DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Embattled CNN chief apologizes to staff after embarrassing profile, vows to ‘fight like hell’ to win back trust
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Chris Licht started CNN’s daily network editorial meeting on Monday by directly addressing the elephant in the room. “I want to say that I’ve spent the weekend doing a lot of thinking,” Licht told staffers, many of whom had dialed into the meeting specifically to hear from their embattled chief executive. Employees had not heard from Licht since The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta on Friday published a blistering 15,000-word profile on him. He said that he would “fight like hell” to win over the trust of the 3,500-person news organization he leads. In the immediate future, I’m told, Leavy is counseling Licht and CNN leadership’s primary goal is to stabilize the ship.

Persons: Chris Licht, I’ve, ” Licht, Licht, Tim Alberta, Donald Trump, ”, They’ve, David Leavy, David Zaslav, Zaslav, I’m, wouldn’t, WBD, Leavy Organizations: CNN, Employees, Hudson, Warner Bros, “, North Star

☆ Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker's $1 billion venture is reportedly considering a big investment in former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter's media startup Air Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zucker's firm, RedBird IMI, is reportedly one of three investors circling a majority stake in Air Mail. Jeff Zucker's media venture, RedBird IMI, is exploring a majority stake in Graydon Carter's startup Air Mail, The New York Times reported. It is one of three investors circling Air Mail, according to the Times. Carter, who spent 25 years leading Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, launched Air Mail — "a lively digital weekly for the world citizen," per its website — in 2019. In May 2021, as he was seeking investors for the series B, Carter told Insider he expected Air Mail to reach profitability in three years.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, Zucker, Jeff Zucker's, Carter, Condé, Axios, RedBird, Zucker's, Chris Licht, David Zaslav, Licht, Donald Trump, Zaslav, Carter cohosted Organizations: CNN, IMI, Air Mail, Morning, RedBird IMI, The New York Times, RedBird Capital Partners, Abu, Media Investments, Air, Times, Standard Investments, TPG Growth, Warner Bros, Discovery, Cannes Film Locations: Abu Dhabi, Zaslav

☆ Former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker Has a New Job at RedBird IMI. What Is It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since leaving CNN a year ago, Jeff Zucker, the network’s former president, has been on the hunt for deals, flush with $1 billion in backing from big investors in the worlds of media and finance. In addition to Mr. Zucker, the key players in the new venture, known as RedBird IMI, are Gerry Cardinale, the chief executive and founder of RedBird, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, an Emirati government minister who has spearheaded many of IMI’s investment conversations in the United States. Mr. Cardinale is the chief investment officer of RedBird IMI, and Mr. Al Jaber is chairman. RedBird is committing $250 million to the venture, and IMI has agreed to commit the remaining $750 million. The men gathered to discuss business last fall in a suite overlooking a Formula 1 racetrack in Abu Dhabi.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Gerry Cardinale, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Cardinale, Al Jaber, RedBird Organizations: CNN, RedBird Capital Partners, International Media Investments, United Arab, IMI Locations: United Arab Emirates, United States, Abu Dhabi

☆ Jeff Zucker reportedly compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound: 'I gave them a gun, and they shot me with it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jeff Zucker compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound, according to a New York Times report. Jeff Zucker compared his firing from CNN to a gunshot wound, according to a New York Times report — in part a self-inflicted one. "I gave them a gun, and they shot me with it," Zucker reportedly said. Zucker was an immensely popular leader at CNN, and his firing was a staggering shock to its newsroom and the media industry. Licht and Zucker met a few months after Zucker's firing, over a lunch in the Hamptons arranged by other media stakeholders, the Times reported.

