News

James Harding says the Tortoise-Observer deal could create a profitable media group and there isn't a guaranteed future for the Observer with the Guardian (Daniel Thomas/Financial Times)

Mediagazer · last updated

Mediagazer: James Harding says the Tortoise-Observer deal could create a profitable media group and there isn't a guaranteed future for the Observer with the Guardian (Daniel Thomas/Financial Times)

Top News:

CNBC:

Analyzing Comcast's spinoff of cable networks, purposefully structured with low debt: the move might be a signal to the industry that it's time to consolidate— Comcast shares posted modest gains Wednesday after the company announced its plan to spin off all of NBCUniversal's cable networks …
Discussion: Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, Business Insider, Associated Press, The Streamable, Bloomberg, Reuters and MediaPost

Discussion:

Alex Sherman /
Alex Sherman on LinkedIn: Comcast officially said today it's moving forward with a spin of NBCU's cable networks other than Bravo. — To me, it's not a slam dunk investor move. … Business Insider: CNBC anchors shared worries and dark humor on air as Comcast looks to unload the network

Matt Ott /
Associated Press: Comcast to spin off cable networks, once star performers for the entertainment giant

Christopher Palmeri /
Bloomberg: Comcast to Spin Off Cable Channels MSNBC, USA

Wayne Friedman /
MediaPost: Comcast Spinning Off NBCU Cable Nets

RELATED:

Variety:

Sources: Comcast execs told staff that MSNBC may have to change its identity as part of the spinoff, including losing access to NBC News' newsgathering process— MSNBC fans who are disappointed in the progressive-leaning network after Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election may no longer have it to kick around.

Discussion:
Deadline, Associated Press, @sherman4949, @bristei, New York Post, @tvmojoe, @colbyhall, @maxwelltani, @bristei, Fox News, @jbflint, Mediaite, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Awful Announcing, PoliticusUSA, @davidingram.bsky.social, @noblewatchman.bsky.social, @igotarock2.bsky.social, @tomgara@threads.net, @harveyjkaye.bsky.social, Instapundit, @bristei.bsky.social and The Desk

Discussion:

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Comcast Spinoff Of Cable Networks Leaves Questions Of How A Split Between MSNBC And NBC News Will Work

David Bauder /
Associated Press: What will happen to CNBC and MSNBC when they no longer have a corporate connection to NBC News?

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: My take on the whole Comcast NBCU networks spin idea — it's more about the signal to the rest of the industry than about juicing Comcast shares in the near term. https://www.cnbc.com/...

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off https://variety.com/... via @variety

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: MSNBC staffers ‘in a panic’ as NBC-parent Comcast plans to spin off channel — and possibly change its name @tvmojoe: @JBFlint I mean, MSNBC long ago ditched the MS... there's no arts on A&E...HLN has no headlines or news...and Sundance channel airs sitcom reruns. What's another cable branding lie?!

Colby Hall /
@colbyhall: I'll say it: news of NBC's spinning of MSNBC kinda smacks of a death knell for the network, at least for this iteration.

Max Tani /
@maxwelltani: MSNBC may have to change its name as part of today's spinoff, which will also likely impact (and limit) its newsgathering. The spinco's top exec says the company is thinking of itself as a “well-funded startup”....😬 [image]

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: 5 Burning Qs about the Comcast cable spin off: *M&A? *What about MSNBC, CNBC? *Will Madison Ave. spend less $$ on smaller orgs? *Why does Bravo stay? *Will we still hear the NBCU ‘Symphony’? https://variety.com/... via @variety Fox News: MSNBC's future a ‘big concern’ for staffers as Comcast moves to separate liberal network from NBCUniversal

Joe Flint /
@jbflint: So will CNBC be rebranded as “C.?”

