Sources: Edgar Bronfman Jr. raises his Paramount bid to $6B, adding $1.7B to let non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders cash out at $16 a share (Wall Street Journal)

Mediagazer: Sources: Edgar Bronfman Jr. raises his Paramount bid to $6B, adding $1.7B to let non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders cash out at $16 a share (Wall Street Journal)

Top News:

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Edgar Bronfman Jr. raises his Paramount bid to $6B, adding $1.7B to let non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders cash out at $16 a share— The bid gives non-Redstone, nonvoting Paramount shareholders an option to sell shares at a premium — Edgar Bronfman Jr. has sweetened …
Discussion:

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Bronfman raises bid for Paramount, now offers $6 billion

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Paramount Extends Negotiating Window As Edgar Bronfman Jr. Raises Bid to $6 Billion

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Boosts Paramount Bid to $6 Billion, Board Extends Deal-Negotiation Period

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Sweetens Bid For Paramount To $6 Billion

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: Bidding war erupts over Paramount as Edgar Bronfman submits $4.3B competing offer

Jessica Toonkel /
Jessica Toonkel on LinkedIn: NEW: Bronfman's bid for Paramount is in. He matches Skydance in offer for NAI at $1.75 billion in equity and offers around $1.5 billion on Paramount's balance sheet. …

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Investor Edgar Bronfman Jr. Offers $4.3 Billion Bid For Paramount Global

Rocio Fabbro /
Quartz: Edgar Bronfman wants to buy Paramount for $4.3 billion — and take it away from Skydance

Mandy Dalugdug /
Music Business Worldwide: Former Warner Music Group boss Edgar Bronfman Jr. makes $4.3bn bid for Paramount

Jon Lafayette /
Next TV: Edgar Bronfman Makes $4.3 Billion Bid For Paramount

RELATED:
The Wrap: Document: Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s Paramount bid is backed by a group of 19 investors including Fortress, Brock Pierce, and producer Steven Paul

Discussion:
Gordon Geist on LinkedIn, TVNewsCheck, Deadline, The Guardian, The Hill and Axios

Discussion:

Gordon Geist /
Gordon Geist on LinkedIn: Read this to remind yourself that in the world of M&A there is good money and there is not so good money. … TVNewsCheck: Investor Group Backing Bronfman's Paramount Bid Includes Crypto Magnate Brock Pierce, Kazakh Heir

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Backers, More Details Emerge In Bid For Paramount That Seeks To Unseat Skydance

Dominick Mastrangelo /
The Hill: Edgar Bronfman Jr. makes multi-billion dollar bid for Paramount

Politico:

Google and the state of California strike a deal to jointly contribute $125M+ over five years to support local news; it also includes support for an AI project— The agreement includes funding for artificial intelligence, a technology many journalists fear could replace their jobs.

Discussion:
a14.asmdc.org, Los Angeles Times, Mercury News, Free Press, CalMatters, @jeffjarvis and more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Erin Ivie /
a14.asmdc.org: Assemblymember Wicks secures agreement with State, major tech companies to support the work of California journalists

Laurel Rosenhall /
Los Angeles Times: Deal reached in feud between California news outlets and Google: $250 million to support journalism but no new law

Ethan Baron /
Mercury News: Google cuts funding deal to support California news media, taxpayers also on the hook

Amy Kroin /
Free Press: Closed-Door Deal Between Google, Gov. Newsom and State Lawmakers Sells Californians and Local News Short Amy Kroin August 21, 2024 …

Jeanne Kuang /
CalMatters: California tried to make Google pay news outlets. The company cut a deal that includes funding AI @jeffjarvis: I am proud to have been involved in this process, testifying in Sacramento, talking with legislators and aides, and researching a paper on the bills that proposed a solution such as this. A fund is preferable for it involves goals and accountability.

@jeffjarvis:
Breaking news: The two protectionist bills for the news industry in California are superseded by a negotiated deal with Google (and, I hope, more tech companies), creating a fund, which is what I advocated in my testimony. in Sacramento. https://a14.asmdc.org/...

