Sources: Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and KKR are in talks to break Axel Springer in two, separating media assets from its digital classifieds business (Financial Times)

Mediagazer: Sources: Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and KKR are in talks to break Axel Springer in two, separating media assets from its digital classifieds business (Financial Times)

Top News:

Financial Times:

Sources: Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and KKR are in talks to break Axel Springer in two, separating media assets from its digital classifieds business— Deal would separate group's media assets from its digital classifieds operation — German billionaire Mathias Döpfner …
Discussion: Reuters, @froomkin and @semaforben

Discussion:

Dan Froomkin /
@froomkin: “The possible split comes as Döpfner [who once asked colleagues to pray for Trump's reelection] has been stepping up his efforts to build influence in the US media.” [my brackets]

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: comedian Dax Shepard signs an $80M podcasting deal with Amazon, shifting his Armchair Expert show to Amazon's Wondery service from Spotify— New deal includes video episodes, gives Amazon's Wondery exclusive distribution and ad-sales rights — Comedian Dax Shepard has signed …

Discussion:
The Wrap, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Chris Peterson on LinkedIn, RAIN News and @kerrymflynn

Discussion:

Raquel ‘Rocky’ Harris /
The Wrap: Dax Shepard's ‘Armchair Expert’ Podcast Inks $80 Million Deal With Amazon's Wondery, Leaving Spotify

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Dax Shepard Inks $80 Million Exclusive Podcast Pact With Amazon's Wondery, Which Encompasses New Shows, Merchandise and More

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: Dax Shepard's ‘Armchair Expert’ Podcast Jumps to Amazon's Wondery In $80M Deal

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: ‘Armchair Expert’ Podcast Host Dax Shepard Signs Big Distribution, First-Look Deal With Amazon's Wondery

Chris Peterson /
Chris Peterson on LinkedIn: Another big licensing deal in podcasting! In addition to selling the audio podcast inventory, Amazon will distribute video episodes and translate them for global distribution. …

Brad Hill /
RAIN News: Wondery grabs pod star Dax Shepard from Spotify; comprehensive distro, ads, dev, merch

The Verge:

YouTube announces new Shorts features, including TikTok-like text-to-speech video narration, in-app auto-generated captions, and a set of Minecraft effects— YouTube has announced a set of new features for YouTube Shorts, some of which are available now, like a new text-to-speech video narration …

Discussion:
TechCrunch, @sarahpereztc, @edwardchampion@mastodon … and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:
@sarahpereztc: YouTube tempts creators with a half dozen new features for Shorts https://techcrunch.com/...

Edward Champion /
@edwardchampion@mastodon.social: @Mediagazer “like indoor plants jockeying for the same sunbeam” You don't often encounter a Chandleresque simile in a tech article!

Sarah Fielding /
Engadget: YouTube Shorts gets Instagram's ‘Add yours’ prompt stickers

New York Times:

The Hallmark Channel says it will launch streaming service Hallmark+ for $8/month in September, with on-demand access to old content and memberships perks— Hallmark+, which arrives in September, will include free greeting cards and a “Hallmark Hunk” competition show.

Discussion:
Adweek, The Desk, Variety, The Streamable, TVLine, Entertainment Weekly, The Wrap, Next TV, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Alyssa Zeisler on LinkedIn and Media Play News

Discussion:

Bill Bradley /
Adweek: What to Know About Hallmark's New Streaming Service

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Hallmark to launch premium streaming video service

Emily Longeretta /
Variety: Hallmark+ Streaming Service to Launch in Fall, Will Include First Holiday Limited Series, Original Movies and More

Matt Tamanini /
The Streamable: Hallmark Movies Now to Become Hallmark+ This Fall; Price Hike, Original Content, Unique Benefits Coming

Nick Caruso /
TVLine: Hallmark Streaming Service Gets New Name, Price Hike

Kristen Baldwin /
Entertainment Weekly: Hallmark's Finding Mr. Christmas reality show seeks holiday movie hunk

Loree Seitz /
The Wrap: Hallmark to Rebrand Streaming Service to Hallmark+ With Movies, Limited and Unscripted Series

R. Thomas Umstead /
Next TV: Hallmark Media To Launch New Streaming Service in September

Lynette Rice /
Deadline: Hallmark Launching New Streaming Service in September

Alyssa Zeisler /
Alyssa Zeisler on LinkedIn: Excited to share some of the amazing initiatives happening at Hallmark — we're relaunching our streaming service and enhancing our retail connections …