Colby Hall /
Mediaite: Death Knell? Comcast Spinning Off MSNBC Could Not Come at a Worse Time for the Struggling Progressive Network @jeffjarvis.bsky.social: Troubling: MSNBC might have to change its identity; will lose ties to NBC News operation & have to move; could be an acquisition target (stay the fuck away, Sinclair, Murdoch, Musk, Springer, etc.). — Or maybe Maddow should leave & build a new operation. — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Drew Lerner /
Awful Announcing: NBC Sports president on spinoff: 'We're going to fulfill every obligation'

Jason Easley /
PoliticusUSA: MSNBC May Soon Be Gone

David Ingram /
@davidingram.bsky.social: What should the new name of MSNBC be, if it gets a new name? variety.com/2024/tv/news... (Presumably not Microsoft TV or SpinCo News) @noblewatchman.bsky.social: Many of us are reexamining our relationship with @msnbc That said, it's the only liberal leaning platform on cable. — Comcast plans to cut it loose. — Is it just a business as usual move or are they ridding themselves of a potential target of Trump 2.0? — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Tom Gara /
@tomgara@threads.net: I know this is pretty standard placeholder naming language used in these kind of spinoff transactions but making MSNBC a unit of the Spin Company is an incredible act of corporate comedy

Harvey J Kaye /
@harveyjkaye.bsky.social: I wish I could say I cared, but I stopped watching #MSNBC when Chris Mathewes and Joy Ann declared their antipathy to Bernie (the latter at times with a touch of anti-semitism) — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Ed Driscoll /
Instapundit: COMCAST IS UNBURDENING ITSELF OF WHAT HAS BEEN: MSNB-See-Ya: Comcast Dumps Cable Channels In Midst of Ethics Scandal. …

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei.bsky.social: At a meeting w MSNBC personnel Weds morning that included Rachel Maddow, Chris Jansing and Katy Tur, the new leader of Comcast's ‘spinco’ could not definitively say the network wouldn't have to change its name or remove NBC ‘peacock’ marks from its logo — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Fox News tops MSNBC, CNN, Newsmax in post-election ratings

CNBC:

Comcast confirms plans to spin off its NBCUniversal cable TV networks, including MSNBC and CNBC, with Mark Lazarus as CEO; the separation may take about a year— Comcast is moving forward with the spinoff of its cable network channels, including CNBC, MSNBC and E!, the company said Wednesday.

Discussion:
CNN, Comcast, Engadget, New York Times, Variety, RetailWire, Marketplace, Los Angeles Times, @sherman4949, AV Club, Radio & Television …, @mediaite, @brianstelter, Axios, @benmullin, @colbyhall, @sarafischer, @benmullin, @brianstelter, @sherman4949, @jeffjarvis, @nemalki.bsky.social, Philadelphia Business Journal, One America News Network, The Wrap, Front Office Sports, Forbes, Ars Technica, IJR, Breitbart, TVNewsCheck, Fast Company, USA Today, Total Telecom, TechCrunch, @great_katzby, Washington Examiner, acecomments.mu.nu, Adweek, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Media Play News, Stephani Shelton on LinkedIn, Newser, HotAir, Cord Cutters News, The Desk, NBC News, @stark.soy, Mediaite, @joshuabenton.com, Fox Business, The Verge, HuffPost, Yahoo Finance, Fortune, Barron's Online, Talking Biz News, Benzinga, Financial Times, The Information, @amolsharma.bsky.social, NBC News, Media Play News, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Variety, Ad Age, CNN, Awful Announcing, Cord Cutters News, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Business Insider and Wall Street Journal

Discussion:

Matt Egan /
CNN: The fate of MSNBC could be in Trump's hands Comcast: Comcast Announces Intention to Create Leading Independent Media Business Through Spin-Off of Select Cable Television Networks

Kris Holt /
Engadget: Comcast is spinning out Rotten Tomatoes and cable networks into a separate company

Benjamin Mullin /
New York Times: Comcast to Spin Off Cable Networks, Including MSNBC and CNBC

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Comcast Announces Spin-Off of Most Cable Networks Into New Company to ‘Set These Businesses Up for Future Growth,’ CEO Brian Roberts Says

Nicholas Morine /
RetailWire: Comcast Spinoff Plans Materialize: MSNBC, CNBC, and E! Headed to ‘SpinCo’

Samantha Fields /
Marketplace: Comcast cable spinoff reflects rapidly changing streaming landscape

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: What the Comcast cable network spinoff means for MSNBC and NBC News

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: Comcast now down 0.2% on the day. Call it back!

Mary Kate Carr /
AV Club: Whoa, Comcast really did offload most of its cable properties

Adam Jacobson /
Radio & Television Business Report: Comcast Confirms Spin-Off Plan For Cable Networks @mediaite: ‘We Could Be Fired Tomorrow!’ Morning Joe Awkwardly Jokes About Comcast Selling Off MSNBC https://www.mediaite.com/...

