Top News:
Reuters:
Charter says it will acquire Cox Communications for $21.9B, valuing Cox at $34.5B including debt and uniting two of the biggest US cable and broadband operators — Broadband and cable TV provider Charter (CHTR.O) is in advanced talks to combine with Cox Communications in a deal that values Cox …
Discussion:
CNN, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Adweek, Awful Announcing, Seamless Connectivity, MediaPost, TV Tech, @pkafka, @tvgrimreaper, Barron's Online, NBC News, Fast Company, UPI, al.com, The Information, Sports Business Journal, New York Times, Deadline, CNBC, Cord Cutters News, Media Play News, The Hollywood Reporter, Axios, Wall Street Journal, Dylan Jones on LinkedIn, Bloomberg, Fortune, Reuters, @claireatki, TVNewsCheck, ZeroHedge News, The Verge and Yahoo Finance, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Charter says John Malone's Liberty Broadband will cease to be a direct shareholder in Charter and won't appoint directors to its board after the Cox merger — John Malone, the “cable cowboy” who has shaped the cable and media industries for decades, is set to reap a windfall …
Discussion:
The Desk, StreamTV Insider, Barron's Online, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Associated Press and Benzinga
Washington Post:
More than 500 Voice of America contractors are expected to lose their jobs by June 30; Kari Lake says 584 total employees were terminated across USAGM — More than 500 of the news service's contractors could be out of a job on June 30. — More than 500 Voice of America contractors …
Discussion:
New York Times, UPI, Politico, Forbes, The Hill, Media Matters for America, The Guardian, Washington Times, @matthewkeyslive, @savevoanow, @w7voa, @herbscribner, @fatimatlis, @davidfolkenflik, @sarahellison, @scottnover, Washington Examiner, TVNewsCheck, Michael Abramowitz on LinkedIn, The Desk, Raw Story, Bloomberg and @w7voa@journa.host
RELATED:
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
C-SPAN plans to debut Ceasefire, its first new weekly show in 20 years in the fall, envisioned as conversations between lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle — “Ceasefire” will be the low-key public affairs channel's first new weekly show in two decades. The question is whether Republicans and Democrats will show up.
Discussion:
@samstein, @mollyereynolds, @bryancurtis, Mock Paper Scissors, TVNewsCheck, C-SPAN.org, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
Sources: the UAE met with Downing Street and discussed the UK's media ownership law weeks before a law change paved the way for the UAE's 15% Telegraph stake — Exclusive: delegates met officials weeks before UK set out higher-than-expected cap on foreign state ownership of newspapers
Discussion:
@michaelsavage.bsky.social, @profbillmcguire.bsky.social and Telegraph
Johan Ahlander / Reuters:
Sweden's PM says Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who was jailed in March in Turkey on charges of terrorism and insulting Turkey's president, has been released — Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who was jailed in March in Turkey on terrorism and insult charges, is on his way home, Sweden's Prime Minister said on Friday.
Discussion:
Committee to Protect … and Le Monde
Variety:
A look at the pay packages of some top media and entertainment executives in 2024; seven of the 10 examined executives got raises despite lackluster earnings — Top execs kept raking in the bucks last year, even as many of the companies they led struggled to stay aloft
Discussion:
US Securities … and TVNewsCheck
Jordyn Holman / New York Times:
Q&A with PBS' Paula Kerger on why it's hard for PBS to plug budgetary gaps created by the loss of federal funding, its importance as a creative incubator, more — Paula Kerger, the chief executive of PBS, is used to fights over the public broadcaster's funding.
Advanced Television:
Dailymotion acquires Archery, the company that develops Mojo, an AI-assisted video creation and editing app, which has been downloaded 50M+ times — Dailymotion, the video platform owned by Canal+, has acquired Archery, the company responsible for developing Mojo, the AI-assisted video creation …
Discussion:
CANAL+ Group, Bichoï Bastha on LinkedIn, @jean_patry and Bruno Latapie on LinkedIn
Wall Street Journal:
Facebook and Instagram face “an epidemic of scams” driven by crime networks; internal docs from 2022 say 70% of newly active Meta advertisers promote scams — Fake puppies and phony offers of mouthwatering bargains are often seeded by overseas crime networks …
Discussion:
Jonas Bordo on LinkedIn, Erin West on LinkedIn, Yahoo Finance and @parismarx.com, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
The US DHS says it is considering taking part in a reality show where immigrants compete for US citizenship, an idea that was pitched by producer Rob Worsoff — 'This isn't ‘The Hunger Games’ for immigrants,' says the producer behind the pitch — The Department of Homeland Security …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Daily Mail, Department of Homeland …, Washington Post, @damonlinker, @triciaohio, MeidasTouch News, @joaquincastrotx, @richardhanania, MSNBC, New York Times, @oversightdemocrats.house.gov, Washington Examiner, FOX 35 Orlando, Daily Kos, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, New Republic, TV Insider, Mediaite, The Independent, Newsweek, Lawyers, Guns & Money and r/fednews
Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch:
Spotify adjusts its “plays” metric for podcasts to only appear on episodes with at least 50K plays, updating at specific milestones, like 100K or 1M plays — Spotify announced last week that it would roll out public play counts on all podcasts as a way of “helping attract new fans.”
Discussion:
Spotify for Creators, CNN, @zachbussey.tos.gg, The Verge and Podnews, more at Techmeme »
Economy Editor, NY — 
Sr. Editor - Asia Editing Hub, Mumbai — 
Tax Reporter, VA — 
AI Editor, CA — 
Reporter - National Security, DC — 
Environment & Health Editor, CA — 
Senior Writer, TX — 
Breaking News Editor, Hong Kong — 
Editor & General Manager, CA — 
Web Production Editor, Manila — 
Business Reporter, AR — 
Social Video Producer (Temp), NY — 
Technology Reporter, NJ — 
Asst. Managing Ed. - Digital, NY — 
Sports Columnist, MD — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
State House/Politics Editor, OH — 
Baton Rouge Business Reporter, LA — 
Senior Writer - AI, Remote US — 
Assistant Editor, CA — 
Data Reporter/Researcher, NY — 
Senior Social Media Ed., Remote US — 
Deputy Copy Ed., MA — 
Sports Reporter - Oshkosh, WI — 
Digital-First Journalist, FL — 
Freelance Journalists, CO — 
Visual Journalist, MS — 
Senior Reporter, Tokyo — 
Audience Editor, CA — 
Managing Editor, OH — 
Sr. Digital Tech Reporter, CA — 
Multimedia Producer, MA — 
Reporter, WY — 
Environment & Resources Reporter, IN — 
