DirecTV terminates its Dish acquisition after a group of Dish creditors rejected a modified bond exchange offer (Matthew Keys/The Desk)

Mediagazer: DirecTV terminates its Dish acquisition after a group of Dish creditors rejected a modified bond exchange offer (Matthew Keys/The Desk)

Top News:

The Hollywood Reporter:

Internal memo: Hearst Magazines president announces layoffs as part of a decision to “reallocate resources” to “continue our focus on digital innovation”— The company is home to more than 25 brands in the U.S. including Elle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country.
Discussion:

Caley Fretz /
@caleyfretz: Big layoffs at Hearst (Bicycling, Car and Driver, Esquire, many others). 60+ staff. At least 3 who worked on Bicycling, including Rosael below. Shared with her permission. [image]

Andrew Nicla /
@andrewnicla.bsky.social: if you or anybody you know has lost their job at Hearst (or anywhere else) recently, know there are resources and people who want to help. www.spj.org/together.asp

Erika W. Smith /
@erikawynn: Some professional news: After almost 5 yrs at Cosmo, I was laid off from Hearst this morning. At Cosmo, I ran the astro section, but I have past experience in sex & relationships, entertainment, and lifestyle. Hire me! Clips & bio: https://erikawsmith.com/ @HearstUnion forever❤️

Chandra Turner /
Chandra Turner on LinkedIn: Raise your hand if you've been laid off from Hearst before? 🙋🏻 ♀️You're not alone, my talented friends. …

Sean Burch /
The Wrap: Writers Guild Accuses Hearst of Being ‘Anti-Union’ Following ‘Irresponsible and Cruel’ Round of Layoffs

Andrew Nicla /
@andrewnicla.bsky.social: hearing from friends affected by today's Hearst layoffs. The company has laid off at least 200 people, they say. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/ bus...

Simon /
@bauxoffice.bsky.social: Hearst, ugh — as someone who grew up absolutely loving magazines, i'm sad the entire industry continually gets put in a vice and squeezed

Julia Mercado /
Julia Mercado on LinkedIn: To all my former Hearst Mags colleagues, I'm thinking of you! While I'm fresh to the FT, I'm more than happy to consider anyone who was affected by the layoffs today for a role. …

Charlotte Klein /
@charlottetklein: Layoffs at Hearst today. Staff got an email saying those impacted would get an HR meeting invite by 9 am. But then President Debi Chirichella noted there'd been some technical difficulties... [image]

Kevin Cortez /
@kevincortez.bsky.social: peace to all my fellow Hearsties and former colleagues who were let go today by a $20~ billion company

Ars Technica:

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she will leave the agency on January 20; she was the first woman to be confirmed to lead the agency— Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced today that she will leave the agency on January 20, 2025, the day of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Discussion:
Federal Communications …, Reuters, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, @waltmossberg.bsky.social, Digital Music News, Radio Ink, @arstechnica@mastodon.social, TechCrunch, RADIO ONLINE, Media Play News, @jrosenworcel@threads.net, @aram@aoir.social, The Hill, American Enterprise Institute, Cord Cutters News, Radio & Television …, Deadline, TVNewsCheck, Advanced Television, Inside Radio and CNET

Discussion:

David Shepardson /
Reuters: Rosenworcel to step down as US Federal Communications Commission chair on Jan. 20 @arstechnica@mastodon.social: FCC chairwoman announces departure, paving way for Republican majority — Rosenworcel had to lead agency without Democratic majority for most of her term. — https://arstechnica.com/... [image]

Kyle Wiggers /
TechCrunch: FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel agrees to step down

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Leaving Agency on President-Elect Trump's Inauguration Day

Jessica Rosenworcel /
@jrosenworcel@threads.net: It's been a wild ride and great honor to be the first woman confirmed to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Grateful to President for the opportunity, the Senate for confirmation, and the staff for our efforts to build a digital future that works for everyone. https://www.fcc.gov/...

Aram Sinnreich /
@aram@aoir.social: So long and thanks for all the policy. — @jrosenworcel out at the FCC. — https://arstechnica.com/...

James C. Capretta /
American Enterprise Institute: Vote Counting in the 119th Congress

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: The Head of The FCC is Stepping Down

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel To Depart Agency On January 20, When Donald Trump Takes Office

Ted Hearn /
TVNewsCheck: Chairwoman Rosenworcel Leaving FCC On Jan. 20

Colin Mann /
Advanced Television: FCC's Rosenworcel announces departure

Daniel Anstandig /
Inside Radio: Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel To Step Down From FCC.