Persons: Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Chris Licht, Allison Gollust, Tim Alberta, Gollust, Andrew Cuomo, Risa Heller, Heller, Zucker's, David Zaslav, Laurene Powell Jobs, Emerson, WBD, Licht, Don Lemon, Donald Trump, Zaslav, David Leavy Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Yale University, Times, Atlantic, WarnerMedia, Warner Bros, Discovery, Hamptons Locations: WarnerMedia, New York

☆ CNN CEO Chris Licht has some thoughts on media's lack of diversity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Trisha Gopal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A recent Atlantic profile of CNN CEO Chris Licht detailed problems within the network under his leadership. In the article, Licht shared his thoughts on diversity in the media industryIn recent years, CNN has come under fire for not promoting talent of color on primetime TV. In a revealing profile published by the Atlantic on Friday, CNN's CEO Chris Licht shared his thoughts on the lack of diversity in the media industry — and why he believes media has a misguided idea of what it means to be diverse. Alberta commented that Licht sought to "recruit reporters who are deeply religious and reporters who grew up on food stamps and reporters who own guns." When pressed by Alberta to elaborate on why, Licht responded, "They have a different relationship with their need with the police."

Persons: Chris Licht, Licht, CNN's, Tim Alberta, David Zaslav, Zaslav, doesn't, Donald Trump, Kaitlan Collins, Jean Carroll, Brian Stelter, Don Lemon, Laura Coates, Coates Organizations: CNN, Morning, Atlantic, Harvard, Republicans, Warner Media Discovery, Technology, Media, Telecom Conference Locations: Alberta

☆ Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, is seeking refuge in Russia and singing Moscow's praises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tara Reade, the former Senate staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, is now in Russia. Reade made the announcement at a Tuesday press conference in Moscow with Sputnik, a state-owned news outlet. "It is remarkable that Joe Biden raped me when I worked for him at the US Congress, and I'm supposed to be the fugitive," Reade said. Reade claimed media investigations into her credibility were part of a smear campaignReade filed a formal criminal complaint against Biden in 2020, but her credibility soon came under intense scrutiny. He said he believed Reade was "subjected to a double standard" in the media and that her past life faced undue attention unrelated to her sexual assault claims.

Persons: Tara Reade, Joe Biden, Reade, —, Maria Butina, Butina, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Douglas Wigdor, I'm Organizations: Service, Sputnik, National Rifle Association, US, New York Times, Biden, Times, Antioch University, Politico Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Seattle, American, Washington

In an email to staff, its president said the "rise of short-form video" has sparked new challenges. A new round of layoffs at creator startup Jellysmack shows how much short-form video apps like TikTok have disrupted the creator-advertising ecosystem in just a few years. Jellysmack initially grew its business by helping creators repurpose YouTube videos on other ad-supported platforms like Facebook and Snapchat. Last January, it announced it had set aside $500 million to buy rights to older YouTube videos with the goal of making a profit from future ad earnings. It separately runs a creator-finance division called JellyFi, a program to help celebrities become digital content creators, and a division called JellySmash Productions that helps creators make and distribute content speedily.

☆ Creator startup Jellysmack has laid off staffers in the US and France. Here's the email its president sent to employees detailing the reasons behind the cuts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France on Thursday. The creator economy startup Jellysmack on Thursday laid off staffers in the US and France as part of a larger company restructuring, Insider has confirmed. This news comes shortly after the creator economy startup began hiring for a new M&A leader to help integrate companies that it buys. Jellysmack has had several rounds of layoffs in the last year, and laid of staffers in France in February, as The Information reported. Jellysmack go-to-market 2.0Jellysmack's mission has been to help creators go bigger, by bringing them products, services, and infrastructure that helps them grow.

☆ Premarket: Turkey's big economic gamble looks set to continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In an exclusive interview with CNN on Thursday, Erdogan promised to continue cutting interest rates to tackle soaring prices if he is re-elected on May 28, my colleague Olesya Dmitracova reports. “Please do follow me in the aftermath of the elections, and you will see that inflation will be going down along with interest rates,” Erdogan told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “I have a thesis that interest rates and inflation, they are directly correlated. As price hikes started to accelerate around the world in late 2021, Erdogan ordered Turkey’s central bank to slash interest rates. The weekly claims attributed to Massachusetts fell by 14,042 on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, representing three-quarters of the decline of 18,605 claims.