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Comcast just jump-started a new season of major change across the TV industry. And no one quite knows what will happen next. Here is Wednesday morning's edition of @ReliableSources: https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...

Sara Fischer /
Axios: Comcast plans to spin off NBCU's cable channels

Ben Mullin /
@benmullin: KC Sullivan, CNBC's president, tells staffers the network will immediately begin reporting in to Mark Lazarus, who will run the new spin co: [image]

Colby Hall /
@colbyhall: SpinCo? Delighted to see that my old employer SPIN magazine is making a MAJOR play to get back in the game.

Sara Fischer /
@sarafischer: #BREAKING @comcast makes it official, announces plans to spin off @NBCUniversal cable channels into separate, publicly traded company — LEADERSHIP/NAME: Mark Lazarus and Anand Kini to lead the new company, for now called “SpinCo” — TIMING: Comcast is targeting to complete the [image]

Ben Mullin /
@benmullin: Comcast just announced it is spinning if its cable networks, including MSNBC and CNBC, into a new company: https://www.nytimes.com/...

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: Here's the Comcast press release: “Comcast announces intention to create leading independent media business through spin-off of select cable television networks” https://www.businesswire.com/ ...

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: Comcast makes it official: Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) today announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company comprised of a strong portfolio of NBCUniversal's cable television networks,

Alex Sherman /
@sherman4949: including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets including Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine, through a tax-free spin-off. @jeffjarvis: Stopped by #BrokenMorningJoe & saw them trying to put a bright face on this. No. Cable has cooties & Comcast doesn't want any on them. Cable is the new magazine & newspaper: Dying. Bye. Comcast Greenlights $7 Billion Spinoff of NBCUniversal Cable Channels https://www.wsj.com/...

Jeff Harris /
@nemalki.bsky.social: Comcast is spinning off all of their networks except NBC, Telemundo & Bravo into a new company. They're also putting Fandango & Rotten Tomatoes into the new spinoff company as well. I wondered why they're putting USA into that spinoff, then I realized something — corporate.comcast.com/press/ releas...

Ryan Mulligan /
Philadelphia Business Journal: Comcast details $7B spinoff of NBCUniversal cable networks

Abril Elfi /
One America News Network: Comcast Announces $7B Spin Off Of Cable Channels MSNBC, CNBC, USA

Sean Burch /
The Wrap: MSNBC and NBC News Staffers Are ‘In the Dark’ on What Comcast Spinoff Means for Them

Eric Fisher /
Front Office Sports: Comcast's SpinCo: New Home for USA Network, Golf Channel, Sports Rights

Jon Brodkin /
Ars Technica: Comcast to ditch cable TV networks in partial spinoff of NBCUniversal assets

Brian Steinberg /
TVNewsCheck: MSNBC Faces Potential For Big Changes In Comcast Cable Spin-Off

Tracy Brown Hamilton /
Fast Company: Comcast unveils SpinCo as a stand-alone media powerhouse

Harry Baldock /
Total Telecom: Comcast to spin off raft of cable TV channels

Lauren Forristal /
TechCrunch: Comcast spins off its cable channels into separate company as it looks for growth

Brandon Katz /
@great_katzby: -Short-term pain of sacrificing bulk of cable cash flow (minus Bravo) for long term growth emphasis/investor confidence narrative -Redirect resources to ongoing theme park expansion and streaming -Keep Donna Langley happy in-house as Disney sniffs around for a CEO successor

Asher Notheis /
Washington Examiner: Comcast moving forward with spinoff from MSNBC and other cable channels

Christopher Palmeri /
Bloomberg: Comcast to Spin Off Cable-TV Channels Like MSNBC, USA

Callum Jones /
The Guardian: Comcast to spin off portfolio of cable networks including MSNBC and CNBC

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Comcast to Launch Separate ‘SpinCo’ Company With Select Cable TV Assets, Fandango Movie Ticket and TVOD Platform

Stephani Shelton /
Stephani Shelton on LinkedIn: This is big and potentially bad news for journalists and journalism. NBC itself won't be included so how about the news synergy between all the networks? …

Jenn Gidman /
Newser: Comcast Offloading the Likes of MSNBC, CNBC

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Comcast Officially Spins Off MSNBC, USA Network, & Other Cable Networks into a New Company

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Comcast confirms it will spin off cable networks, Fandango

Daniel Arkin /
NBC News: Comcast announces plan to spin off cable channels, including MSNBC, CNBC and USA

Zachary Leeman /
Mediaite: Comcast To Spin Off Cable Channels Including MSNBC, CNBC, More

Joshua Benton /
@joshuabenton.com: I remember in the late aughts, when media conglomerates did all they could to spinoff their newspapers so they'd no longer be a drag on the TV businesses. — Now, they're spinning off their TV businesses so they'll no longer be a drag on their local broadband monopolies. — www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/c...

