Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming (Lachlan Cartwright/The Ankler)

Mediagazer: Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming (Lachlan Cartwright/The Ankler)

Top News:

Ars Technica:

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she will leave the agency on January 20; she was the first woman to be confirmed to lead the agency— Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced today that she will leave the agency on January 20, 2025, the day of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
Discussion: Federal Communications …, Reuters, TechCrunch, Digital Music News, Radio Ink, The Hollywood Reporter, @jrosenworcel@threads.net, Variety, @waltmossberg.bsky.social, @arstechnica@mastodon.social, Media Play News, Cord Cutters News, Radio & Television …, Deadline, TVNewsCheck, Advanced Television, Inside Radio and CNET

Discussion:

David Shepardson /
Reuters: Rosenworcel to step down as US Federal Communications Commission chair on Jan. 20

Kyle Wiggers /
TechCrunch: FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel agrees to step down

Jessica Rosenworcel /
@jrosenworcel@threads.net: It's been a wild ride and great honor to be the first woman confirmed to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Grateful to President for the opportunity, the Senate for confirmation, and the staff for our efforts to build a digital future that works for everyone. https://www.fcc.gov/... @arstechnica@mastodon.social: FCC chairwoman announces departure, paving way for Republican majority — Rosenworcel had to lead agency without Democratic majority for most of her term. — https://arstechnica.com/... [image]

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Leaving Agency on President-Elect Trump's Inauguration Day

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: The Head of The FCC is Stepping Down

Ted Johnson /
Deadline: FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel To Depart Agency On January 20, When Donald Trump Takes Office

Ted Hearn /
TVNewsCheck: Chairwoman Rosenworcel Leaving FCC On Jan. 20

Colin Mann /
Advanced Television: FCC's Rosenworcel announces departure

Daniel Anstandig /
Inside Radio: Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel To Step Down From FCC.

Wired:

Hawaii's The Garden Island stops using AI-generated newscasters on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram after two months, likely due to the negative public response— A local newspaper in Hawaii experimented with AI-generated presenters to engage and boost its readership. After two months, the bots have been shelved.

Discussion:
Futurism, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Victor Tangermann /
Futurism: Newspaper Fires Two AI Reporters After Bizarre Behavior

Bloomberg:

The DOJ's proposal would require Google to divest from AI partnerships, like with Anthropic, and ban Google from offering exclusive deals to content providers— - Antitrust officials propose options in historic lawsuit — Google says government pushing ‘radical agenda’ beyond case

Discussion:
The Keyword, MediaPost, The Wrap, Neowin, WHEC.com, Total Telecom, Associated Press, Variety, The Register, 9to5Google, Advanced Television, Reuters, Forbes, BGR, Fast Company, Engadget, The Information, Washington Post, Wired, The Verge, CNBC, Axios, Fox Business, NPR, Search Engine Roundtable, Politico, CNN, @jeffjarvis.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, Benzinga and Washington Times, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

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

Laurie Sullivan /
MediaPost: DOJ Sways Judge To Force Sale Of Google's Chrome

Taras Buria /
Neowin: Google claims DOJ's demand to sell Chrome would hurt consumers and America's tech leadership WHEC.com: What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly

Georgia Sweeting /
Total Telecom: US Justice Dept. calls on Google to sell Chrome

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

Todd Spangler /
Variety: U.S. Government Seeks to Force Google to Sell Chrome Browser to Rectify Search ‘Monopoly’

Richard Speed /
The Register: DoJ wants Google to sell Chrome and ban it from paying to be search default

Siladitya Ray /
Forbes: Force Sale Of Chrome And Big Changes To Android Search—The DOJ's Proposal To Crackdown On Google's Search Monopoly

Chris Smith /
BGR: Google breakup in focus as DOJ says company must sell Chrome

Michael Grothaus /
Fast Company: Google vows to fight ‘radical’ DOJ Chrome proposal as move to force browser sell-off becomes official

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

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

Rebecca Falconer /
Axios: DOJ asks judge to force Google to sell Chrome in partial breakup proposal Fox Business: Google must sell Chrome browser in move to end monopoly on internet searches, DOJ says

Barry Schwartz /
Search Engine Roundtable: DOJ: Force Google To Sell Chrome, Restrict Android & Ban Default Deals

Brendan Bordelon /
Politico: DOJ asks judge to break up Google @jeffjarvis.bsky.social: This is so 2009. So EU. So Microsoft and Internet Explorer. So last war. — US justice department plans to push Google to sell off Chrome browser — www.theguardian.com/technology/ 2...

