Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X, arguing Musk refused to pay him after a content deal with X fell apart; Lemon did not sign a formal contract (Kate Conger/New York Times)

Mediagazer: Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X, arguing Musk refused to pay him after a content deal with X fell apart; Lemon did not sign a formal contract (Kate Conger/New York Times)

Top News:

Bloomberg:

Sources: Russia releases WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich as part of a major multi-country prisoner swap; prisoners are en route to destinations outside Russia— Russia is releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the US …
Discussion: Mediaite, Talking Biz News, The Independent, UPI, @ishaantharoor, Metro.co.uk, Fox News, KUSA-TV, The Guardian, New York Post, The Hill, @nat_vasilyeva, CNN, @ivanthek, @gma, Telegraph, The i Paper, @hadas_gold, CBS News, @jamesrbuk, @kevinrothrock@infosec …, @jamesrbuk, @samberkhead, @silviakillings, The Moscow Times, @ianbremmer, @conorsen, Reuters, @srabil, @noahcrothman and New York Daily News

Discussion:

Jamie Frevele /
Mediaite: 'Something That's Out of a Movie': CNN Predicts ‘Very Dramatic’ Images Will Soon Emerge from Prisoner Swap With Russia

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: WSJ's Gershkovich is being released

Alexander Butler /
The Independent: Russia and West ‘prepare for prisoner swap’

Doug Cunningham /
UPI: Reports: U.S., Russia agree to prisoner swap expected to free Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan

Ishaan Tharoor /
@ishaantharoor: The Post respected a embargo imposed by US officials who didn't want this to be derailed last minute, so other outlets (and Ankara) got ahead of us Live updates: Evan Gershkovich, others to be freed in U.S.-Russia prisoner swap, Turkish government says https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Gergana Krasteva /
Metro.co.uk: Putin's enemy number one is ‘getting out of jail’

Shaun Walker /
The Guardian: Russia prisoner swap involving US journalist Evan Gershkovich under way

Alex Oliveira /
New York Post: Russia releasing American journalist Evan Gershkovich in prisoner swap after 16 months behind bars: reports

Nataliya Vasilyeva /
@nat_vasilyeva: Nail-biter of the past 24 hours. I'd refrain from publishing the names of those who are or are likely to be released in what everyone hopes will be a major prisoner swap between Russia and the West. Let's give their families some space to breathe. @ivanthek: Interesting how Bloomberg and CBS are able to get confirmation of names, but CNN and NBC News have SAO sources who won't give up names. @EamonJavers @gma: BREAKING: Russia agrees to free Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in multi-country prisoner swap, the largest since the Cold War [video]

Hadas Gold /
@hadas_gold: For month the @WSJ has continued its campaign #FreeEvan - regular updates, pins at major events, social media campaigns, advertisements and even colleagues shaving their heads to look like him after prison authorities shaved his hair. What a wonderful day this could be.

Kevin Rothrock /
@kevinrothrock@infosec.exchange: The actual Bloomberg report phrases the release of Evan and Paul Whelan as still in progress: “is releasing,” “will return”... https://www.bloomberg.com/...

James Ball /
@jamesrbuk: Absolutely fantastic news, if long-long overdue. Credit to his friends and colleagues for their relentless campaigning.

Samantha Berkhead /
@samberkhead: SCOOP: Between 20 to 30 people may be released from Russian prison in a matter of hours, incl. Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin and many others, a source familiar with planning for the exchange says. Surreal to think about https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ ...

Silvia Killingsworth /
@silviakillings: It is one of the greatest honors of my career to have helped break this news. I love my job and my colleagues. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Ian Bremmer /
@ianbremmer: have heard illegally detained wsj reporter evan gershkovich was released by russia in prisoner exchange and flying to nyc tomorrow. most excellent news if true.

Conor Sen /
@conorsen: It was really admirable how the WSJ and its reporters, through articles and Twitter avatar changes, kept Evan front-of-mind for the past 17 months.

Sarah Rabil /
@srabil: 70 WEEKS. Evan Gershkovich, a WSJ reporter, has been imprisoned in Russia for 70 weeks. It's hard to fathom. Take a moment to think about all that you have done in that time. Join us in calling for his immediate release #IStandWithEvan #FreeEvan #Journalismisnotacrime [image]

Noah Rothman /
@noahcrothman: Very heartening to hear US captives in Russia — Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Gordon Black - are released. They were bargaining chips for Moscow but yet to see what the Kremlin got in return. Putin traded a notorious arms dealer and a convicted hitman for Brittney Griner.