CNN —Disney is scrapping plans to build a new campus that would have brought thousands of employees to Florida, citing “changing business conditions,” according to a memo provided by a Disney spokesperson. It’s also tense time for Disney as the media industry grapples with a difficult advertising environment and a massive writers strike. The campus in Lake Nona, Florida, in the greater Orlando area, was expected to add 2,000 jobs. Before the Florida government selected the board in February, Disney had reached agreements with the outgoing board that limited the power of DeSantis’ appointees. Last month, Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors that he believed DeSantis’ actions to punish Disney were “anti-business.”Disney’s stock rose slightly after its announcement.

☆ How the CEO behind ChatGPT won over Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It was a pivotal moment for the AI industry. He agreed that large-scale manipulation and deception using AI tools are among the technology’s biggest potential flaws. On Tuesday, they seemed ready — or even relieved — to be dealing with another area of the technology industry. The AI industry’s biggest players and aspirants include some of the same tech giants Congress has sharply criticized, including Google and Meta. Here too, Altman deftly seized an opportunity to curry favor with lawmakers by emphasizing distinctions between his industry and the social media industry.

☆ Nelson Peltz boosts his Disney stake to nearly $600 million months after abandoning a proxy fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nelson Peltz's Trian Partners recently added 500,000 shares of Disney, sources told Bloomberg. That brings the total stake to about 6.4 million shares. At the end of March, Peltz slashed his 9.4 million-share stake by 34%, but sources told Bloomberg that he has since purchased another 500,000 shares. That brought his total holdings to 6.4 million shares, worth about $594 million based on Disney's Tuesday stock price of $92. Trian Partners had scooped up the initial 9.4 million shares in November at just under $92 per share.

☆ Watch CNBC’s full interview with Lightshed's Rich Greenfield on media industry's upfront season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC’s full interview with Lightshed's Rich Greenfield on media industry's upfront seasonRich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to preview what to expect from media upfronts this season, the impact of writers' strike, the state of streaming wars, and more.

☆ Elon Musk names NBCU ad chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk on Friday named longtime media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter, months after he promised to step back from the role. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a tweet on Friday. NBCUniversal’s ad sales team has generated $100 billion in ad sales since she joined in 2011, according to her profile, and forged partnerships with many new media companies including Twitter as well as Apple News, Buzzfeed, Snapchat and YouTube. Ad sales represented more than 90% of the company’s revenue before Musk purchased it in October. Musk has previously spoken about improving ad sales by focusing more on the relevance of its ads.

☆ Linda Yaccarino, head of advertising at NBCU, is in talks to be Twitter's next CEO: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NBCU's Linda Yaccarino is in talks to be Twitter's next CEO, according to The Wall Street Journal. Elon Musk announced Thursday that he had hired a new head of the social media platform. Musk tweeted this week. Linda Yaccarino, head of advertising at NBCUniversal, is in talks to be Twitter's next CEO, according to The Wall Street Journal. Yaccarino currently serves as chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCU, where she has been for more than 10 years.

☆ The funniest joke suggestions for Elon Musk's Twitter CEO successor, from Elizabeth Holmes to Meghan Markle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk announced Thursday he would be handing over the Twitter CEO role to a woman. But Twitter users have been having fun suggesting several joke candidates. Months after Twitter users voted for Elon Musk to step down as the company's CEO, the billionaire announced Thursday that he'd found someone to takeover the position. Musk tweeted. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Yaccarino is in talks to take over as Twitter CEO.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: TikTok is transforming comedy, Microsoft’s futuristic doctor visits, and Elon Musk announces a new Twitter CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My colleague Lakshmi Varanasi tested a buzzy AI service called Runway that can generate full videos from just a text prompt. She found that using Runway feels similar to using OpenAI's controversial Dall-E 2 or Stable Diffusion — impressive but not perfect. Check out the photos and videos Runway generated for her here. In other news:In a conference presentation, Andrea Barrett, a physician assistant and Nuance consultant, demonstrates products using generative AI. Elon Musk tweeted on Thursday that he's picked a new CEO for Twitter.

Elon Musk made a surprise announcement that he'd found Twitter's next CEO. Twitter employees think they may know who Elon Musk has picked to replace himself as CEO of the social media company. Chatter from the media industry points to Linda Yaccarino, head of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal. Yaccarino has told friends in the past that she wanted to be CEO of Twitter, one person familiar with the situation said. The Wall Street Journal reported that Yaccarino is in talks to be Twitter CEO.