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

Seth McLaughlin /
Washington Times: In major antitrust action, Justice Department wants court to consider forcing Google to break up

New York Times:

The MLB is planning national packages for streaming companies to bid on in 2028, when its national TV deals with ESPN, Fox, and Turner expire— The year to watch in baseball is 2028. — At a time when Major League Baseball is offering employee buyouts at its flagship television station …

Discussion:
TVNewsCheck, The Desk, The Streamable, Keith Stoler on LinkedIn, Cord Cutters News, Sports Media Watch and Awful Announcing

Discussion:

Luke Bouma /
TVNewsCheck: MLB Eyes Major Streaming Shift In 2028, Aiming for National Blackout-Free Packages

David Satin /
The Streamable: MLB commisioner Manfred wants a national baseball streaming option by 2028

Keith Stoler /
Keith Stoler on LinkedIn: 🏟️ 📺 Major League Baseball (MLB) is going to reshape the streaming landscape...in 2028. …

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: MLB Eyes Major Streaming Shift in 2028, Aiming for National Blackout-Free Packages

Ben Huddleston /
Sports Media Watch: Comcast, MLB, Brady, and more

TechCrunch:

Tubi launches Scenes, a mobile feature that lets viewers watch 60-to-90-second trailer-style clips from its library to help with content discovery— Tubi, the free ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox, has unveiled a new feature designed to set it apart from its rivals …

Discussion:
Neowin, CNET, Tom's Guide, Digital Trends, @2xaught7.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, @simondowens@threads.net and Streaming Better

Discussion:

Sagar Naresh Bhavsar /
Neowin: Tubi launches ‘Scenes’ that shows TikTok-style short clips from its huge content catalog

Kourtnee Jackson /
CNET: Tubi's New App Feature Goes Beyond Thumbnails to Help You Find Something to Watch

Malcolm McMillan /
Tom's Guide: Tubi just dropped a new AI-powered feature that will help you pick free movies and shows to watch — here's how it works

Derek Malcolm /
Digital Trends: Tubi's new Scenes feature plays clips to help you find your next binge @2xaught7.bsky.social: Innovation starts with a mobile app that shows short video clips for you to enjoy. [embedded post]

Raymond McCain /
Cord Cutters News: Tubi Now Has 250,000 Titles & Its Making It Easier to Find What to Watch

Simon Owens /
@simondowens@threads.net: There's an entire cottage industry of TikTok videos, Reels, and YouTube Shorts that simply consist of scenes ripped from TV shows and movies, so it's cool that a streaming app is copying this format to drive awareness of its own content library. — https://techcrunch.com/...

Wall Street Journal:

Ad software company Mediaocean buys Innovid, an ad tech company focused on CTV, for $500M; Innovid had a market cap of ~$240M at market close on November 20— The privately held company will merge Innovid with Flashtalking, which it bought in 2021 — Advertising software …

Discussion:

Joe Mandese /
TVNewsCheck: Agency Tech Giant Mediaocean Acquiring Innovid, Merging With Flashtalking

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: Mediaocean to buy Innovid for $500 million

Joe Mandese /
MediaPost: Agency Tech Giant Mediaocean Acquiring Innovid, Merging It With Flashtalking

Bill Wise /
Bill Wise on LinkedIn: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 📣 — Beyond excited to share that Mediaocean is acquiring Innovid and merging it with Flashtalking by Mediaocean to create a premier omnichannel #adtech platform. …

Adam Jacobson /
Radio & Television Business Report: Mediaocean Buys Innovid To Build An Omnichannel Adtech Platform

Cody Wymore /
Cody Wymore on LinkedIn: Big big news - exciting things to come! @aripap.bsky.social: Huge news, brings together the second and third-largest buy-side ad servers to compete with Google's GCM. Also combines the best video ad serving solution with really good DCO and identity solutions. — www.wsj.com/articles/med...