Jessica Schladebeck /
New York Daily News: Journalist Evan Gershkovich, Marine Paul Whelan to be freed in prisoner swap with Russia

RELATED:
BBC:

A senior US official confirms that journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich will be released under a multi-country prisoner swap with Russia— Three US citizens imprisoned in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, are expected to be released on Thursday under a prisoner exchange deal.

Discussion:
CBS News, Variety, The Wrap, Fox News, Committee to Protect …, Associated Press, New York Times, Rolling Stone, TMZ.com, Meduza.io, Politico, ABC7, The Mirror, The Hill, TVNewsCheck, Deadline and Voice of America

Discussion:
CBS News: U.S., Russia agree to prisoner swap to free Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others

Ellise Shafer /
Variety: Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich to Be Released From Russia in Prisoner Swap

Josh Dickey /
The Wrap: Russia Frees American Prisoners Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan in Multi-Country Swap Fox News: WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich being released by Russia in prisoner swap; Paul Whelan also being freed Committee to Protect Journalists: CPJ welcomes reports of Gershkovich, Kurmasheva release, says Russia must stop stifling journalists New York Times: Live Updates: Russia Releases Evan Gershkovich in Sweeping Prisoner Swap, Turkish Officials Say

Nikki McCann Ramirez /
Rolling Stone: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan To Be Released in Prisoner Swap Meduza.io: Russia prepares release of Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and other political prisoners in major exchange with West

Shannon K. Kingston /
ABC7: Russia agrees to free Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in multi-country prisoner swap

Jeffrey M. McCall /
The Hill: Russia is using American journalists as pawns on its geopolitical chessboard

Melanie Goodfellow /
TVNewsCheck: Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich Could Be Freed By Russia In Prisoner Swap

Melanie Goodfellow /
Deadline: Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich & Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan Being Freed By Russia In Prisoner Swap - Reports

The Guardian:

In a letter to ex-prime minister Gordon Brown, the UK's Met police say a special team is examining claims that Will Lewis helped cover up phone hacking claims— Exclusive: Scotland Yard move on complaint by ex-PM Gordon Brown, who accuses Will Lewis of phone hacking ‘cover-up’ in 2011

Discussion:

Hadas Gold /
CNN: UK police examining allegations Washington Post publisher purposely deleted emails in phone hacking scandal

Dan Gillmor /
@dangillmor@mastodon.social: How much more clear can it be that the publisher of the Washington Post — a former senior apparatchik in the Murdoch family's evil media empire — is a sleazebag? — Every day that he remains at the Post is another day in which we have to assume that Jeff Bezos is fine with this guy's history. …

Dan Froomkin /
@froomkin: WILL LEWIS MUST GO. I wrote this back when we only knew the very least of it. It's now truer than ever. https://presswatchers.org/...

Jack Shafer /
@jackshafer: “Blazoned across the top of every edition of the Washington Post is the statement, ‘Democracy dies in darkness’,” Brown wrote. “But what if the publisher himself is a master of the dark arts?” https://www.npr.org/...

Bill Grueskin /
@bgrueskin: Jeff Bezos surely wasn't planning on “Scotland Yard investigates Washpost CEO” stories after he hired Will Lewis. But when you bring aboard a top executive from a Rupert Murdoch property, that risk has to be built into the transaction. https://www.npr.org/...

AJ McDougall /
The Daily Beast: Cops Probe Whether Washington Post Publisher Tried to Frame British PM

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: Lewis has denied all wrongdoing but has not commented on these details. Murdoch's News UK says the concern was real though a consultant found no signs of tampering. Former PM Gordon Brown denied the scheme. His complaint to Scotland Yard led police to open the new inquiry.

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: No word yet from Lewis or from Post owner Jeff Bezos. Lewis is not currently charged with any crime. He is not a defendant in the civil cases against Murdoch's papers. But to underscore the stakes: The publisher of the Washington Post is currently under criminal investigation.