The Ankler:

Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming— SCOOP: TV's ‘safe space for liberals’ is about to reshuffle its stars as the network re-ups its marquee name under a tough new spinoff-ready reality

Discussion:

Lachlan Cartwright /
TVNewsCheck: MSNBC Mayhem: Rachel Maddow Pay Cut, Brutal Lineup Shakeup Coming

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe’ Midweek Ratings Plunge 15% After Hosts Visit Trump at Mar-A-Lago

Stephen M. Lepore /
Daily Mail: Weary MSNBC stars Joe and Mika return to their penthouse while co-workers get salaries cut and ratings tank

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: MSNBC Reportedly Cuts Rachel Maddow's Salary & Plans to Shakeup Its Lineup

Justin Baragona /
@justinbaragona.bsky.social: Let's all pour one out for Rachel Maddow, who will now only be earning $25 million a year. — theankler.com/p/msnbc-mayh...

Taylor Herzlich /
New York Post: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow's salary reportedly cut by $5M despite being ‘ratings Viagra’ - as parent company Comcast deals with ‘difficult time’

Michael Socolow /
@michaelsocolow.bsky.social: .... and MSNBC (which Comcast will spin-off into a new company) announced a new deal with Rachel Maddow that includes a $5 million pay cut, while indicating significant program changes at the channel. — A lot going on in media world today. — theankler.com/p/msnbc-mayh... [embedded post]

Chris Powell /
Trending Politics Conservative Breaking: Rachel Maddow Faces Massive Salary Slash Amid MSNBC Turmoil

The Desk:

DirecTV terminates its Dish acquisition after a group of Dish creditors rejected a modified bond exchange offer— The company has informed Dish Network parent Echostar that it will break off the merger agreement on Friday. — Pay television provider DirecTV on Thursday officially announced …

Discussion:
DIRECTV, The Wrap, Reuters, Axios, Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters and Bloomberg

Discussion:
DIRECTV: DIRECTV Announces Termination of Agreement to Acquire EchoStar's Video Distribution Business

Ross A. Lincoln /
The Wrap: DirecTV Terminates Dish Acquisition Over Debt Exchange Dispute

Gnaneshwar Rajan /
Reuters: DirecTV terminates Dish deal over failed debt swap

Tim Baysinger /
Axios: DirecTV to spike Dish deal over debt swap exchange

Gnaneshwar Rajan /
Reuters: DirecTV to terminate Dish deal over debt swap exchange, Axios reports

Kelcee Griffis /
Bloomberg: DirecTV to Call Off Dish Takeover After Bondholders Balk

Wired:

Hawaii's The Garden Island stops using AI-generated newscasters on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram after two months, likely due to the negative public response— A local newspaper in Hawaii experimented with AI-generated presenters to engage and boost its readership. After two months, the bots have been shelved.

Discussion:
Futurism, @newsguy.bsky.social and Mandy DeLuca on LinkedIn, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Victor Tangermann /
Futurism: Newspaper Fires Two AI Reporters After Bizarre Behavior

Steve Herman /
@newsguy.bsky.social: AI newscasters in Hawaii “covered topics as varied as a fall pumpkin giveaway and a vigil for a labor massacre—all in the same distant, matter-of-fact tone of beings incapable of comprehending human emotions.” www.wired.com/story/the-ai...

Mandy DeLuca /
Mandy DeLuca on LinkedIn: James and Rose, Hawaii's (and the US') first AI News Broadcasters, have been fired from The Garden Island newspaper after being used for only two months. …

New York Times:

The MLB is planning national packages for streaming companies to bid on in 2028, when its national TV deals with ESPN, Fox, and Turner expire— The year to watch in baseball is 2028. — At a time when Major League Baseball is offering employee buyouts at its flagship television station …

Discussion:
The Desk, TVNewsCheck, Keith Stoler on LinkedIn, The Streamable, Cord Cutters News and Sports Media Watch

Discussion:

Luke Bouma /
TVNewsCheck: MLB Eyes Major Streaming Shift In 2028, Aiming for National Blackout-Free Packages

Keith Stoler /
Keith Stoler on LinkedIn: 🏟️ 📺 Major League Baseball (MLB) is going to reshape the streaming landscape...in 2028. …

David Satin /
The Streamable: MLB commisioner Manfred wants a national baseball streaming option by 2028

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: MLB Eyes Major Streaming Shift in 2028, Aiming for National Blackout-Free Packages

Ben Huddleston /
Sports Media Watch: Comcast, MLB, Brady, and more

The New York Times Company:

Elisabeth Bumiller, the NYT's Washington bureau chief since 2015 and nearly a 30-year NYT veteran, is stepping down to return to writing and reporting— Elisabeth, incomparable Washington bureau chief since 2015, has decided to return to writing and reporting.