Jess Weatherbed /
The Verge: Comcast is spinning off its cable TV business

Marita Vlachou /
HuffPost: Comcast Spins Off MSNBC, Other Cable TV Networks

Laura Bratton /
Yahoo Finance: Comcast announces plan to spin off TV networks including MSNBC, CNBC to play ‘offense’ in new media landscape

Andrew Nusca /
Fortune: Comcast to spin off NBCU cable TV channels

George Glover /
Barron's Online: Comcast Stock Rises. Why a Cable TV Spinoff Plan Is Good News for Investors.

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: CNBC is part of Comcast spinoff company

Kaustubh Bagalkote /
Benzinga: Comcast Plans Major Cable Networks Spinoff, MSNBC And CNBC To Form New Public Company: Report

Amol Sharma /
@amolsharma.bsky.social: For people unfamiliar with deal mumbo jumbo: Comcast's existing shareholders will own this cable firm that gets spun off. It isn't being sold to someone else — yet — but over time, investors or potential buyers could approach the new company. [embedded post] NBC News: Comcast to announce the spinoff of cable networks, including MSNBC, CNBC and USA, sources say

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Comcast Reportedly Set to Spin-Off $7 Billion Cable TV Business; Matt Strauss to Become Chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: Comcast Plans Massive Cable Spin-Off, Separating USA, MSNBC and More From NBC, Theme Parks

Brian Stelter /
CNN: Comcast to spin off its cable channels, including MSNBC and CNBC, into separate company

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Comcast Reportedly Plans to Get Rid of MSNBC, CNBC, USA & SyFy As It Spins Off Its Cable TV Channels Deadline: NBCUniversal Split: Comcast To Spin Off Cable Channels Under Mark Lazarus; Donna Langley Consolidates Power, NBC, Peacock & Bravo Stay Put

Status:
Nielsen: Morning Joe's total audience fell 17% from the 6am hour to the 7am hour after Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski said they met Trump, an unusual drop

Discussion:
Fox News, Trending Politics …, @matthewkeyslive, Associated Press, @kellycripe, @jeremymbarr, Vanity Fair, @jeffjarvis, Al Jazeera, StreamTV Insider, Forbes, @claeshs.bsky.social, @michellesea.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Adweek, CNN, @brianstelter, @sallyshin, @asharma, @tvgrimreaper, @asharma, Mediaite, @timkarr.bsky.social, Stephanie Smith on LinkedIn, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Daily Kos, The Desk, Reuters, TVNewsCheck, Matthew Keys on LinkedIn, Dan Rayburn on LinkedIn, @amolsharma.bsky.social, The Hill and Daily Mail

Discussion:

Fox News:
The rise of digital voices, and Comcast splitting in two, brings doomsday predictions for traditional media

Cullen McCue /
Trending Politics Conservative Breaking: NEW: Cable Giant Plans Major Shakeup After MSNBC's Ratings Tank

Matthew Keys /
@matthewkeyslive: “Morning Joe” spent years building up a devoted audience of progressive viewers who found solace in the program's obsessive critiques of Trump. Now, after the show's hosts met with Trump last week, the audience is tuning out. Read here: https://www.msn.com/... [image] Associated Press: Comcast to spin off cable networks that were once the entertainment giant's star performers

Kelly Cripe /
@kellycripe: A lot of media outlets have really backed themselves into a corner in terms of audience growth.

Jeremy Barr /
@jeremymbarr: Joe Scarborough says he was surprised by Trump's response when they discussed Pete Hegseth during their meeting. “When his name came up, there was not a flinch, but a noticeable 'we've got problems here.' Those weren't the words, but I will just tell you that was the takeaway.”