Devon Heinen /
@heinendevon@threads.net: WaPo still hasn't fired its new CEO / publisher, WillLewis. And the news outlet STILL NEEDS to do so — immediately. https://www.npr.org/... @jeffjarvis: Murdoch's man, Will Lewis, might be hiding under a rock, hoping the storm over him blows over. No. His hole gets deeper. First Murdoch papers targeted me. Now there is evidence they falsely implicated me in a cover-up By Gordon Brown https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: Lawyers for Prince Harry and leading politicians allege Lewis ordered millions of emails destroyed. They also say he concocted a false alibi to justify that; months later, he told police of a tip that a former prime minister schemed to steal emails from Murdoch's CEO in the UK.

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: News: Scotland Yard has opened a criminal inquiry into the actions of Washington Post publisher Will Lewis while police were investigating phone hacking and other crimes at Rupert Murdoch's tabloids in 2011. My story from London for NPR (and thread): https://www.npr.org/...

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Will Lewis can't hide now.... UK police special enquiry team to examine role of Washington Post chief in email deletions — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

David Folkenflik /
NPR: U.K. police reviewing accusations against ‘Washington Post’ publisher

RELATED:

NPR:

Lawyers for Prince Harry and others accused WaPo CEO Will Lewis of fabricating a fake security threat 13 years ago in order to delete emails at Murdoch tabloids— LONDON — Attorneys for Prince Harry and prominent U.K. politicians today accused Washington Post chief executive and publisher …

Discussion:
The Guardian, Media Nation, @northernlights@mstdn.ca and MediaPost

Discussion:

Gordon Brown /
The Guardian: First, Murdoch papers targeted me. Now there is evidence they falsely implicated me in a cover-up

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: Will Lewis is back in the news. And once again, it's for all the wrong reasons. @northernlights@mstdn.ca: The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom tells how he was victimised by Rupert Murdoch. Even the Prime Minister of an important country is assaulted by this immoral creature. — Mugdock is old and near death; he will roast on the other side, oh yes. — #ukpolitics — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

Variety:

WBD, Disney, and Fox plan to launch their joint sports streaming venture Venu for $42.99 per month initially, with a seven-day free trial, expected in fall 2024— Streaming sports on a stand-alone basis won't be cheap. … The service is expected to debut in the fall in conjunction with the start of the next NFL season.

Discussion:

Peter Kafka /
Business Insider: The new sports streaming bundle will cost $43 a month — but won't have some of TV's most popular sports

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Venu Sports Sets Launch Price of $42.99 Per Month TVLine: Disney, Warner Bros. and Fox's Joint Sports Streaming Service Now Has a Price — How Much Will It Cost?

Daniel Frankel /
Next TV: Venu Sports Stays Below vMVPD Partners on Price

Khristopher J. Brooks /
CBS News: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery reveal price for new sports streaming service

Ryan Christoffel /
9to5Mac: New streaming super-bundle for NFL, NBA, and more will cost $42.99/month

Lillian Rizzo /
CNBC: Sports streaming venture Venu priced at $42.99 a month

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: ESPN, WBD, Fox Live Sports Streaming App to be Priced at $42.99 Monthly

New York Times:

Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X, arguing Musk refused to pay him after a content deal with X fell apart; Lemon did not sign a formal contract— The former CNN reporter said in a lawsuit that X had refused to pay him after a testy interview with its billionaire owner.

Discussion:
Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Business Insider, Barrett Media and Wall Street Journal, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk and X, Alleging Fraud and Breach of Contract Over Canceled Talk Show

Peter Kafka /
Business Insider: Don't feel sorry for Linda Yaccarino Barrett Media: Kara Swisher: Linda Yaccarino ‘Ridiculous Figure’ After Working as X CEO For Elon Musk Wall Street Journal: How Elon Musk and X's division of labor stymied some of Linda Yaccarino's plans, like a Visa deal; internal figures show X had 250.8M DAUs in Q2, up 1.56% YoY

Deadline:

Ligue de Football Professionnel confirms a five-year deal with DAZN to broadcast the majority of France's Ligue 1 soccer; BeIN has rights to one match per week— Sports streamer DAZN is the new home of top-division soccer in France after tying up a five-year deal worth a reporting €500M ($540M).

Discussion:
Advanced Television

Discussion:

New York Times:

CBS News names John Dickerson, its lead political analyst, and Maurice DuBois, an anchor for an NY affiliate, as Evening News anchors replacing Norah O'Donnell— The pair are part of a broader shake-up at the show, which includes the addition of Lonnie Quinn as a regular weather anchor.

