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REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) said on Thursday it was adding a new offering to its Max streaming platform, a round-the-clock news service called CNN Max, in the United States on Sept. 27. CNN Max will leverage the news network's global reporting resources, and will also offer new original programs, such as "CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker and Fredricka Whitfield," Warner Bros Discovery said in a statement. It will function like a channel within the Max streaming platform. CNN Max will seek to capitalize on the immediacy of breaking news and analysis, differentiating CNN Max from the short-lived CNN+ streaming service, which launched in March 2022 and featured lifestyle programs. CNN's parent, Warner Bros Discovery, has been working to increase how much time subscribers spend on its Max streaming service, augmenting its HBO scripted series with Discovery's reality shows to keep viewers watching.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, CNN Max, Jim Acosta, Rahel Solomon, Amara Walker, Fredricka Whitfield, Axios, CNN's, Max, Anthony Bourdain, Stanley Tucci, Yuvraj Malik, Dawn Chmielewski, Helen Coster, Anil D'Silva, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis, Will Dunham Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, CNN, Max, P Global Market Intelligence, Español, CNN International, Fox News, MSNBC, Nielsen, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, United States, Italy, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles, New York

Aug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) warned Thursday that uncertainty over the dual strikes by Hollywood writers and actors could impact the timing of its film slate and its ability to produce and deliver content. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Warner Bros Discovery and the other major studios in negotiations, asked to meet on Friday with the writers' guild to discuss the possibility of resuming talks. Warner Bros Discovery's revenue took a hit in the second quarter due to soft box office results, including the underperformance of the DC Comics-inspired film, "The Flash." The exterior of the Warner Bros. Under Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business more efficiently.

Persons: David Zaslav, Fran Drescher, Alyssa Pointer, Jamie Lumley, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Shounak Dasgupta, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Warner Bros Discovery, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Screen, SAG, Hasbro, Alliance, Television Producers, Paramount, Times, Variety, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Warner Bros . Discovery, Alliance of Motion Pictures, REUTERS, Discovery Inc, Total, HBO, Max, Thomson Locations: New York, Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) warned Thursday that the dual Hollywood strikes by writers and actors could hit its flagging studio business already bruised by high-profile box office flops including "The Flash." The shutdowns "may have implications for the timing and performance of the remainder of the film slate as well as our ability to produce and deliver content," Warner Bros Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said. Total global subscribers for its HBO, Max and Discovery+ services stood at 95.8 million at the end of the quarter. Under CEO David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business more efficiently.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Jamie Lumley, David Zaslav, Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Shounak Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Hasbro, Warner Bros, Discovery Inc, Total, HBO, Max, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru, New York

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File photoAug 3 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) posted a smaller loss for the second quarter on Thursday as the media conglomerate benefited from cost cuts, sending its shares up nearly 4% in premarket trading. Under Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery has been seeking to run its direct-to-consumer business, which includes the Max streaming service, more efficiently. Net loss for the quarter came in at $1.24 billion, compared with a loss of $3.42 billion a year earlier. It lost 1.8 million subscribers, more than analysts' estimates of 1.1 million, reporting 95.8 million total global subscribers for its HBO, Max and Discovery+ services.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, David Zaslav, Max, Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Shounak Dasgupta, Mark Porter Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Media, Warner Bros, Consumer, HBO, Discovery Inc, Max, HBO Max, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Thomson Reuters' profit beats estimates; outlook steady
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Thomson Reuters logo is pictured on a building in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S. November 16, 2021. The news and information company reported adjusted earnings of 84 cents per share, 6 cents ahead of estimates. Total revenue rose 2% in the quarter to $1.65 billion, slightly missing expectations, according to Refinitiv. Thomson Reuters maintained its full-year 2023 outlook for organic revenue, adjusted EBITDA margin and free cash flow. Reporting by Helen Coster Editing by Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, divestitures, Steve Hasker, Thomson, –, Michael Eastwood, Hasker, Eastwood, Helen Coster, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Thomson Reuters, REUTERS, Thomson Reuters Corp, Accounting, company’s Elite, TPG, London Stock Exchange, Reuters News, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Britain, California

The company's total revenue rose 1.7% to $30.51 billion in the quarter, beating analysts' average estimate of $30.13 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Ad revenue in content and experiences fell 4.9% from the same quarter a year prior, in a weak but stable advertising environment. Paid subscribers increased by two million in the second quarter, to 24 million, from the 22 million it reported in the previous quarter. Theme parks revenue climbed 22.4%, thanks to demand for attractions such as “Super Nintendo World” in Hollywood and Osaka, Japan. Overall, net income attributable to Comcast rose 25.1% to $4.25 billion in the quarter.