Natalie Korach /
Vanity Fair: MSNBC Anxiously Enters a New Trump Era

@jeffjarvis:
.@oliverdarcy reports that Joe & Mika's bended knee cost them dearly, akin to Bezos' chicken move. (I say people returned for the 8a rerun to see what the furor was about.) https://www.status.news/... [image]

Bevin Fletcher /
StreamTV Insider: Comcast officially plans spin out of cable TV networks, except Bravo

Claes Holtzmann /
@claeshs.bsky.social: It's pretty remarkable—with the mass exodus from X, the 250,000 WaPo subscription cancellations, and now this. It's no easy feat to get users and viewers to actively change their habits in protest. [embedded post]

Michelle /
@michellesea.bsky.social: Happy to be one who changed the channel. — Mika's new mantra should be “ know how to diminish your value ”

Georg Szalai /
The Hollywood Reporter: Comcast's Cable Channels Spin Off Gets Mixed Wall Street Reaction

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: Comcast Cuts the Cord: 5 Burning Questions About M&A, MSNBC and More

Saleah Blancaflor /
Adweek: What the Comcast Cable Spinoff Really Means to the TV Industry

Brian Stelter /
CNN: Comcast's cable networks spinoff raises questions about future of the TV business

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: A Comcast executive confirms to CNN that the full plan for spinning off NBCUniversal's cable channels will be unveiled tomorrow morning. Notably, the plan calls for MSNBC and CNBC to be cleaved off from NBC News. More to come...

Sally Shin /
@sallyshin: they kept bravo 😂

Amol Sharma /
@asharma: 3) NBCU veteran Mark Lazarus will head to the new cable venture as CEO, and will take NBCU CFO Anand Kini with him (Kini will become CFO and COO of the new firm).

Amol Sharma /
@asharma: Some significant leadership changes at NBCU, effective immediately: 1) Donna Langley will become chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios, gaining streamlined greenlight authority and more financial visibility/control than she's had previously, sources say.

Amol Sharma /
@asharma: 2) Matt Strauss, a Comcast veteran who heads the direct-to-consumer business, will be named chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, with control over areas such as sports, ad sales and distribution. Langley and Strauss will share ownership of key areas of the business.

David Gilmour /
Mediaite: Joe Scarborough Offers ‘On Background’ Morsel Following Trump Meeting: ‘Noticeable’ Reservation After Pete Hegseth ‘Problems’

Tim Karr /
@timkarr.bsky.social: The election signified one thing for many who mind the structures that underpin U.S. media: — We're seeing a seismic shift in the ways Americans consume news & information, away from journalism as usual toward something new & even more dangerous to democracy. — This news is just one indicator:

Stephanie Smith /
Stephanie Smith on LinkedIn: Comcast to spin off NBCU's cable channels, including CNBC, MSNBC, E!, Golf Channel, and USA. NBC broadcast stays with the mothership. …

Oliver Darcy /
@oliverdarcy@threads.net: Comcast is running away from the dying cable business, choosing to spin off its channels. — The seismic decision will rip MSNBC and CNBC apart from NBC News, prompting anxiety inside 30 Rock. — “I have a deep concern about how an MS severed from NBC has the resources to sustain its commitment to a journalistic mission,” one MSNBC vet told me. …

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Comcast expected to announce spin-off of cable networks

Matthew Keys /
Matthew Keys on LinkedIn: Interesting that Comcast is choosing to hold onto Bravo and NBC.

Dan Rayburn /
Dan Rayburn on LinkedIn: Comcast has finalized its decision to spin out its NBCU cable assets, and according to the WSJ, an announcement could come on Wednesday. …

Amol Sharma /
@amolsharma.bsky.social: Comcast once regarded its cable group—with channels like USA, MSNBC, E! and Oxygen—as a crown jewel. Now it's spinning off nearly all of them into a $7 billion venture. The announcement is coming tomorrow, I'm told. www.wsj.com/business/med...

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Comcast to spin off cable assets: Report

Semafor:
Sources: under current plans, Comcast's new spun off entity would carry little of its $101B of debt, giving it the ability to borrow for acquisitions

Discussion:
Bloomberg and @semaforben

Business Insider:
Comcast's spinoff is essentially a garage sale of its basic cable TV networks, as the number of people paying for and watching cable networks falls every year

Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, @pkafka.bsky.social, Advanced Television, MediaPost, Reuters and WHEC.com

Discussion:

Laurie Sullivan /
TVNewsCheck: Apple Selling Own Ad Inventory For Apple News

Peter Kafka /
@pkafka.bsky.social: I wrote about the Comcast garage sale. www.businessinsider.com/comcast- cabl...