RELATED:
Editor and Publisher:

A draft plan circulating among California lawmakers and media leaders would create a Local News Fund with Google and state money, run by a board at UC Berkeley— Following years of legislative work, a draft deal between Google, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks …

Discussion:

Ashley Zavala /
KQCA-TV: Deal set to be announced on journalism and tech in California

Brian Merchant /
@bcmerchant: This will be framed as a win—but it's only a win for Google. In exchange for gutting the CA journalism law, which would have put a durable mechanism into place to share ad revenue from stories on its platform, it's a paltry payout—and *AI initiatives* rammed down our throats. [image]

Garry Tan /
@garrytan: We have to pay attention to how this money is allocated. If it goes to journos who systematically fail to honestly cover news like Mission Local, Oaklandside, 48 Hills, or even the Chronicle We will get far worse than Chesa Boudin We don't want activism disguised as journalism @econliberties: “This backroom deal is bad for journalists, publishers, and all Californians, which is why state lawmakers including @GavinNewsom should reject it.” Statement from @LeeHepner on Google's absurd deal to terminate the California Journalism Preservation Act. https://www.economicliberties.us/ ... [image]

Steven Waldman /
@stevenwaldman: Google, California lawmakers in last-minute negotiations for local news fund | Editor and Publisher https://www.editorandpublisher.com/ ...

Matt Pearce /
@mattdpearce: California's journalists did not ask for this. @future_of_music: This could have been a bill that helped support local music communities by funding local music journalism. Instead, it's looking like more AI-fueled extraction.

Brian Merchant /
@bcmerchant: Utterly devastating for CA journalists. This bill was supposed to make big tech pay its fair share after usurping advertising from news publishers and profiting from their work—instead it's *rewarding* their market dominance by turning journos into content trainers for AI systems

Tyler Katzenberger /
Politico: AI initiatives would get $40M annually in draft California journalism bill agreement

Jacob Bryant /
The Wrap: California Lawmakers Set to Scrap Legislation Requiring Big Tech to Pay for News in $172.5 Million Google Settlement | Report

Matt Pearce /
@mattdpearce: Also I guess I should say out loud what everybody believes behind the scenes, which is that the biggest obstacle here to actual monopoly regulation isn't actually Google but Governor Gavin Newsom.

Matt Pearce /
@mattdpearce: If I ran a government accountability newsroom and learned a backroom deal would send taxpayer dollars to Alden Global Capital during a budget crunch, I would have spent the weekend telling my reporters, not my business partners, to contact @BuffyWicks. https://www.politico.com/... [image]

Brian Merchant /
@bcmerchant: And to be clear this is not at all what any journalist involved wanted. At all. The opposite in fact — when the News Guild voted to support the original bill it had *nothing* to do with AI and everything to do with making big tech share the gains it made on journalists' backs.

Sarah Kay Wiley /
Sarah Kay Wiley on LinkedIn: That Google is essentially able to stop the legislative process with a $172.5M check (over five years mind you) is deeply disturbing … @researchbuzz@researchbuzz.masto.host: #Google #California #media #advertising — ‘California leaders are expected to announce a truce has been reached between state lawmakers, tech and some journalism advocates on an effort to provide millions of dollars in funds to local newsrooms across the state.’ — https://www.kcra.com/...

Deadline:

Sources: Chick-Fil-A plans to launch a slate of original media productions for its own streaming platform and has worked with studios on family-friendly shows— Deadline understands that the fast-food firm has been working with a number of major production companies, including some of the studios …

Discussion:
The Verge, The Media Leader, The Desk, SlashFilm, Vibe, Vanity Fair, Ars Technica, @kennysmith@mstdn.social, @LilahTovMoon@tech.lgbt, CBR, The Daily Beast, AV Club, @sleestak.bsky.social, Quartz, @deadline, Cord Cutters News, @mfg_iwpj, @acidrains.bsky.social, @deadline, Streaming Better, @c_a_huggins, @cafastfoodunion, @chrisvalentino0 and @deadline

Discussion:

Charles Pulliam-Moore /
The Verge: Chick-fil-A is reportedly launching a streaming service for some reason

Sabrina Quagliozzi /
The Media Leader: Chick-fil-A cooks up new streaming service

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Chick-Fil-A readies launch of streaming TV platform

BJ Colangelo /
SlashFilm: Chick-Fil-A Is Launching A Streaming Platform And No, This Is Not A Joke, Sorry

James R. Sanders /
Vibe: Chick-Fil-A is Greasing It's Way Into The Streaming Business

Chris Murphy /
Vanity Fair: Um, Chick-Fil-A Is Starting a Streaming Service?