Discussion:
@ignatiuspost, @glennthrush, @andrew_marshall, @moorehn, @peterbakernyt, @edmundlee.bsky.social

Discussion:

David Ignatius /
@ignatiuspost: @BumillerNYT has been a peerless Washington bureau chief. A total professional, hard to compete against but easy to admire.

Glenn Thrush /
@glennthrush: No one could have done the job better.

Andrew Marshall /
@andrew_marshall: one of the best

Heidi N. Moore /
@moorehn: Leave aside that the Washington bureau chief played a major role in the miserable Trump-enabling coverage of Maggie H a b e r m a n, the Judy Miller of the Trump Administration. The nation got through that period of miserable stenography, but barely.

Heidi N. Moore /
@moorehn: Oh, I dunno, I remember when young women came forward to say Glenn Thrush had sexually harassed them with the promise of helping their careers and Ms. Bumiller here sided with the harasser and suggested that young women were just too sensitive. https://jezebel.com/...

Peter Baker /
@peterbakernyt: When the history of the current media era is written, there should be a major chapter about Elisabeth Bumiller (@BumillerNYT). She has led the @nytimes Washington Bureau tirelessly for nearly a decade, a modern record, including one of the most ... (1) https://www.nytco.com/...

Peter Baker /
@peterbakernyt: ... challenging periods ever when so much was at stake. And she did it with extraordinary intelligence, integrity, grace, determination, good judgment and most of all a spine of steel. No one has done more to deliver first-rate journalism in Washington under such ... (2)

Peter Baker /
@peterbakernyt: ... withering pressure. We're going to miss her as a boss but the good news is she's a magnificent writer too and soon we'll get to see her byline again. (3)

Edmund Lee /
@edmundlee.bsky.social: Elisabeth Bumiller to step down as Washington bureau chief at The New York Times (via inbox) — It's one of the hardest jobs in journalism and it's one of the stepping stones to the top of the masthead. — The Times has a deep bench of younger editors to choose from, and then there's turmoil at WaPo...

New York Post:

Email: WaPo senior politics editor Dan Eggen says he was told Monday that he will “be removed” at the end of 2024, and “will leave it to others to explain why”— The Washington Post abruptly removed its politics editor without giving him a reason for the decision …

Discussion:

Lachlan Cartwright /
@lachcartwright: Scoop: Washington Post senior politics editor Dan Eggen is being removed from his post at the end of the year. In a message to colleagues he writes: “I struggled with how to write this message since there is an element of begging to it that is not particularly attractive. But

Will Slaughter /
@bamabonds: With government contracts on the line, @washingtonpost continues to bend the knee (or more properly have its knees bent for it) to MAGA reality. The purported courage of the liberal press, when its rice bowl is threatened, is flimsy indeed. @sjvn@mastodon.social: Self-censorship is how you start losing freedom of the press: — https://nypost.com/...

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: Surprising. Dan is a vet. Knows his stuff.

Nicole Perlroth /
@nicoleperlroth: What is happening right now at WaPo is a Murdoch-esque downward slide into the Daily Mail. I feel so badly for the great journalists at the Washington Post right now. Every American should want this paper to be successful and should fear what comes if it isn't.

Bill Hangley Jr /
@hangleyjr: if you haven't unsubscribed yet, you probably should. this is almost certainly the result of Bezos's new bootlicking toady publisher wanting a bootlicking toady political editor

Sarah Scire /
@scire.bsky.social: All today ... Washington Post senior politics editor Dan Eggen says he was removed from post, Wall Street Journal laid off politics editor Ben Pershing, and New York Times announced Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller is stepping down

Robert McGreevy /
The Daily Caller: Bezos' WaPo Clean-Up Could Be Underway As Senior Editor Reportedly Gets Canned

Ali Winston /
@awinston: Nooooo coincidence https://x.com/...