Wayne Friedman /
MediaPost: Comcast Moves Ahead to SpinOff NBCU Cable Networks The Hollywood Reporter: Comcast spinoff: cable channel Bravo, the NBC broadcast network, and Peacock will remain part of NBCUniversal; the new entity's ownership will mirror Comcast

Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Deadline, @pkafka, Business Insider, Variety, TVNewsCheck and Screen Rant

Discussion:

Meg James /
Los Angeles Times: Behind Comcast's big TV deal: a bleak picture for once mighty cable industry

Peter Kafka /
@pkafka: A big moment for Big Media. Or, if you like a less dramatic spin - a garage sale. Me on Comcast without cable: https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...

James Faris /
Business Insider: Why ‘Real Housewives’ maker Bravo is the only cable TV network that Comcast doesn't want to get rid of

Michael Schneider /
Variety: Why NBCUniversal Is Holding On to Bravo as It Spins Off the Rest of Its Cable Nets

Matthew Biggin /
Screen Rant: Suits: LA Release Date Finally Confirmed At NBC

Financial Times:

James Harding says the Tortoise-Observer deal could create a profitable media group and there isn't a guaranteed future for the Observer with the Guardian— James Harding confronts fierce opposition but says sale to his digital start-up only way for Sunday title to thrive

Discussion:
The Times, The Guardian, National Union of Journalists … and New Statesman

Discussion:

Alison Phillips /
New Statesman: Will staff go on strike to block the Observer sale?

RELATED:

Press Gazette:
Tortoise says it plans to invest £25M in Observer over five years, aiming to turn it into a self-funded, paywalled newsbrand with 100K new digital subscribers

Discussion:
@carolecadwalla.bsky.social, @jobmaynooth.bsky.social, @danielthomasldn, @dominicponsford.bsky.social, @jacksommers.bsky.social, @shattenstone.bsky.social, @annafazack.bsky.social, @pressgazette.co.uk, @michaelgoodier.bsky.social, Telegraph and Guido Fawkes

Discussion:

Carole Cadwalladr /
@carolecadwalla.bsky.social: 700+ journalists at Britain's only liberal newspaper(s) believe that something has gone so profoundly wrong in their own organisation that 93% of them have voted to go on strike — 1/ — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Prof John O Brennan /
@jobmaynooth.bsky.social: The potential loss of the Observer, after 240 years in print, would be devastating (yes, I buy paper copy most weeks). Let's hope it doesn't happen. — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Daniel Thomas /
@danielthomasldn: Guardian bosses have offered voluntary redundancy to any Observer staff that do not want to move to Tortoise in latest attempt to calm staff uproar ahead of a strike next month. A memo to staff confirms the board has greenlighted deal ahead of a meeting of Scott Trust next week

Dominic Ponsford /
@dominicponsford.bsky.social: Guardian updates: — *Observer sale decision goes to Scott Trust board on Monday — *First 48-hour strike on 4 December — *Obs journalists to be offered redundancy — *Tortoise says title will close without this deal — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Jack Sommers /
@jacksommers.bsky.social: Carry no candle for Tortoise - and no idea what they want with the Observer - but this is true isn't it? pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n... [image]

Simon Hattenstone /
@shattenstone.bsky.social: To any PRs out there trying to convince journalists that they would be better off under new ownership, this aggressive, bilious statement from Tortoise must be the worst example ever of a charm offensive. — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Simon Hattenstone /
@shattenstone.bsky.social: And this is one of many reasons, the Guardian & Observer NUJ Chapel voted almost unanimously today to strike two days next week to save the Obs from a would-be proprietor that is already showing its colours even before any deal has been signed — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Simon Hattenstone /
@shattenstone.bsky.social: ‘It is heading down a path to irrelevance ... its journalism lives, briefly and unloved, on The Guardian website.’ — Jesus if this is what Tortoise says when its wooing the Obs, what would it say if it didn't want it? 1/2 — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Anna Fazackerley /
@annafazack.bsky.social: Education contacts have been kind enough to message me asking what is happening at The Observer, the fabulous and very old paper I do most of my investigations for. Here is an update of where we are. First Guardian strike since 1971. pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n... @pressgazette.co.uk: Update: Guardian CEO Anna Bateson says Observer journalists who don't want to join Tortoise Media may be offered voluntary redundancy: pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Michael Goodier /
@michaelgoodier.bsky.social: personally slightly peeved at james harding's statement implying that GMG has no-one with digital skills? Let's be real, your site runs off wordpress, we don't have to be rude here — pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n...