Scharon Harding /
Ars Technica: Chick-fil-A plans to launch streaming service with original shows

Kenny Smith /
@kennysmith@mstdn.social: Generally speaking, the best brand extensions address a genuine consumer need and have a clear value proposition that differentiates them from competitors. — Anything else, like this, runs the risk of being a brand overextension. — From: @Mediagazer — https://mstdn.social/...

Shoshana /
@LilahTovMoon@tech.lgbt: Hahaha, the Onion is so funny...wait, this isn't the Onion. This is real? 😭 — Chick-Fil-A Hatches Plans For Streaming Service As Reality TV Comes Home To Roost — https://deadline.com/...

Darren Okafor /
CBR: Chick-fil-A Fast Food Restaurant Launching New Streaming Service

Emma Keates /
AV Club: Chick-fil-A's streaming service sounds like a Community gag, but it's mother clucking real @sleestak.bsky.social: Isn't there enough anti-gay programming and hate speech on TV already? [embedded post] @deadline: Deadline understands that the fast-food firm has been working with a number of major production companies, including some of the studios, to create family-friendly shows, particularly in the unscripted space https://deadline.com/...

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Chick-Fil-A Will Reportedly Launch a Family Friendly Streaming Service

Stephanie Rains /
@acidrains.bsky.social: I'm sorry, what?? [embedded post]

@deadline:
It is also in talks to license and acquire content. We hear that this includes a family-friendly gameshow from Glassman Media and Michael Sugar's Sugar23. Deadline understands this show has been handed a ten-episode order https://deadline.com/... @cafastfoodunion: @DEADLINE Chick-Fil-A was prepared to spend over $11 million to get out of paying us $20/hour. Now they're funding a trade association who is lobbying local electeds to stop us from knowing our rights while running a PR campaign to ensure we don't get another raise.

Chris Valentino /
@chrisvalentino0: @DEADLINE There's a lot at steak here. They should focus on what they create in-house and not try to ruffle any feathers. They don't want any beef with these stream services. [image]

The Hollywood Reporter:

Rotten Tomatoes debuts a Verified Hot badge for films that have a Verified Audience Score of 90% or higher, among other requirements— Movies that are ‘Verified Hot’ by filmgoers will join those that are ‘Certified Fresh’ from critics, in a move meant to give more weight to consumer opinions …

Discussion:

Brennan Klein /
Screen Rant: Rotten Tomatoes' New Audience Score Explained: Popcornmeter & Verified “Hot” Ratings

Jason Blagman /
Jason Blagman on LinkedIn: Proud to share the launch of Verified Hot, honoring films with the highest verified audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. …

Dan Lee /
Dan Lee on LinkedIn: Incredibly proud of our Rotten Tomatoes team for the launch of the new Verified Hot badge! This badge will spotlight the films that moviegoers love. …

Emma Keates /
AV Club: Critics lose more ground as Rotten Tomatoes adds audience-generated “Popcornmeter” badge

Jeremy Mathai /
SlashFilm: Rotten Tomatoes Just Introduced A New ‘Verified Hot’ Label - Here's What It Means

Dan Girolamo /
Digital Trends: Rotten Tomatoes reveals new Verified Hot audience badge for movie rankings

Jacob Ethington /
@jacobtalks4ever: Well, there's no way this doesn't incentivize review-bombing in the opposite direction just to land a “Verified Hot” badge thereby making online fandom behavior even more insane than it already is. Certainly that won't happen.

Justin Carter /
@gigawattconduit: There's so much effort being done to devalue critical opinions instead of teaching people to just accept that not everything's gonna be widely liked and you'll be Fine regardless https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/ ...

Charles Barfield /
The Playlist: Rotten Tomatoes Using New ‘Verified Hot’ Badge For User Ratings

Stephanie Prange /
Media Play News: Rotten Tomatoes Unveils ‘Verified Hot’ Audience Badge

Drew Taylor /
The Wrap: Rotten Tomatoes Adds New ‘Verified Hot’ Audience Badge for Fan-Approved Movies @screenslate: Congratulations to all the piece-of-shit Verified Hot movies on their loser participation trophies

Monica Coman /
CBR: Rotten Tomatoes Introduces New Badge for High Audience Scores

Diego Ramos Bechara /
Variety: Rotten Tomatoes Launches New ‘Verified Hot’ Badge for Audience Reviews

Bloomberg:

How the end of a federal ban on sports gambling transformed the way sports media is funded and changed what kind of stories get covered and published— The $10 billion industry transformed how sports media is funded—and written. — Few journalists embody the gambling industry's capture …

