LA-based Webtoon, owned by South Korea's Naver, files for a US IPO; sources: the online comics platform could seek to raise up to $500M at a $3B-$4B valuation (Michael Hytha/Bloomberg)

Mediagazer: LA-based Webtoon, owned by South Korea's Naver, files for a US IPO; sources: the online comics platform could seek to raise up to $500M at a $3B-$4B valuation (Michael Hytha/Bloomberg)

Top News:

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Disney and Comcast's NBCUniversal hit an impasse in Disney's buyout plans for NBCU's 33% Hulu stake, with a significant disagreement over valuation— Companies are discussing a Disney buyout of Comcast's stake in streaming service; with a big valuation gap, the prospect of a court battle looms
Discussion: The Desk, The Streamable, The Media Leader, The Information and @tvgrimreaper

Discussion:

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Disney, Comcast still too far apart on Hulu's valuation

David Satin /
The Streamable: Disney, Comcast Negotiations Over Hulu Sale Hit Snag as Talks Near Finish Line

Sabrina Quagliozzi /
The Media Leader: Disney and Comcast clash over Hulu valuation, raising specter of legal battle

Martin Peers /
The Information: AI Euphoria Disappears From Public Market

Semafor:

Details of CNN's ad packages for its Biden-Trump debate on June 27: a top-tier level with a $1.5M minimum, limits on spending by campaigns and PACs, and more— The Scoop — The Donald Trump-driven boom times are back for the business of American television — at least, for one night in June.

RELATED:

Variety:
Sources: CNN plans to run ads during its June 27 debate between Biden and Trump, a break from tradition; networks using CNN's feed can also sell their own ads

Discussion:

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: CNN to buck tradition by putting commercial breaks in Biden-Trump debate: report

Trevor Hunnicutt /
Reuters: Biden wants to talk abortion, Trump immigration in CNN debate

Jeffrey Clark /
Fox News: RFK Jr. accuses Trump, Biden and CNN of colluding to prevent him from upcoming debate

Rob Quinn /
Newser: Kennedy Campaign Claims CNN Debate Will Be Illegal

Financial Times:

Sources: a Paramount special committee approved the sweetened offer from Skydance; Paramount's board, chaired by Shari Redstone, will vote on the deal June 4— Final decision over Hollywood studio group rests with controlling shareholder Shari Redstone — A special committee …

Discussion:
The Wrap, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Desk, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times and Variety

Discussion:

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Paramount Special Committee Recommends Revised Offer From David Ellison's Skydance Media

NPR:

Salem Media is halting distribution of the film and book 2000 Mules and removing the film from its platforms; it apologized to a man who sued for defamation— The conservative media company behind the book and film “2,000 Mules,” which alleged a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to steal …

Discussion:

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: Right-wing media company Salem apologizes, stops distributing 2020 election conspiracy film ‘2000 Mules’ after lawsuit

Phillip Nieto /
Mediaite: Salem Apologizes, Retracts Dinesh D'Souza's Debunked Election Fraud Movie ‘2000 Mules’

Tom Dreisbach /
@tomdreisbach: @DineshDSouza ... According to a filing in Salem's case against its insurer, Salem settled Andrews' defamation case for a “significant [confidential] amount.” [image] Associated Press: Publisher of ‘2000 Mules’ apologizes to Georgia man falsely accused of ballot fraud in the film

Tom Dreisbach /
@tomdreisbach: @DineshDSouza ... For our previous coverage debunking some of the film and book's claims: When D'Souza had to abruptly recall the book, but I got a copy anyway https://www.npr.org/...

Stephen Silver /
@stephensilver: It takes a lot for a movie to be retracted completely, but 2000 MULES - based on nothing but lies from start to finish - clears that bar @nycsouthpaw: Salem has published a statement retracting Dinesh D'Souza's film 2000 Mules. From the wording, it looks a lot like it was compelled by a defamation settlement agreement. It is currently sitting beneath a Sebastian Gorka broadcast. https://salemnewschannel.com/ [image]

Tom Dreisbach /
@tomdreisbach: @DineshDSouza Some key context Salem is a co-defendant, along with Dinesh D'Souza and True the Vote, in a lawsuit filed by this voter, Mark Andrews. He is represented by lawyers with @protctdemocracy, which also represented the Georgia election workers who sued Rudy Giuliani for defamation.