CNN:

A US jury finds Archegos Capital Management's Bill Hwang guilty of fraud for artificially inflating stocks of companies including ViacomCBS and Discovery— Bill Hwang, founder of Archegos Capital Management, was found guilty of fraud Wednesday by a Manhattan federal court after the 2021 collapse …

Discussion:
Deadline, Variety, Financial Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Associated Press, New York Times and Bloomberg

Discussion:

Bruce Haring /
Deadline: Bill Hwang, Wall St. Investor In Major Media Stocks, Guilty Of Fraud And Market Manipulation

William Earl /
Variety: Archegos Founder Bill Hwang Found Guilty in Fraud and Racketeering Case Involving ViacomCBS Stock

Winston Cho /
The Hollywood Reporter: Archegos Founder, Charged With Manipulating ViacomCBS Stock, Found Guilty of Fraud Associated Press: Founder of collapsed hedge fund Archegos Capital is convicted in securities fraud scheme

Matthew Goldstein /
New York Times: Jury Finds Archegos Founder Bill Hwang Guilty of Fraud and Racketeering

Ava Benny-Morrison /
Bloomberg: Bill Hwang's Fate Is Now in Jury's Hands After Archegos Trial

Journal Sentinel:

Civic Media says its decision to make two pre-broadcast edits to a Biden interview on Earl Ingram's WAUK show fell short of “journalistic interview standards”— Jessie Opoien Molly BeckMilwaukee Journal Sentinel — MADISON — Civic Media, a Wisconsin-based progressive talk-radio network …

Discussion:
New York Times and @grynbaum

Discussion:

Ken Bensinger /
New York Times: Biden Campaign Has Long Fed Softball Questions to Friendly Interviewers

Michael M. Grynbaum /
@grynbaum: What a disaster Biden's two under-the-radar radio interviews last week turned out to be. His campaign was caught planting questions (which got one host fired) and asking one station to cut lines they felt were embarrassing. And Biden still had gaffes like “first Black woman.”

Next TV:

Ad measurement company VideoAmp says it will integrate Snap's first-party data, video, and AR ad inventory into VideoAmp's campaign planning system— Collaboration will enable advertisers to reach audiences across linear, streaming and digital platforms — VideoAmp said it made a deal enabling …

Discussion:
StreamTV Insider, Rachel Blank on LinkedIn, Snapchat Advertising, Advanced Television, Ad Age and Beet.TV

Discussion:

Adrian Pennington /
StreamTV Insider: VideoAmp extends video ad planning capabilities to AR with Snap

Rachel Blank /
Rachel Blank on LinkedIn: My sister-in-law just told me a story about her little sister; she's at a sleep-away camp, but she refuses to lose her Snap streaks with her friends and family. …

Robert Williams /
Beet.TV: Augmented Reality Helps to Differentiate Retail Media: Snap's Kevin Longo

Reuters:

Source: Turkey is seeking an explanation from Saudi Arabia for detaining a Turkish journalist who allegedly made comments about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi— Turkey is seeking an explanation from Saudi Arabia after Saudi police detained a Turkish journalist over alleged comments …

Discussion:
Committee to Protect …

Music Business Worldwide:

Ticketmaster and Shazam announce a partnership letting artists link their live events in Shazam, adding to Ticketmaster's integration with Snap and TikTok— After integrating its ticket sales platform with Snap and TikTok, ticketing giant Ticketmaster is taking another step towards sales …

Discussion:
Billboard, CMU, Music Ally, Ally Norton on LinkedIn and Digital Music News

Discussion:

Chris Eggertsen /
Billboard: The Deals: Ticketmaster Integrates With Shazam, Beatport Gets Fraud Detection Partner CMU: 🤝 One Liners: Deals including Ticketmaster x Shazam, RA x Soundcloud, Beatport x Beatdapp + more

Stuart Dredge /
Music Ally: Ticketmaster reveals its latest app integration: Shazam

Ally Norton /
Ally Norton on LinkedIn: Step 1: Shazam the track. 🎵 Step 2: Get the tickets! 🎟 — Ticketmaster makes it easier than ever to find tickets …

Variety:

Brian Lowry, the veteran Hollywood reporter, critic, and a contributor to CNN's Reliable Sources newsletter, is set to leave in the new round of CNN job cuts— The news outlet is cutting approximately 100 jobs as it works to boost its digital business.