Discussion:
@ghaleonq, @patrickhayes_13, @tcraggs22, CommonWealth Beacon, @albertburneko, @kevinmdraper and @travis_waldron

Discussion:

Quinton Klabon /
@ghaleonq: Something as corrupt as the Olympics still produces ecstasy about human excellence. Shouting at Tyrese Haliburton because his assists total affects your car payment does not, because it ceases to put athletics at the forefront. (I adore Haliburton for sneering at such behavior.) [image]

Patrick Hayes /
@patrickhayes_13: This is an excellent albeit depressing piece by Tommy Craggs. This portion was extra gross though. https://www.bloomberg.com/... [image]

Tommy Craggs /
@tcraggs22: I tried to explain why sports media in the gambling era just kinda sucks https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Albert Burneko /
@albertburneko: great blog https://www.bloomberg.com/... [image]

Kevin Draper /
@kevinmdraper: “Sports betting still existed in that crowded liminal space in American life, at once an illicit underground activity and a pastime enjoyed by many with total impunity, like cocaine or wage theft.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Travis Waldron /
@travis_waldron: “How sports gambling came to be such a hulking, clanging presence in our life is the ultimate sports media story—which is funny, in a ghoulish sort of way, given there's not a lot of sports media left to tell it.” Always read @tcraggs22: https://www.bloomberg.com/...

Adweek:

Sources and docs: Google sales reps have suggested advertisers target teens on YouTube via an “unknown” category, seemingly violating the company's policies— This activity is broader than the agreement between Google and Meta that the FT reported this month

Discussion:

@researchbuzz@researchbuzz.masto.host:
#Google #advertising #children #DontBeEvil — 'Sales representatives from Google have suggested that advertisers target teenagers on YouTube, seemingly in violation of the platform's own policies, according to three ad buyers and written documentation seen by ADWEEK. …

Catherine Perloff /
Catherine Perloff on LinkedIn: Scoop: Google has been encouraging buyers to target teens, against their own policy. The Financial Times reported earlier in the month …

Mary Branscombe /
@marypcbuk.bsky.social: Google makes every child in school with a chromebook sign up for an account whose behaviour they can track but promise not to use for ad targeting until they are old enough [embedded post]

Rolling Stone:

Fact checkers' reviews of Democrats' statements about Trump have routinely botched the facts, earning one correction so far and an X Community Note— Fact checkers' reviews of DNC speeches about Trump have routinely botched the facts — earning one correction so far and a community note on X

Discussion:

Dan Froomkin /
Press Watch: ‘Fact-checking’ does a (hopefully fatal) face plant

Alexandra Petri /
Washington Post: Let's fact-check some historic speeches @stevehillwriter: “You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! ...You were my brother, Anakin!” - Obi-wan Kenobi. NYT factcheck: False. The prophecies did not mention destruction of the Sith, nor is there evidence that Obi-wan & Anakin were ever related.

Aaron Rupar /
@atrupar: PolitiFact is absolutely terrible. “Trump repeatedly proposed cutting Medicare, but now he says he won't do it so Biden is lying when he says Trump wants to cut Medicare.” This genre of fact-checking needs to go away.

David Roberts /
@drvolts: In retrospect, the “factcheck” genre just ended up replicating all the dysfunctions of media. Which I suppose was entirely predictable. @nycsouthpaw: This is something the Washington Post's official fact checker Glenn Kessler really wrote down and his editors published. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... [image]

@nycsouthpaw:
In my mind this pettifogging defense argument serves readers less than noting the tremendous responsibility of the presidency, the importance of clear crisis comms, and the context that America suffered a little epidemic of bleach poisonings in 2020. https://jamanetwork.com/... [image]

@nycsouthpaw:
There's a notable insistence—common to all major media fact checkers, it seems—that Trump was MERELY MUSING about the potential utility of bleach injections from the WH briefing room on national television during a time of profound crisis, and this cannot be construed as advice.

@nycsouthpaw:
Charlie Brown says Lucy wants to humiliate him by pulling the football away while he's in the act of kicking it. Mostly false. While Lucy has always pulled the football away every time the two have found themselves in this scenario, Lucy says she probably won't do it this time.