[1/2] Workers and supporters of the Writers Guild of America picket outside Sunset Bronson Studios and Netflix Studios, after union negotiators called a strike for film and television writers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, May 4 (Reuters) - The Hollywood writers' strike that kicked off this week could last well into the summer and likely beyond, top executives close to the discussions told Reuters this week. Moody’s estimates a three-year contract with writers ultimately will cost the media industry $250 million to $350 million per year, a more modest estimate than the guild's projections of about $429 million per year. Television writers say their pay has suffered, as studios squeeze writers into smaller rooms for fewer weeks at minimum pay, despite financing lavishly produced streaming series. Hollywood writers must pay their agents and managers out of their wages -- and, unlike staff writers, can go long periods between gigs.

☆ Hollywood writers’ fight previews messy new era
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Tinseltown scribes are gearing up for a fight. The Writers Guild of America went on strike Tuesday after contract negotiations with entertainment companies broke down. The union backing TV and film writers walked out after failing to reach a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for better pay. This meant the distribution chain paid twice, and the double dip meant more money for both the network and writers, who got a share. As the last strike brought about the reality TV fad, which required less creativity, artificial intelligence is threatening to replace writers.

☆ Top moments from the White House Correspondents Dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden joked about a range of topics at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday but struck a serious tone as he called for the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. In attendance Saturday evening was Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was freed from Russia late last year after being wrongfully detained. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden held a pull-aside meeting with Griner and her wife at the event, per the White House pool. During the event, identical twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, who host “Property Brothers” on HGTV, drew big laughs as their sketch-style video showcased how they would renovate the White House. “We’ve been doing this a long time and we think we know how to turn the White House into the White Home,” the pair said in video.

☆ Biden set to address White House Correspondents Dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Maegan Vazquez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But undoubtedly, a White House official told CNN, his speech will address the issue of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. US President George W. Bush, left, waves with impressionist Steve Bridges at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2006. Roger L. Wollenberg/Pool/Getty Images The White House Correspondents' Dinner is held in 1923. It was started two years earlier by the White House Correspondents' Association, the organization of journalists who cover the president. Roosevelt was congratulating Brandt for winning the first Raymond Clapper Memorial Award, which was given by the White House Correspondents' Association for distinguished reporting.

☆ The 7 theories for why Tucker Carlson got fired from Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tucker Carlson was axed by Fox News Monday, days after it settled Dominion's defamation lawsuit. Here are seven theories for why Fox News decided to part ways with Carlson. Since then, media industry insiders have been buzzing with different theories for why Carlson was pushed out. The C-wordWithin the Dominion lawsuit, there emerged a pattern of vulgar language spewed by Carlson throughout his time at Fox News. Rupert Murdoch (right) and Lachlan Murdoch at the US Open in 2018.

☆ Vice Media cancels its flagship ‘Vice News Tonight’ program as it makes ‘painful’ layoffs and restructures the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Vice Media will cancel its acclaimed program “Vice News Tonight” as part of a broad restructuring that will result in painful cuts across the organization, the company said Thursday. The restructuring will have major implications on news teams at Vice Media. The company will sunset the Vice World News brand and fold its operations under the Vice News umbrella, giving the company a singular news brand. The restructuring comes as Vice Media, once the darling of the industry, explores a sale. CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, Gannett, Vox Media, NBC News, and others have also cut their workforces in recent months.

☆ Tucker Carlson’s departure won’t change Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But if history is any guide, there’s one thing we can count on: Cutting Tucker Carlson loose is not a sign that Fox is ready to change its ways. He regularly brought fringe, racist talking points such as the “great replacement” conspiracy theory into the mainstream. The content on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” made “The O’Reilly Factor” look like “Leave It to Beaver.”That strategy wasn’t a new one for Fox. “There will be a new Tucker Carlson, and it’s a good bet he or she will be even worse,” wrote David A. Graham in The Atlantic. Tucker Carlson, left, and former President Donald Trump, talk while watching golf.

Search resuls for: "Media Industry"

25 mentions found