Dan Froomkin /
@froomkin: I've been waiting all day to get a hint of what this means. Anyone? Was he too aggressive about Trump? Not aggressive enough? Who made the call? There's plenty of reason to assume the worst — that he was shitcanned by Lewis to make room for Bezosian lickspittles. But who knows?

Lachlan Cartwright /
@lachcartwright: what the hey: I was informed Monday that I will be removed as senior politics editor at the end of the year. I will leave it to others to explain why." Eggen says he is “crushed” by the news. I have reached out to @washingtonpost for comment.

Editor and Publisher:

A look at The 51st, a worker-led nonprofit news startup in Washington, DC, and how the founders studied worker-led organizations and similar newsrooms— The 51st has set out to redefine local journalism in Washington, D.C., as one of the country's growing number of worker-led, nonprofit newsrooms.

Discussion:
The 51st, Gretchen A. Peck on LinkedIn and r/Journalism

Discussion:

Teresa Frontado /
The 51st: Meet our team — What's your relationship to D.C.? Are you from the area, and if not, why did you move here?

Gretchen A. Peck /
Gretchen A. Peck on LinkedIn: I love a phoenix-from-the-ashes news story, and The 51st in Washington, D.C., is a perfect example. Check out Diane Sylvester's reporting …

Ad Age:

SMBs turn to Disney, Paramount, and Peacock's ad platforms; VAB: in H1 2024, 169 advertisers bought national TV ads for the first time and 67% spent <$500K— New-to-TV brands predict a ‘renaissance’ for growing businesses through streaming ads — As traditional TV networks shift …

Press Gazette:

Reach's audience director says Google's Discover feed has become Reach's single largest traffic referral source, mostly promoting “soft-lens” content— Google's smartphone-based content recommendation feed, Google Discover, has become the single largest traffic referral source …

Discussion:
@adders.blog, Martin Little on LinkedIn, @jim.londoncentric.media and @londoncentric.media

Discussion:

Adam Tinworth /
@adders.blog: Interesting, but this feels very precarious. You can be systemstic and get results from search, but Discover is reminiscent of social algorityms, and we know where they lead. pressgazette.co.uk/platforms/ re...

Martin Little /
Martin Little on LinkedIn: Getting lots of interesting questions from people this morning about this interview on Press Gazette on Google Discover. …

Jim Waterson /
@jim.londoncentric.media: Reach openly explaining how it's doing barrel-scraping clickbait targeting the links served up on browser homepages. — If I wanted to put properly reported local journalism on Google/Apple News/MSN homepages, they won't take it as I'm not a corporate news outlet! — pressgazette.co.uk/platforms/ re... …

Jim Waterson /
@londoncentric.media: Reach openly explaining how it's doing barrel-scraping clickbait targeting the links served up on browser homepages. — If I wanted to put properly reported local journalism on Google/Apple News/MSN homepages, they won't take it as I'm not a corporate news outlet! — pressgazette.co.uk/platforms/ re... …

Wall Street Journal:

Ad software company Mediaocean buys Innovid, an ad tech company focused on CTV, for $500M; Innovid had a market cap of ~$240M at market close on November 20— The privately held company will merge Innovid with Flashtalking, which it bought in 2021 — Advertising software …

Discussion:

Bill Wise /
Bill Wise on LinkedIn: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 📣 — Beyond excited to share that Mediaocean is acquiring Innovid and merging it with Flashtalking by Mediaocean to create a premier omnichannel #adtech platform. …

Cody Wymore /
Cody Wymore on LinkedIn: Big big news - exciting things to come!

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Mediaocean to buy Innovid for $500 million

Andrew White /
Andrew White on LinkedIn: Mediaocean is the system of record for much of the paid advertising value chain (order management, reconciliations, billing). … @aripap.bsky.social: Huge news, brings together the second and third-largest buy-side ad servers to compete with Google's GCM. Also combines the best video ad serving solution with really good DCO and identity solutions. — www.wsj.com/articles/med...

Joe Mandese /
TVNewsCheck: Agency Tech Giant Mediaocean Acquiring Innovid, Merging With Flashtalking

Joe Mandese /
MediaPost: Agency Tech Giant Mediaocean Acquiring Innovid, Merging It With Flashtalking

Adam Jacobson /