Lucy Burton /
Telegraph: Guardian staff to go on strike for four days next month

Telegraph:
Almost 93% of 600 Guardian and Observer staff organized by the NUJ vote in favor of strike action over the proposed sale of The Observer to Tortoise

Discussion:
@pressgazette: Update: Tortoise has come out swinging against the strike decision, asking staff “how long do you think The Guardian will keep two sets of critics reviewing the same plays, films, art and music?” https://pressgazette.co.uk/...

Carole Cadwalladr /
@carolecadwalla: NEW: Guardian & Observer journalists overwhelming vote in favour of strike action in protest at proposed sale of the Observer to Tortoise media. [image]

Martin Bright /
@martinbright: Observer and, importantly, Guardian journalists vote by 93% in favour of strike action. A huge show of solidarity over the proposed sale of the world's oldest newspaper. https://www.nuj.org.uk/...

Sonia Sodha /
@soniasodha: Results out of the Guardian & Observer NUJ's postal ballot on strike action on the proposed sale of the Observer to Tortoise & its impact on staff. 75% turnout, 92.8% in favour of strike action. [image]

Daniel Thomas /
Financial Times: Observer staff set to strike over planned Tortoise sale

Helen Cahill /
The Times: Guardian staff vote to strike over sale of Observer

Bloomberg:

Filing: the US DOJ's proposal requires Google to allow websites more ability to opt-out of its AI products and provide more ad placement controls to advertisers— - Antitrust officials propose options in historic lawsuit — Google says government pushing ‘radical agenda’ beyond case

Discussion:
Engadget, The Independent, Forbes, Reuters, Fox Business, Financial Times, CNBC, The Information, Associated Press, Washington Post, Wired, The Verge, Axios, NPR, The Keyword, Politico, CNN, 9to5Google, New York Times, Breitbart, AppleInsider, Cord Cutters News, Benzinga, Daring Fireball, Digiday, The Guardian, New York Magazine, RetailWire, New York Post and MarTech, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Martyn Landi /
The Independent: US Government proposes forcing Google to sell Chrome to break-up tech empire

Siladitya Ray /
Forbes: Force Sale Of Chrome And Big Changes To Android Search—The DOJ's Proposal To Crackdown On Google's Search Monopoly Fox Business: Google must sell Chrome browser in move to end monopoly on internet searches, DOJ says

Jennifer Elias /
CNBC: DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case

Michael Liedtke /
Associated Press: US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment

Eva Dou /
Washington Post: DOJ seeks forced sale of Chrome, other big changes at Google in monopoly case

Rebecca Falconer /
Axios: DOJ asks judge to force Google to sell Chrome in partial breakup proposal

Kent Walker /
The Keyword: DOJ's staggering proposal would hurt consumers and America's global technological leadership

Brendan Bordelon /
Politico: DOJ asks judge to break up Google

David McCabe /
New York Times: U.S. Proposes Breakup of Google to Fix Search Monopoly

William Gallagher /
AppleInsider: Google is pissed that the DOJ may make it sell off Chrome

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: DOJ Seeks to Force Google to Sell Chrome Browser in Ongoing Antitrust Battle

Kaustubh Bagalkote /
Benzinga: Perplexity CEO Asks If AI Startup Should Acquire Google Chrome Following DOJ's Antitrust Push Against Search Giant

John Gruber /
Daring Fireball: DOJ Will Ask Judge to Force Google to Sell Chrome and De-Google Android

Ronan Shields /
Digiday: Incoming Trump administration puts potential breakup of Google's Chrome in new light

Nicholas Morine /
RetailWire: Google May Be Forced To Sell Chrome Browser, Sale Could Be Worth $20 Billion

Anu Adegbola /
MarTech: DOJ seeks sale of Chrome in Google antitrust case

Toronto Star:

Rogers Sports & Media lays off more than two dozen employees in its radio and podcasting divisions, citing declining revenue and challenges in advertising— The company has said there will be no closures or terminations of stations, programming or podcasts.

Discussion:
Inside Radio, CBC News and Globe and Mail

Discussion:

Daniel Anstandig /
Inside Radio: North Of The Border, Rogers Media Makes ‘Difficult But Necessary’ Changes.