Kevin Kruse /
@kevinmkruse@threads.net: Every word of what he said was 100% true but the NYT twists itself into knots — comparing Obama's eight years to Trump's four as if they're the same? — in order to declare it “misleading” Yeah, someone is definitely misleading your readers here. CBS News: Trump mocks Democrats for personal attacks at first outdoor rally since assassination attempt

Brian Beutler /
@brianbeutler: “Fact checkers” suddenly all in on using pedantry, fallacious logic, and outright misinformation to provide Trump cover from accurate Democratic attacks. [image] @spockosbrain: @lachancenaomi27 Here's another reason Fact Checking isn't working on him. These days he knows he'll be fact checked, so he acknowledges a stat has been debunked, then uses it anyway. He repeats the lie, because it's memorable, while downplaying the fact checking. People remember the lie. [video]

Beth Popp Berman /
@epopppp.bsky.social: They're just trolling us now [image]

A.R. Moxon /
@juliusgoat.bsky.social: THE CLAIM: Donald Trump referred to his political opponents as “vermin” who are “poisoning the blood of the country.” — FACTCHECK: Trump did make these statements using these exact words, but it being true is potentially very damaging politically to Donald Trump. — OUR RATING: Mostly false

Variety:

Ormax Media estimates that India currently has 547M streaming users, or 38% of the population, up 14% YoY and driven by ad-supported streaming— The latest edition of Ormax Media's streaming audience research reveals significant growth in India's streaming landscape, albeit driven entirely by ad-supported viewership.

The Hollywood Reporter:

Paramount and Canal+ unveil an updated deal under which Canal+ subscribers in France get Paramount+ at no additional cost— Under the updated deal, Canal+ subscribers can access Paramount+ at no additional cost, no matter which subscription plan they have.

Discussion:
Advanced Television, Marco Nobili on LinkedIn, Broadband TV News, Media Play News, WORLD SCREEN and Engadget

Discussion:

Marco Nobili /
Marco Nobili on LinkedIn: We're thrilled to share that our partnership with Canal+ is expanding significantly. This enhanced collaboration will extend Paramount …

Julian Clover /
Broadband TV News: Paramount+ added to Canal+ packages

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Paramount+ Expands French Streaming Access With Canal+ Partnership

Kristin Brzoznowski /
WORLD SCREEN: Paramount+, CANAL+ Strengthen Partnership In France

Lawrence Bonk /
Engadget: Paramount+ annual subscriptions are half off right now

New York Times:

Pakistan police charge a man who worked for news aggregator Channel3Now with cyberterrorism, accusing him of spreading misinfo about the Southport attacker— Local police sources indicated that the arrest was made at the request of the British authorities, although there was no official confirmation.

Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Post, London Evening Standard, UPI, @marcowenjones, Reclaim The Net, @fascinatorfun and Reuters

Discussion:
Associated Press: Police in Pakistan charge a man with cyberterrorism, accusing him of spreading misinformation about the identity of the attacker in the Southport stabbing London Evening Standard: Pakistani web developer charged over fake details spread about Southport accused

Clyde Hughes /
UPI: Pakistan authorities arrest man for spreading disinformation on Southport stabbing

Marc Owen Jones /
@marcowenjones: I suggest you read the whole article @TiceRichard . The same article notes the Pakistani police believe he copied the post from social media. What's the point in selectively quoting the news unless you just want to spread more false information? Absurd. #UkRiots [image]

Cindy Harper /
Reclaim The Net: Pakistan National Arrested For False News Article, Accused of Triggering UK Riots @fascinatorfun: @marcowenjones @TiceRichard Also Spofforth herself, acknowledges she was the probable source of the channel's story whilst denying responsibility for the consequence

Mubasher Bukhari /
Reuters: Pakistan man charged with cybercrime linked to riots in Britain

Variety:

Disney's board names James Gorman, executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, as chair of a succession planning committee to identify Bob Iger's replacement as CEO— Gorman, who joined the Disney board earlier this year, oversaw the recent succession process at Morgan Stanley, where he had previously served as the firm's CEO.

Discussion:
The Desk, The Wrap, Radio & Television …, Next TV, Los Angeles Times, The Information, Deadline and Bloomberg

Discussion:

Lucas Manfredi /
The Wrap: Disney Taps James Gorman as Succession Planning Committee Chair

Jon Lafayette /
Next TV: Disney Names James Gorman Head of Succession Committee

Samantha Masunaga /
Los Angeles Times: Walt Disney Co. names a chair for CEO succession planning committee

Jill Goldsmith /
Deadline: Disney Board Member James Gorman To Chair Succession Planning Committee As Search To Replace Bob Iger Heats Up

Thomas Buckley /