Channels After Bally’s
New York Post: Sinclair and casino operator Bally's are teaming up to bet big on sports gambling. The goal, sources said, is for viewers to eventually be able to bet on games using a Bally's online gaming tool directly from their...
Yahoo Former CEO Unveils Consumer Apps Start-Up
CNBC: Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has announced the launch of Sunshine, a consumer software start-up that is debuting with an address book app that relies on artificial intelligence. Sunshine is Mayer's first venture and return to the...
Maven Raises $24 Million to Expand Media-Tech Firm
GeekWire: Maven, the Seattle-based media company that publishes Sports Illustrated, has raised an additional $24 million to help fuel expansion and reduce its debt. Maven has a coalition of more than 250 brands, including...
Hearst’s Oprah Magazine Plans Future After Monthly
O, The Oprah Magazine: "As I look forward beyond this final monthly print edition, my intention is to continue serving up what you most need now," writes Oprah Winfrey. "Onward to the next chapter! Stay tuned to OprahMag.com for everything you need to know...
Meredith Unveils People’s 2020 Sexiest Man on ABC
Associated Press: Michael B. Jordan has been crowned as this year's Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. The actor, known for his performances in "Fruitvale Station," "Creed" and "Black Panther," was revealed as this year's winner on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel...
Conde Nast ‘Shocked’ at Rejection by Kamala Harris
OK! Magazine: Vogue magazine "has been reaching out to Kamala Harris and her team offering her the cover. But for now, it has been a 'thanks, but no thanks.' Anna Wintour is shocked." Insiders add that the rejection is about...
McClatchy Top Editor to Depart for Nonprofit in Utah
Sacramento Bee: Lauren Gustus said she is leaving her position as editor of McClatchy's West Coast publications to take a leadership role with the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah. Gustus will become executive editor of the Salt Lake City news...
Boston Globe Owner to Take Over as Chief Executive
Boston Globe: Linda Pizzuti Henry has been named CEO of Boston Globe Media Partners, taking the reins after a seven-year run as managing director during which she helped accelerate the news organization's move into digital...
Forbes Faces Lawsuit Over Story on Cryptocurrency
Talking Biz News: Binance Holdings has sued Forbes for defamation over a story last month that purported to reveal regulatory evasion tactics employed by the global cryptocurrency exchange. Binance denies a laundry list of allegations in the...
Vox Media Plans $1,000 Year-End Bonus for Staffers
@BenMullin: Vox Media employees will be receiving a $1,000 end-of-year gift "to recognize the efforts and sacrifices made this year." The gift will go to "all regular employees and temporary employees, regardless of start...
Daily Beast Media Reporter Tweets Covid Diagnosis
@maxwelltani: Max Tani: "I tested positive for Covid last week. Feeling pretty okay, zero idea where I got it, thought I'd generally been pretty cautious. This may not be surprising to hear, but Covid is very much out there, please be...
Facebook, Twitter: ‘Far More Power Than Old Media’
Reuters: Republican senators attacked the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter for what they called censorship of President Trump and his allies during the US election while Democrats bemoaned the spread of misinformation on social...
Google to Target Music with Audio Ads on YouTube
AdExchanger: YouTube has launched audio ads in beta to help monetize the moments when people are listening to music but not actively looking at their screen. The 15-second ads are available to all advertisers globally. "We know being associated with this content...
Disney Forecast to Become Global Streaming Giant
World Screen: Disney+ will add 112 million subscribers in the next five years to reach 194 million customers by 2025, according to Digital TV Research. Netflix will remain the biggest with 274.1 million customers — adding 73...
AT&T Names WarnerMedia Exec as Financial Officer
Bloomberg: AT&T CFO John Stephens will retire in March after nearly a decade as the company's top accountant, with WarnerMedia finance chief Pascal Desroches stepping in as his replacement. Reuters: Elliott Management has exited in stake in...
Fox Corp Launches New Slogan for Primetime News
Business Insider: Fox News has updated its primetime slogan to read "Standing Up For What's Right," a possible act of defiance in its ongoing feud with President Trump. The new slogan appears on primetime...
ViacomCBS Inks First-Look Deal with Marc Anthony
Hollywood Reporter: ViacomCBS International Studios has signed a first-look deal with Marc Anthony's production company, Magnus Studios. The deal is part of a strategy of "establishing alliances with best talents in the entertainment...
AT&T-WarnerMedia Takes Conan O’Brien Streaming
Bloomberg: Conan O'Brien is ending his late-night talk show to host a weekly variety series for HBO Max, underscoring the shifts in the TV industry. O'Brien will wrap up his self-titled show in June, the culmination of its 10th season on...
Twitter Rolls Out ‘Fleets’ That Disappear in 24 Hours
Associated Press: Twitter is launching tweets that disappear in 24 hours called “Fleets” globally, echoing social media sites like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram that already have disappearing posts. The ephemeral tweets are called...
Facebook Mulls Paying Publishers Using Instagram
Axios: Instagram is mulling plans to pay publishers on its platform as it grows as a news and information source for users. Publishers are frustrated that prior monetization talks have been tabled from the second half of this year to an unknown...
News Corp Bids to Buy Publisher Simon & Schuster
New York Times: News Corp is making a play for Simon & Schuster, the powerhouse book publisher put up for sale by ViacomCBS in March. Associated Press: Quentin Tarantino has landed a two-book deal with News Corp's...
Sinclair Mulls Sale of Rebrand for Sports Networks
Sportico: Sinclair Broadcast Group is considering selling naming rights to the 21 regional sports networks it acquired from Disney. Sinclair has discussed the naming rights with potential sports betting partners. The talks have started with rights to all 21 as a...
Gannett Plans for Refinancing $500 Million in Debt
USA Today: Gannett has refinanced about $500 million in debt in a deal that will save the company money on interest payments and lead to a quicker reduction of its liabilities. Gannett has said one of its top financial goals was to reduce its debt as quickly as...
Axel Springer Ups Media News at Business Insider
@JoshSternberg: "Business Insider is scooping up all the good media reporters. This should worry trade pubs. Why? BI puts one key metric on reporters: drive subscriptions. If you're an agency, are you paying for Adweek and AdAge and Digiday and...
Hearst Faces Backlash Over Diversity in Magazines
Mr Magazine: Some subscribers believe that the diversity in Men's Heath is very one-sided and does not reflect the white reader anymore. "When we are addressing our audience ... we're addressing all of our audience," said Men's Health editor in chief Richard...
Spin Magazine’s Founder Returns to Offer New Spin
MediaPost: Bob Guccione Jr. this year returned Spin as a creative adviser. "I redesigned the site that was inherited from Billboard, which was a messy, unattractive blog. It not only has to have the energy we once had, it also has to apply to modern...