Discussion:
Cord Cutters News, @tvmojoe, @blowryontv, The Wrap and Talking Biz News

Discussion:
@tvmojoe: This is such a dumb move ahead of a subscription product launch. Stuff like Reliable Sources and insight from Lowry and others on the showbiz team is what will get me/others to pay extra for CNN.

Brian Lowry /
@blowryontv: First time for everything. To quote the late great Norman Lear's memoir title, “Even This I Get to Experience.”

Sharon Knolle /
The Wrap: Veteran Media Critic Brian Lowry Among CNN's 100 Layoffs

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: CNN entertainment writer Lowry is departing

RELATED:

Wall Street Journal:
Memo: Mark Thompson says CNN is cutting about 100 jobs, plans to launch its first CNN.com subscription product later in 2024, but offers few details, and more

Discussion:
CNN, Nieman Lab, Adweek, Media Nation, Associated Press, @farhip, Broadband TV News, @heysamantha, The Verge, Deadline, @mattdpearce, Media Voices, @kevincollier, @sfiegerman, @iyengarish, Variety, Breitbart, @rasmus_kleis, The Wrap, @pressgazette, @alexweprin, @bristei, @brianstelter, @bristei, The Media Mix, Talking Biz News, Brian Steinberg on LinkedIn, Mediaite, MediaPost, Jeremy Moore on LinkedIn, Hartford Courant, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Media Leader, The Information, New York Post, Reuters and Cord Cutters News

Discussion:

Oliver Darcy /
CNN: CNN chief Mark Thompson announces sweeping overhaul of news network, cuts 100 jobs

Joshua Benton /
Nieman Lab: Are you willing to pay for CNN.com? Prepare to be asked before year's end

Dan Kennedy /
Media Nation: CNN's dicey reinvention plans: Layoffs, AI and another attempt at paid digital

Paul Farhi /
@farhip: Numerical context: CNN's overall viewership rose just 2 percent in the April-June quarter vs same period a year ago, and fell 10 percent among people aged 25-54. Election years (and presidential debates) usually bring big increases.

Samantha Murphy Kelly /
@heysamantha: I was among the CNN reporters laid off today as part of the company's restructuring. I loved CNN and I'm so proud of the work we did. If you're looking for a tech reporter to cover AI, social media, trends, Big Tech, gadgets, tech anything, please send a message! I'd love to chat

Andrew Liszewski /
The Verge: CNN announces more layoffs as it preps for a future beyond cable TV

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: CNN To Reduce Staff By About 100 As CEO Unveils New Details Of “One Newsroom” Strategy; Layoffs Include Media Critic Brian Lowry — Update

Kevin Collier /
@kevincollier: This damn industry [image]

Seth Fiegerman /
@sfiegerman: Breaking my year-plus streak of not tweeting to say Sam is absolutely incredible and any newsroom would be lucky to have her. Trust me: I've worked with her longer than anyone.

Rishi Iyengar /
@iyengarish: Adding my voice to the literal dozens of people who have already said what a brilliant journalist, colleague, friend, and human being Sam is. Any publication would be lucky to have her.

Brian Steinberg /
Variety: CNN Plans Launch of Digital Subscription Product by End of 2024 Amid Newsroom Layoffs

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen /
@rasmus_kleis: CNN is “nowhere near ready for the future” CEO Mark Thompson told colleagues. Dose of cold realism in an industry that often manages to continue business-as-usual serving aging, shrinking audiences and dwindling number of advertisers while rhetorically insisting they are digital

Sharon Knolle /
The Wrap: Veteran Media Critic Brian Lowry Among CNN's 100 Layoffs @pressgazette: CNN chief executive Mark Thompson has told staff that the organisation is cutting around 100 jobs, equivalent to approximately 3% of its total workforce https://pressgazette.co.uk/...

Alex Weprin /
@alexweprin: Major changes coming to CNN. A subscription product launching this year, with others to follow. A total reorg of its newsrooms. “strategic” push into AI. And layoffs, with about 100 staff to be cut today. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: CNN will cut 100 jobs as it seeks to move more readily into digital, and will launch a subscription product via its website by the end of the year https://variety.com/...