Andrew White /
Andrew White on LinkedIn: Mediaocean is the system of record for much of the paid advertising value chain (order management, reconciliations, billing). …

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 Guardian, The Times, National Union of Journalists …, Telegraph, Guido Fawkes, The New European and New Statesman

Discussion:

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

Eleanor Wheatley /
Guido Fawkes: Guardian Staff Vote to Strike Over Observer Sale to ‘Slow News’ Tortoise Media

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:
Telegraph, @dominicponsford.bsky.social, @danielthomasldn, Guido Fawkes, @pressgazette, @jobmaynooth.bsky.social, @carolecadwalla.bsky.social, @dominicponsford.bsky.social, @jacksommers.bsky.social, @shattenstone.bsky.social, @annafazack.bsky.social, @pressgazette.co.uk, The Independent, @michaelgoodier.bsky.social, Yahoo News, Financial Times and The Times

Discussion:

James Warrington /
Telegraph: Guardian bosses accused of ‘inappropriate’ attempts to root out strikers

Dominic Ponsford /
@dominicponsford.bsky.social: I don't think Observer journalists are feeling the love from prospective owner Tortoise Media after this statement from them. pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/ n... [image]

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 @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/...

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...

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...

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...

James Warrington /
Yahoo News: 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

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

The Ankler:

Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming— SCOOP: TV's ‘safe space for liberals’ is about to reshuffle its stars as the network re-ups its marquee name under a tough new spinoff-ready reality

The Hollywood Reporter:

Internal memo: Hearst Magazines president announces layoffs as part of a decision to “reallocate resources” to “continue our focus on digital innovation”— The company is home to more than 25 brands in the U.S. including Elle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country.

Discussion:

Katie Campione /
Deadline: WGA East Slams “Anti-Union” Hearst Following Another Round Of Layoffs: “Needless, Irresponsible, And Cruel”

Caley Fretz /
@caleyfretz: Big layoffs at Hearst (Bicycling, Car and Driver, Esquire, many others). 60+ staff. At least 3 who worked on Bicycling, including Rosael below. Shared with her permission. [image]

Erika W. Smith /
@erikawynn: Some professional news: After almost 5 yrs at Cosmo, I was laid off from Hearst this morning. At Cosmo, I ran the astro section, but I have past experience in sex & relationships, entertainment, and lifestyle. Hire me! Clips & bio: https://erikawsmith.com/ @HearstUnion forever❤️

Andrew Nicla /
@andrewnicla.bsky.social: if you or anybody you know has lost their job at Hearst (or anywhere else) recently, know there are resources and people who want to help. www.spj.org/together.asp

Andrew Nicla /
@andrewnicla.bsky.social: hearing from friends affected by today's Hearst layoffs. The company has laid off at least 200 people, they say. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/ bus...

Simon /
@bauxoffice.bsky.social: Hearst, ugh — as someone who grew up absolutely loving magazines, i'm sad the entire industry continually gets put in a vice and squeezed

Kevin Cortez /
@kevincortez.bsky.social: peace to all my fellow Hearsties and former colleagues who were let go today by a $20~ billion company

Fortune:

Las Vegas-based Monkey Tilt, which combines online gambling with a chat function and content made by influencers, raised a $30M Series A led by Pantera— Monkey Tilt launched just eight months ago and has amassed $200 million of monthly betting volume. — Online gambling used …

Daring Fireball:

Substack, very deliberately, tries to have it both ways by saying publications on their platform are independent while presenting them all as parts of Substack— I am upset by the above, but only insofar as I'm jealous that I had never thought to make the analogy to an author telling people to “read my Amazon”.