Persons: Mario, Peacock, Factset, Helen Coster, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Comcast, Revenue, Nintendo, Competition, Mobile US Inc, Verizon Communications Inc, Thomson Locations: Hollywood, Osaka, Japan

☆ Exclusive: Head of engineering for Trump’s Truth Social app resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) - The head of engineering for the company that operates former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Truth Social app told Reuters on Monday he had resigned, in a blow for the venture. Gleason is the founder of Soapbox Technology, which provides open-source technology for “decentralized” social media platforms that operate on independently-run servers and provide an alternative to Twitter and Facebook. TMTG hired Gleason in January 2022 to adapt Soapbox’s technology for its own needs, eventually using it as the front-end technology - which users see and interact with - for the Truth Social app. Truth Social has struggled to show strong growth in the number of users since its February 2022 launch. Truth Social has an estimated 607,000 monthly users, according to data from Similarweb.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Alex Gleason’s, Gleason, TMTG, Trump, DWAC, Helen Coster, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Trump Media & Technology, Trump, U.S, Capitol, Twitter, Facebook, Social, Similarweb, Justice Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thomson

NEW YORK, July 12 (Reuters) - An Arizona man filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Wednesday, alleging the network spread a conspiracy theory that he played a key role in the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump. This years-long campaign of disinformation, Epps claims in his suit, "destroyed" the lives of Epps and his wife. The lawsuit in Delaware state court comes as voting technology company Smartmatic is suing Fox for defamation, and several months after the company settled defamation claims brought by Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million. The company acknowledged the court found some Fox claims about Dominion were false. Carlson told viewers in January 2022 that Epps was a "central figure" in the attack and "helped stage-manage the insurrection," according to the lawsuit.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ray Epps, Fox, Trump, Epps, Abby Grossberg, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, Helen Coster, Jack Queen, Tom Hals, Jamie Freed Organizations: YORK, Fox News, U.S, Capitol, Trump, FBI, Dominion Voting Systems, Fox, Dominion, Fox Corp, United States Capitol, Thomson Locations: An Arizona, Delaware, Washington, New York, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Exclusive: Video-sharing website BitChute seeks to raise $10 million in new funding round
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I’m not really raising the money just because we need the money," Wernick said in an interview. Wernick said BitChute was pursuing a combination of high net-worth individuals and venture capital funds. He has an equity stake in BitChute and is also an investor in Parler, Gab, Airbnb (ABNB.O) and Uber (UBER.N). Its investor presentation said BitChute had 218 million unique visitors in 2022, down 15.8% from 2021, with a projection of 247 million unique visitors this year. Their longer-term goal is to “decentralize” BitChute, so that it is blockchain-based and users can decide whether to have content moderation.

Persons: Jeffrey Wernick, I’m, Wernick, BitChute, Patrick Dai, Matthew Branton, cofounders Ray Vahey, Rich Jones, ’, Helen Coster, Krystal Hu, Jane Merriman Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Inc, YouTube, Thomson Locations: BitChute, Parler, New York

[1/2] A Fox News channel sign is seen on a television vehicle outside the News Corporation building in New York City, in New York, U.S. November 8, 2017. The deal follows Fox's April 18 agreement to pay Dominion $787.5 million to settle the voting-technology company's defamation suit in Delaware. In firing her, Fox said her legal claims were "riddled with false allegations against Fox and our employees." She had also sought unspecified damages in a similar lawsuit in Delaware Superior Court, which she dismissed in May. The program on which Grossberg worked, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," was the top-rated prime-time U.S. cable TV news show.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Abby Grossberg, Tanvir Rahman, Tucker Carlson, Dominion, Grossberg, Carlson, “, ” Grossberg, Fox, ” Dominion, Gretchen Whitmer, Tudor Dixon, octogenarian, Nancy Pelosi, Maria Bartiromo, Kevin McCarthy, Helen Coster, Doina Chiacu, Leslie Adler Organizations: Fox, News Corporation, REUTERS, Fox Corp, Fox News, Voting, Dominion, Delaware Superior Court, Democratic, Republican, U.S ., Thomson Locations: New York City, New York, U.S, Delaware, Manhattan, Delaware Superior, Grossberg's Manhattan

☆ Gannett tiptoes into generative AI, giving humans the last word
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Their caution follows well-publicized generative AI gaffes at media outlets including CNET and Men’s Journal. Generative AI is a sticking point in some negotiations with the company, the union said. Other news outlets are approaching generative AI with varying levels of commitment and caution. Bloomberg, which competes with Reuters, is developing its own generative AI model, BloombergGPT, which it trained on financial data. The New York Times, Washington Post and Bloomberg declined to provide additional comment on their plans.