Anne Nelson /
@anelsona: Here's a juicy thread about #CNP media companies Salem & Regnery and their little truthiness problem. #ShadowNetwork

Brian Beutler /
@brianbeutler: Weird how this keeps happening to Republicans and their allied media—and only them—given that both sides same. @mountainsstars: @nycsouthpaw Salem Media's Quarterly Report shows it sold Regnery Publishing (to Skyhorse Publishing) in December 2023. It also shows Salem and its subsidiaries are parties to multiple lawsuits and entered into a settlement agreement for one in March 2024. https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/ ... [image]

Tom Dreisbach /
@tomdreisbach: @DineshDSouza ... Also notable: Salem is currently suing their media insurer for allegedly failing to pay for the costs associated with Andrews' “2,000 Mules” lawsuit. https://storage.courtlistener.com/ ...

Tom Dreisbach /
@tomdreisbach: The publisher of @DineshDSouza's election conspiracy theory film and book “2,000 Mules” has issued an apology to a Georgia voter accused in the film of illegal voting in the 2020 election. “There will be no future distribution of the film or the book by Salem.” [image]

Washington Post:

A look at Robert Allbritton's NOTUS, a nonprofit national politics outlet that employs 10 full-time fellows and is intended to act as a journalist incubator— When he was the owner of Politico, Robert Allbritton sat atop a farm system that hired scores of young reporters to work alongside veteran editors …

Discussion:

Kenneth P. Vogel /
@kenvogel: .@R_Allbritton has run news outlets (@politico, @7NewsDC, etc) that molded & propelled top reporters, like @maggieNYT @PamelaBrownCNN & @jdawsey1. Now he's started a nonprofit to train the next generation. In the process, @NOTUSreports is notching scoops https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Karl Bode /
@kbode@threads.net: former politico owner is building a new journalist mill where I assume people aren't paid much and are conditioned to avoid what's clearly the biggest problem with journalism today: wokeism https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Evan McMorris-Santoro /
@evanmcs: Check out @washingtonpost's story on @NOTUSreports, featuring @TChingarande not so subtly pitching a $300k/yr next job for herself. That's how it's done, folks. Other great stuff in here about what @AJI_Fellowships is trying to do for our industry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Kyle Tharp /
@kylewilsontharp: NOTUS does not have a presence on TikTok, no presence on Instagram, no presence on Facebook, no YouTube strategy. Not sure who they're trying to keep informed, other than the DC reporters who follow their own reporters on Twitter. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... @structstories: “Talking to a ton of senior-to-mid-level execs in media, the constant refrain is: 'I can't find great people'”, says @R_Allbritton, who trained many of today's leading journalists at Politico. AI will do routine news & fluff. Journalists need to be great https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Herb Scribner /
@herbscribner: NOTUS is definitely a news org to watch these days. Lots of impressive work with immense talent in their newsroom. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Ron Fournier /
@ron_fournier: Big fan of ⁦@NOTUSreports⁩ and its top editor, ⁦@timgrieve⁩ https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Tinashe Chingarande /
@tchingarande: .@NOTUSreports got featured in the Washington Post, and I gave @jeremymbarr a kicker quote for the ages.💀 Happy reading!! https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

Karl Bode /
@kbode@threads.net: It's hilarious how blind these brunchlords are to their own class bias most U.S. press coverage is corporatist, unapologetically pro-business, and reflects the center right bias of ownership a handful of journalists suggested a minor course correction, and ownership lost their fucking minds

Variety:

Moonbug Entertainment names Courtney Holt, previously Spotify's head of studios and video, as managing director for the Americas, taking over from Andy Yeatman— Holt takes over the position from Andy Yeatman, who is departing Moonbug for an unspecified new gig.

Discussion:
The Wrap, Courtney Holt on LinkedIn, Deadline and Advanced Television

Discussion:

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Moonbug Entertainment Promotes Global Music Head Courtney Holt to Americas Managing Director

Courtney Holt /
Courtney Holt on LinkedIn: I'm super appreciative of the opportunity to continue to grow and lead within Moonbug Entertainment. …

Dade Hayes /
Deadline: ‘CoComelon’ And ‘Blippi’ Producer Moonbug Entertainment Ups Courtney Holt To Managing Director, Americas, As Andy Yeatman Exits

The Hollywood Reporter:

Startup Fable Studio announces Showrunner, a streaming service that lets users watch AI-generated series and create their own series by writing prompts— Fable, the studio behind the viral AI-generated ‘South Park’ clips, has announced a streaming platform that allows users to create their own content.