Discussion:

Adam Tinworth /
One Man & His Blog: The Bluesky explosion and the Substack trap

Ernie Smith /
@ernie@writing.exchange: So here's the fun thing: @gruber actually nails, to a T, why I turned away Hamish and company when they came knocking in 2017. — Having a distinct visual look was important to me. They had literally no tooling for that back then and weren't planning on making any. …

Jeffrey Inscho /
@inscho.org: John Gruber piling on the anti-Substack thread by focusing on the platform's homogeneity & lock-in: — “I really don't get why any writer trying to establish themselves independently would farm out their own brand this way. It's the illusion of independence.” — daringfireball.net/2024/11/rega...

Kyle Boas /
@kyleboas.com: Here is a good read for anyone considering Substack. I've never liked their editor and I agree there's better alternatives for newsletters, but the catch is that it is free. — daringfireball.net/2024/11/rega...

Anil Dash /
@anildash.com: Appreciated @gruber.foo's perspective here — though there's a key part I omitted, which changes the context for the second part of what he wrote... daringfireball.net/2024/11/rega... @daringfireball@mastodon.social: ★ Regarding — and, Well, Against — Substack — https://daringfireball.net/...

Mindy Weisberger /
@laminda.bsky.social: With my book out in less than 5 months (!!!) newsletters are very much on my mind. I'm still figuring out how that'll work, but I know one thing for sure: I'll be staying far away from Substack. Top-down tolerance for anti-trans garbage and white supremacy is baked into Substack's infrastructure

Brian Merchant /
@bcmerchant.bsky.social: Appreciate this @anildash.com piece—it got me thinking: A real test of Substack's own ‘openness’ would be if someone built a recommendation module that let writers rec newsletters outside Substack's garden. Would they let writers embed it? — Someone should do that — www.anildash.com/2024/11/19/ d...

Andy Piper /
@andypiper.me: I've been meaning to fully remove myself from Substack and I think this is the push I needed to follow through. www.anildash.com/2024/11/19/ d...

TechCrunch:

Spotify adds new audiobook features for Premium users: video clips up to 30 seconds long, Author Pages, and visuals that appear while users listen— Spotify is enhancing the audiobook experience for premium users through three new experiments: video clips, author pages, and the ability to add visuals that appear while users listen.

Discussion:
Engadget, @paulconstant.com and Spotify

Discussion:

Lawrence Bonk /
Engadget: Spotify drops a bunch of new tools for audiobooks, including a sleep timer

Paul Constant /
@paulconstant.com: I'm not an expert or anything, but aren't “visuals for audiobooks” just...books? Does anyone gaze meaningfully into their Spotify app as they listen to music or audiobooks? — techcrunch.com/2024/11/21/s... [image]

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:
The Wrap, @lucas_shaw, Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, Business Insider, Associated Press, The Streamable, Reuters and MediaPost

Discussion:

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: I don't understand why people are saying “it's finally time for consolidation” in media. In the last decade: Time Warner has been sold twice. Amazon bought MGM. Viacom and CBS merged. Lions Gate and Starz merged. (1/2)

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: Disney bought Fox's entertainment assets. Discovery merged with Scripps, combining two of the biggest players in reality TV. There will be more consolidation, yes. But there also has been a ton consolidation. It never stopped and it won't stop.

Lucas Shaw /
@lucas_shaw: We are already down to 3 major record labels and 5 major publishers. We are losing newspapers by the day. Will the number of Hollywood studios/streaming services shrink to 4 or 5? Could be!

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

Wayne Friedman /
MediaPost: Comcast Spinning Off NBCU Cable Nets

RELATED:

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:
Yahoo Finance, The Independent, Fox News, @matthewkeyslive, @kellycripe, @jeremymbarr, @jeffjarvis, Associated Press, Trending Politics …, Vanity Fair, Al Jazeera, Variety, StreamTV Insider, Forbes, @brianstelter, @sallyshin, @asharma, @tvgrimreaper, @asharma, @claeshs.bsky.social, @michellesea.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, CNN, 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:

Alexandra Canal /
Yahoo Finance: Comcast is offloading its cable properties. Other media companies could do the same.