Persons: Larry Downing, Renn Turiano, Turiano, ”, We’re, Paul Bascobert, Nicholas Diakopoulos, Ilana Keller, Gannett, Alessandra Galloni, Miranda Marcus, Marcus, “, we’re Organizations: YORK, Gannett, Gannett Co, USA, Gannett Co's, U.S, Reuters, ” Gannett, Northwestern University, CNET, Men’s, USA Today, Journalists, Asbury Park Press, Microsoft, USA Today’s, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, BBC News Labs Locations: McLean , Virginia, New Jersey, USA, Washington

☆ Fewer people trust traditional media, more turn to TikTok for news, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok is the fastest growing social network in the report, used by 20% of 18- to 24-year-olds for news, up five percentage points from last year. Trust in the news has fallen by 2 percentage points in the last year, reversing gains made in many countries at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. On average, 40% of people say they trust most news most of the time. Across markets, 56% of people say they worry about identifying the difference between real and fake news on the internet – up 2 percentage points from last year. Reporting by Helen Coster; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rasmus Nielsen, Helen Coster, David Gregorio Our Organizations: YORK, Reuters Institute for, Journalism, Reuters, U.S, Trust, United, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Thomson Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States

☆ Embattled CEO Chris Licht out at CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Chris Licht arrives for the Time 100 Gala celebrating Time magazine's 100 most influential people people in the world in New York, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin OchsJune 7 (Reuters) - CNN Chairman and Chief Executive Chris Licht has stepped down from the media company, effective immediately, parent company Warner Bros. The move comes less than a week after the Atlantic magazine published a critical report about Licht. Discovery President and Chief Executive David Zaslav wrote that the company will be conducting a wide search, internally and externally, for a new leader. Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Licht, Caitlin Ochs, Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, David Leavy, David Zaslav, Chris, Zaslav, –, ” Licht, Stephen Colbert, ”, Jeff Zucker, Licht, Donald Trump, Trump, Kaitlan Collins, Tiyashi Datta, Savio D'Souza, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, CNN, Warner Bros ., Warner Bros, Discovery, CBS, Republican, U.S . Capitol, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ CNN getting more Republicans on-air as it seeks political diversity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

We need to show both sides of every issue.”Advertisers “don’t want to be part of an advocacy network” but they do want to be part of a news network, Zaslav said. CNN has taken heat for its broadcast of a May 10 town hall with former Republican President Donald Trump. On Wednesday CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour publicly criticized the town hall in remarks at Columbia Journalism School, the first of the network’s on-air talent to do so. “I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format,” Amanpour said, according to the CNN “Reliable Sources” newsletter Wednesday night. The Trump town hall attracted 3.3 million viewers, making CNN the most-watched cable news network that evening, according to Nielsen data.

This year, advertisers and ad agencies may well use the strike as a bargaining tool, said Erin Firneno, vice president of business intelligence for researcher Advertiser Perceptions. The writers’ strike, which has entered its third week, is also injecting a new element of uncertainty for ad buyers, at a time when television viewership is declining and the possibility of recession looms. While the TV networks have long contended with splintered viewership amid the rise of social media and streaming, the writers' strike puts content production at risk, said Rishad Tobaccowala, a former executive at advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe and advisor on business transformation. Last year, NBC’s upfront presentation emphasized star power as the network returned to a live event after a COVID-19-imposed hiatus. Ahead of the upfront presentations, media executives sought to reassure investors about the strike’s impact.

Poulos, Dominion’s co-founder and chief executive, spoke about his experience settling the historic lawsuit during an interview at the Sir Harry Evans Global Summit in Investigative Journalism in London. Dominion sued Fox News and parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) in 2021 over the network’s coverage of false vote-rigging claims about the voting technology firm. The settlement, which legal experts said was the largest struck by a U.S. media company, was announced by the two sides and the judge in the case at the 11th hour. Dominion’s settlement with Fox is part of a broader legal campaign by the company to seek accountability from companies and individuals whom it claims have spread falsehoods about its technology. The company is also suing former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, conservative media networks One America News Network and Newsmax Media, and others.

May 9 (Reuters) - Broadcaster Fox Corp (FOXA.O) beat estimates for third-quarter revenue and adjusted profit on Tuesday, as Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch affirmed the company’s prime-time programming strategy following its recent $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems and dismissal of star host Tucker Carlson. Dominion had sued Fox for $1.6 billion over its coverage of debunked vote-rigging claims about the voting technology firm. Total revenue rose 18% to $4.08 billion, inching past analysts' estimates of $4.03 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Fox's ad revenue also surged 43% to $1.88 billion, well past the expectation of $1.67 billion. The upbeat results from Fox underscore the cautious approach by advertisers who are mostly buying slots on dominant networks.