Brian Stelter /
@brianstelter: “CNN said it is cutting about 100 jobs and will launch its first CNN·com subscription product later this year as it looks to lessen its dependence on its cable-TV channel.” https://www.wsj.com/...

Brian Steinberg /
@bristei: This story about CNN has it all: *100 job cuts? ✅ *New digital ideas? ✅ *Pages of prose from CEO? ✅ ^A vague sense primetime needs help? ✅ https://variety.com/...

Claire Atkinson /
The Media Mix: CNN Memo outlines new strategy and 100 job losses.

Chris Roush /
Talking Biz News: CNN senior tech writer Kelly among the layoffs

Brian Steinberg /
Brian Steinberg on LinkedIn: This story about CNN has it all: — *100 job cuts? ✅ — *New digital ideas? ✅ — *Pages of prose from CEO? ✅ …

Diana Falzone /
Mediaite: CNN Staff in a State of ‘Resignation’ as CEO Announces Revamp of Network, Job Cuts

Ray Schultz /
MediaPost: CNN Will Debut Subscription Products This Year: Report

Jeremy Moore /
Jeremy Moore on LinkedIn: This doesn't seem to be a recipe for success. Beyond the damage to the professionals who will be laid off, the overarching narrative seems …

John Koblin /
New York Times: CNN Cuts 100 Jobs, and Announces Plan for Digital Subscription Product

Alex Weprin /
The Hollywood Reporter: CNN to Lay Off 100 Staffers as It Preps Major Revamp of Digital Efforts

Sabrina Quagliozzi /
The Media Leader: CNN to cut 100 jobs and launch digital subscription product

Taylor Herzlich /
New York Post: CNN CEO Mark Thompson to lay off 100 employees as he discloses fresh turnaround plans

The Media Mix:
Sources: CNN lays off the team producing its Opinion section, with an end date of August 9; a source says Senior Editor Sheena McKenzie is among those leaving

Discussion:
@simondowens@threads.net, @newspolitics, Axios and @bsdtectr.bsky.social

Discussion:

Simon Owens /
@simondowens@threads.net: Given CNN's new focus on digital subscriptions, it makes sense that it's cutting its budget for opinion columns given that the political opinion niche is incredibly saturated and unlikely to drive paid conversions. https://www.themediamix.co/...

Jon Nicosia /
@newspolitics: @claireatki “The CNN team working on the news network's Opinion output was let go today. The contributors and editors were gathered and informed that they would be terminated with an end date of August 9, according to people there. The move is part of a wider cost cutting measure announced

Sara Fischer /
Axios: CNN boss lays out plans for digital future, layoffs to come

Nieman Lab:

Q&A with filmmaker Errol Morris on his 1988 The Thin Blue Line documentary, generative AI, disinformation, reenactment, his new Separated documentary, and more— “Our task is to get back to the real world, to the extent that it is recoverable.” — Errol Morris is used to being called a liar, a trickster, and a manipulator.

Discussion:

Andrew Deck /
@decka227: I spoke to Errol Morris about the growing debate over AI-generated imagery in documentaries. Morris championed reenactment with seminal docs like The Thin Blue Line. I asked him if there's similarly a place for generative AI in his filmmaking. https://www.niemanlab.org/...

Andrew Deck /
@decka227: “People are so afraid of being tricked or manipulated that they feel if they impose a set of rules, somehow they don't have to be afraid anymore. I would like to assure them that they still need to be afraid.” Our full conversation on @NiemanLab. https://www.niemanlab.org/...

The Hollywood Reporter:

The Writers Guild of America West negotiates a $3.05M settlement with CBS to compensate 24 writers on MacGyver, Seal Team, and Hawaii 5-0 for unpaid work— The union told members on Wednesday of the resolution to an arbitration claim made on behalf of ‘MacGyver,’ ‘Seal Team’ and ‘Hawaii 5-0’ scribes.

Discussion:

Jeremy Fuster /
The Wrap: CBS Pays Writers Guild $3 Million for Contract Violations

Cynthia Littleton /
Variety: WGA West Reaches $3 Million Settlement With CBS Studios Over Writer Fees and Benefit Payments

TechCrunch:

South Korea-based Beeble AI, which is developing virtual production services for indie filmmakers, raised $4.75M in seed funding at a valuation of $25M— Visual effects (VFX) have emerged as essential in filmmaking and have transformed storytelling and creativity in the film industry with its diverse digital techniques.