Discussion:

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: CBS Plans ‘Evening News’ Overhaul: John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois, Weather and Close Ties to ‘60 Minutes’

David Gilmour /
Mediaite: JUST IN: CBS Evening News to Replace Norah O'Donnell With Two Co-Anchors as Part of Massive Show Overhaul

Adam Jacobson /
Radio & Television Business Report: Post-O'Donnell ‘CBS Evening News’ Plans Unveiled

Rebecca Iannucci /
TVLine: CBS Evening News Sets New Anchor Lineup After Norah O'Donnell's Exit

Natalie Korach /
The Wrap: CBS News Taps Ensemble Team to Anchor ‘Evening News’ After Norah O'Donnell Exit

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois named anchors of ‘CBS Evening News’ in major overhaul

CBS News:
John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois to anchor “CBS Evening News” after election as show returns to New York

Michael Malone /
Next TV: John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois To Anchor ‘CBS Evening News’ After Norah O'Donnell Steps Down

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: ‘CBS Evening News’ to Get Major Reboot Led By John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: ‘CBS Evening News’ Revamp Unveiled: John Dickerson & Maurice DuBois To Anchor From New York With Focus On Ensemble Team Paramount Press Express: Venerable CBS News Broadcast Will Move Back to New York After the Election and Be Anchored by Award-Winning Journalists John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois

Natalie Korach /
TVNewsCheck: CBS News Taps Ensemble Team To Anchor ‘Evening News’ After O'Donnell Exit

Joseph Wilkinson /
New York Daily News: Norah O'Donnell to leave ‘CBS Evening News’ after election

Press Gazette:

RAJAR: in Q2, GB News Radio reached 518K people per week on average, overtaking Times Radio for the first time; BBC Radio 2 had a weekly reach of 13.3M people— GB News Radio has overtaken Times Radio's weekly reach for the first time according to the latest RAJAR radio listening figures for Q2 2024.

Discussion:
adambowie.com and Press Association

Sky News:

Sources: hedge fund tycoon and GB News shareholder Paul Marshall is close to a deal to buy The Spectator, separate from The Telegraph, as soon as this month— The GB News shareholder is now the frontrunner to buy one of Britain's most influential political magazines amid an ongoing auction …

Discussion:
City A.M., @markkleinmansky, @janemartinson

Discussion:

Bethany Wales /
City A.M.: Sir Paul Marshall: Hedge fund owner and GB News shareholder poised to snap up The Spectator

Mark Kleinman /
@markkleinmansky: Exclusive: Sir Paul Marshall's Old Queen Street Ventures could strike a deal to buy The Spectator as soon as this month, even as doubts have grown about whether the Marshall Wace co-founder intends to pursue a bid for The Daily and Sunday Telegraph titles. https://news.sky.com/...

Mark Kleinman /
@markkleinmansky: EXCLUSIVE: Sir Paul Marshall, the hedge fund tycoon and GB News shareholder, is closing in on a deal to buy The Spectator, one of Britain's most influential political and magazines, amid a wider auction involving the Telegraph newspaper titles. Full story on @SkyNews soon.

The Wrap:

SiriusXM plans to launch a premium podcast subscription service through Apple Podcasts for $5.99 per month or $44.99 annually, starting August 5— The offering is intended to diversify the platform's podcast revenue stream while expanding the listener base

Discussion:
Reuters, Radio Ink and The Hollywood Reporter

Discussion:

Harshita Mary Varghese /
Reuters: SiriusXM's second-quarter subscription loss narrows on strong content demand

AdExchanger:

Outbrain confirms plans to acquire Altice-owned Teads, in a transaction valuing the SSP and video monetization company at $1B+; Outbrain will pay $725M in cash— The rumors are true: Outbrain is buying Teads. — On Thursday, the content recommendation platform announced it will acquire Teads …

Discussion:
Adweek, The Media Leader, Axios, Digiday and Outbrain Inc., more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Mark Stenberg /
Adweek: Outbrain Acquires Video Firm Teads for $1B in Major Tie-Up

Kerry Flynn /
Axios: Outbrain to acquire Teads in $1B ad tech deal Outbrain Inc.: Category Leaders Outbrain and Teads to Merge, Creating an Independent End-to-End Advertising Platform for the Open Internet