The decision to dismiss the lawsuit does not mean she has settled the case, her lawyer, Tanvir Rahman, said Monday. Prior to that, she was a producer for Fox host Maria Bartiromo's Sunday morning show. Grossberg also said Fox intimidated her and fraudulently induced her to make false statements in her September 2022 deposition in the Dominion lawsuit. On April 18 Fox agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million to settle the voting-technology company's defamation lawsuit in Delaware. Grossberg could have been a key witness had the Dominion case gone to trial.

May 5 (Reuters) - Fox News on Friday asked lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems to investigate whether they leaked controversial internal messages from ousted Fox host Tucker Carlson that were provided in evidence for their recent defamation lawsuit. The requests, which were made in letters released by Fox, came after multiple news outlets published racist and sexist remarks by Carlson contained in leaked internal messages and recordings. Fox News and its parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) said those were given to Dominion as part of the lawsuit, which claimed Fox defamed Dominion by airing false election-rigging claims. Dominion denied the materials came from the company or any of its lawyers. Media outlets including the New York Times reported that the decision came after Fox's board saw Carlson's internal messages.

May 4 (Reuters) - Paramount Global Inc (PARA.O) missed first-quarter revenue estimates on Thursday amid a weak advertising market in its TV business and cut its dividend. The company incurred a $1.7 billion charge in connection with its plan to integrate Showtime into its Paramount+ streaming service and remove certain programming. Paramount Global said its dividend cut to 5 cents per share will result in approximately $500 million in annualized cash savings. Paramount+, the company's flagship streaming platform, added 4.1 million subscribers during the quarter, compared with 9.9 million in the preceding quarter. Sales for its TV media segment declined by 8% from a year earlier and advertising revenue fell by 11%.

Paramount invested in original content to try to attract subscribers to its streaming platform, but is up against competition from established players such as Netflix (NFLX.O) and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Disney+. Paramount+, the company's flagship streaming platform, added 4.1 million subscribers during the quarter, compared with 9.9 million in the preceding quarter. Sales for its TV media segment declined by 8% from a year earlier, and advertising revenue fell by 11%. Investment in original content and expansion of its streaming platform are consuming cash at the owner of the CBS network. The operating loss was $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared with an operating income of $775 million a year earlier.

[1/2] The Thomson Reuters logo is seen on the company building in Times Square, New York, U.S., January 30, 2018. Total revenue rose 4% in the quarter to $1.738 billion, beating expectations, according to estimates from Refinitiv. Thomson Reuters plans to spend $100 million on an annual run rate basis to invest in artificial intelligence, Hasker said. AI features will be incorporated in most major business divisions -- legal, tax and accounting, and in the news business. As of April 30, it owned 47.4 million shares of LSEG, worth $5 billion.

[1/2] The Thomson Reuters logo is seen on the company building in Times Square, New York, U.S., January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoMay 2 (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI.TO), on Tuesday reported higher sales and operating profit in the first quarter, helped by divestitures and high customer retention rates. As of April 30, Thomson Reuters owned 47.4 million shares of LSEG, worth $5 billion. Thomson Reuters shares are trading at an all-time high. Reporting by Helen Coster and Kenneth Li in New York, Editing by Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The company's total revenue fell 4.3% to $29.69 billion in the quarter, but beat analysts' average estimate of $29.30 billion, according to Refinitiv data. However, adjusted losses from the ad-reliant platform widened to $704 million from $456 million a year-ago as Comcast continues to invest heavily in content. Theme parks revenue climbed nearly 25%, thanks to a rebound in attendance at its parks overseas and the lifting of COVID curbs in China. Comcast gained 5,000 broadband customers in the March quarter, while Factset had estimated a loss of 20,000 users. Overall, net income attributable to Comcast rose 8% to $3.83 billion in the quarter.

☆ Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News days after Dominion lawsuit settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

April 24 (Reuters) - Fox News Media and its top-rated host Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways, less than a week after parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) settled for $787.5 million a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson played a starring role. A third person said the senior executive producer of "Tucker Carlson Tonight", Justin Wells, was also let go from Fox News on Monday. After the announcement of Carlson's departure from Fox News, a spokesperson for former President Donald Trump tweeted: "Fox News is controlled opposition." "I stand with Tucker Carlson!" Carlson joined Fox News as a contributor in 2009 and became a co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend" in 2012.

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