Justin Baragona /
The Independent: Viewers continue to bolt from Morning Joe amid fallout over hosts ‘kissing the ring’ at Mar-a-Lago Fox News: The rise of digital voices, and Comcast splitting in two, brings doomsday predictions for traditional media

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]

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.” @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] Associated Press: Comcast to spin off cable networks that were once the entertainment giant's star performers

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Discussion:
The Message Box, Washington Post, @barbarasobel.bsky.social, BizPac Review, The Post Millennial, @radleybalko.bsky.social, @ryanlcooper.com, Poynter, @sherman4949, @tvmojoe, Deadline, Associated Press, @colbyhall, @bristei, @maxwelltani, Barrett Media, @jbflint, Mediaite, Fox News, Bloomberg, New York Post, @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:

Dan Pfeiffer /
The Message Box: Do Dems Need to Break Up with the Legacy Media?

Barbara Sobel /
@barbarasobel.bsky.social: Say goodbye to MSNBC — MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off — The cable-news outlet could have to consider changing its name and familiar markings under a spin-off of the bulk of the cable assets of parent company Comcast — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Chris Donaldson /
BizPac Review: ‘Panic’ at MSNBC as network parent announces big move

David Krayden /
The Post Millennial: Comcast to spin off MSNBC, CNBC into separate company

Radley Balko /
@radleybalko.bsky.social: Man this is bad timing. Plenty of legit reasons to criticize MSNBC, but the last thing we need right now is for adversarial outlets to start dropping off. — Also, Chris Hayes is a phenomenal talent and has been a beacon of sanity the last eight years. — variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Ryan Cooper /
@ryanlcooper.com: looks like Comcast is going to get rid of MSNBC. if I had to guess I'd say it ends up like Air America and folds up variety.com/2024/tv/news...

Tom Jones /
Poynter: Suddenly it's OK to not stick to sports

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/... @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?!

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?

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.

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

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

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]

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

Charlie Nash /
Mediaite: Bill O'Reilly Claims Comcast Is Desperately Trying To Shed ‘Hateful’ MSNBC: 'They'll Give It to You!'

Fox News:
MSNBC's future a ‘big concern’ for staffers as Comcast moves to separate liberal network from NBCUniversal

Alexandra Steigrad /
New York Post: MSNBC staffers ‘in a panic’ as NBC parent Comcast plans to spin off channel — and possibly change its name

@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

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

Discussion:

Anusuya Lahiri /
Benzinga: Comcast's Spin-Off to Boost Broadband and Streaming Growth: Goldman Sachs Comcast: Comcast Announces Intention to Create Leading Independent Media Business Through Spin-Off of Select Cable Television Networks

Nellie Andreeva /
Deadline: The Streaming Divide: How NBCU's Entertainment Networks Ended Up On Different Sides In Comcast Spinoff After Years Of Integration

Matt Egan /
CNN: The fate of MSNBC could be in Trump's hands

Doug Herzog /
Doug Herzog on LinkedIn: The sad,slow slide of this once great business continues as Comcast creates a stand alone glacier bravely facing the sun. …

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

Dame Brian Moylan /
@brianjmoylan.bsky.social: It's amazing how NBC is spinning off all of its cable networks EXCEPT Bravo. We are keeping legacy media afloat, motherfuckers. www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/b...

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

Alex Sherman /
TVNewsCheck: Comcast's Cable Network Spinoff May Be A Signal To The Media Industry For Necessary Change

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

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

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

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/...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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? …

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

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

The Hollywood Reporter:
Donna Langley Elevated at NBCUniversal in C-Suite Shakeup Connected to Cable Spinoff

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

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.

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

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

Georg Szalai /
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

Amol Sharma /