NPR:

Excerpts from a Q&A with Marty Baron and David Remnick on coming retribution against media: prosecutions for posting government leaks, public media cuts, more— Heading into a second term, New Yorker editor David Remnick says Donald Trump's anger “has been never so intense as it's been against the press.”

Discussion:
The Conversation

New York Times:

Trump says Republicans must kill the PRESS Act, which would protect journalists' records and sources from the US government; the bill is stalled in the Senate— The bill, known as the PRESS Act, would codify protections against federal investigators seizing reporters' records.

Discussion:

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: Despite bipartisan support, a proposed federal shield law may fall by the wayside

Mariane Angela /
The Daily Caller: Trump Urges Congressional Republicans To Block Bill Protecting Journalists From Government Spying

Kevin Gosztola /
@kgosztola.bsky.social: Here's Trump demanding that Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, & other Republican senators withdraw support for federal shield law for reporters known as the PRESS Act. That way he could more easily suppress journalists and media organizations. (The bill already passed in the House.) [image]

Alex Griffing /
Mediaite: Trump Demands Republicans ‘KILL’ Bipartisan Press Freedom Bill

Scott Buffington /
@slbuffington.bsky.social: Trump will try to snuff out any and all opposition from the media. He supports the First Amendment only when it's favorable towards him. Facts are real, whether one likes them or not. [embedded post]

Nikki McCann Ramirez /
Rolling Stone: Trump Says Republicans ‘MUST KILL’ Bipartisan Bill to Protect Press Freedom @freedom.press: “As Congress wraps up its work for the year, the Senate's passage of a shield law for journalists should be a priority,” The @virginianpilot.bsky.social's editorial board wrote in November.

Washington Post:

Reg Murphy, an editor and publisher in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Baltimore, died Nov. 9 at 90; he was kidnapped in 1974 by a man angry at “liberal news media”— As a top editor at the Atlanta Constitution, he was held for a $700,000 ransom. He was later the publisher …

Discussion:
@tomsherwood, @slbuffington.bsky.social, New York Times and @jeffjarvis@mastodon.social

Discussion:

Tom Sherwood /
@tomsherwood: One of my first reporters/editors I looked up to when I began my own journalism career 60 years ago. All round great guy! Reg Murphy, editor and publisher who survived a kidnapping, dies at 90 https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Scott Buffington /
@slbuffington.bsky.social: The Georgia newspaper industry will miss Reg Murphy. A great man and first rate newspaper guy. [embedded post]

Sam Roberts /
New York Times: Reg Murphy, Newspaper Editor Whose Kidnapping Made Headlines, Dies at 90

Jeff Jarvis /
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social: Reg Murphy made me a columnist in San Francisco because he liked a caption I wrote. Then he sided with Feinstein against me and I quit. The day after I left, he quit. Bye, Reg. RIP. — Reg Murphy, editor and publisher who survived a kidnapping, dies at 90 https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Tubefilter:

Streamlabs: Twitch accounted for 82.3% of total Q3 streaming hours, with YouTube Gaming in second place at 5.6%; Kick grew 204% from Q2 2023 to Q3 2024— For years, the Logitech-owned creator dashboard Streamlabs and its data partner Stream Hatchet have compiled quarterly progress reports for the streaming industry.

Discussion:
@tvgrimreaper and Streamlabs

Columbia Journalism Review:

Q&A with Vulture's podcast critic Nicholas Quah about how Trump tapped into the podcast world, podcasters like Joe Rogan being “politically squishy”, and more— Donald Trump surprised a lot of people when he appeared on a number of nonpolitical podcasts this summer …

Discussion:
@joeroganhq

Bloomberg:

News Corp shareholders reject Starboard's proposal to end News Corp's dual share structure, which Starboard said gives the Murdochs “outsized influence”— - Starboard argued that Murdoch family had too much influence — Murdoch family awaits ruling in contentious trust trial

Discussion:
@davidfolkenflik, Deadline, The Guardian and Reuters

Discussion:

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: News Corp. News: Shareholders have rejected a motion supported by a number of investor advisor groups to eliminate the dual structure that allows Rupert Murdoch (and family) to control the company. He wields 40+ percent of voting shares despite owning far fewer common shares.

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: News Corp. Defeats Shareholder Push To Ditch Super Voting Stock Amid Succession Jitters

Lauren Aratani /