Discussion:
B. Earl on LinkedIn, Tubefilter, The Guardian, Gizmodo, VentureBeat and IndieWire, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

B. Earl /
B. Earl on LinkedIn: If you haven't seen this or been keeping track of Fable Studios then it might be worth taking a look. …

Stuart Heritage /
The Guardian: A new AI service allows viewers to create TV shows. Are we doomed?

Oscar Gonzalez /
Gizmodo: The First Streaming Service for AI-Generated TV Shows Has Arrived

Dean Takahashi /
VentureBeat: Fable's Showrunner showcases Netflix of AI with user/AI-generated TV shows

Brian Welk /
IndieWire: This AI App Lets You Create Your Own TV Episodes That Look Just Like ‘South Park’

Bloomberg:

LA-based Webtoon, owned by South Korea's Naver, files for a US IPO; sources: the online comics platform could seek to raise up to $500M at a $3B-$4B valuation— Los Angeles-based Webtoon said in a filing Friday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that South Korean internet company Naver …

Discussion:
US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, Reuters, The Korea Times and @ca_ecostrategy

Discussion:
US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION: FORM S-1 — As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2024.

Niket Nishant /
Reuters: Online comics platform Webtoon reveals revenue growth, profitability in US IPO filing

Anna J. Park /
The Korea Times: Naver Webtoon's Nasdaq IPO expected to foster growth of webtoon industry

Nieman Lab:

A look at the term “fact-based journalism”: its rise coincided with “fake news” in 2016, but the term is redundant as all journalism is fact-based— “To describe one form of journalism as ‘fact-based’ is to tacitly acknowledge that there is also such a thing as ‘non-fact-based journalism.’ And there isn't."

Discussion:
Josh M. on LinkedIn, @davidpwhelan@mastodon.world and @nw@ioc.exchange

Discussion:

Josh M. /
Josh M. on LinkedIn: If you were wondering why everyone was talking about “fact-based journalism” when we thought that journalism always was supposed to be fact-based... 🤷 ♀️ …

David Whelan /
@davidpwhelan@mastodon.world: Good read from @niemanlab. #Journalism has painted itself into a corner. To combat ‘fake news’, it's qualified journalism as either fact-based or non-fact-based: — “To describe one form of journalism as ‘fact-based’ is to tacitly acknowledge that there is also such a thing as ‘non-fact-based journalism.’ And there isn't.” …

Nieman Lab:

Rest of World retracts an article on WhatsApp misinformation “tip lines” in India after several fact-checking orgs detail how it was “riddled with inaccuracies”— Last week, the technology site Rest of World published a story on the apparent failings of WhatsApp misinformation “tip lines” in India.

Discussion:
@dau_mca and @india_mca, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:
@dau_mca: We want to correct the record on the egregious errors in this story published by @restofworld on May 24 about tiplines operating in India. https://restofworld.org/... @india_mca: A story by @restofworld on WhatsApp tiplines including @dau_mca is riddled with inaccuracies and mischaracterisations. Efforts to seek corrections have been in vain. Here is our response: https://mcaindia.in/...

Mediaite:

Eric Bolling, formerly of Sinclair and Fox News and host of Newsmax's 8pm show The Balance, is leaving the network after three years— Eric Bolling has parted ways with Newsmax. — The veteran television host, who helmed the conservative network's 8 p.m. hour with The Balance …

Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Deadline, The Daily Beast, @ericbolling and Media Matters for America

Discussion:

Stephen Battaglio /
Los Angeles Times: Conservative commentator Eric Bolling exits Newsmax

Natalie Korach /
The Wrap: Eric Bolling Exits Newsmax

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: Eric Bolling Departs Newsmax After Three Year Run

Justin Baragona /
The Daily Beast: Ex-Fox News Star Eric Bolling Leaves Fox News Wannabe Newsmax @ericbolling: Important Announcement: Eric Bolling and Newsmax Part Ways [Press Release] https://ericbolling.com/...

Billboard:

Sampling of King Willonius' AI-generated “BBL Drizzy” creates a new precedent; the recording is public domain but Willonius' lyrics give him publishing rights— After “BBL Drizzy” was sampled in Sexyy Red and Drake's new single “U My Everything,” it required a lawyer to create a procedure for clearing AI samples.

Discussion:
Willonius Hatcher on LinkedIn and Daniel Rowland on LinkedIn

Discussion:

Willonius Hatcher /