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Nancy Dubuc notified Vice Media staffers on Friday that she's stepping down from her post as CEO after five years at the company. Dubuc joined Vice in 2018 after leaving her post as CEO of A+E Networks, where she had worked for 20 years. "We thank Nancy for her many contributions and will soon announce new leadership to guide VICE forward into its next stage of growth and transformation." Dubuc's departure comes as Vice, like its digital media peers, facing ongoing challenges with shrinking audience numbers and advertising. Still, Vice ended 2022 with a slight gain in revenue, although the business deteriorated among the macroeconomic headwinds, CNBC previously reported.

☆ Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google is rolling out tests that block access to news content for some Canadian users, the company confirmed on Wednesday, in what it says is a test run of a potential response to the government's online news bill. "We're briefly testing potential product responses to Bill C-18 that impact a very small percentage of Canadian users. We run thousands of tests each year to assess any potential changes to Search," a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. A spokeswoman for Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Canadians will not be intimidated and called it disappointing that Google is borrowing from Meta's playbook. Tech giants need to be more transparent and accountable to Canadians," the spokeswoman said.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery revenue misses as media giant posts big loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pedestrians walk past a street commercial advertisement billboard from Warner Bros and DC comics character, The Batman, movie in Madrid. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

☆ These 26 words ‘created the internet.’ Now the Supreme Court may be coming for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on two pivotal cases dealing with online speech and content moderation. A set of rulings against the tech industry could significantly narrow Section 230 and its legal protections for websites and social media companies. If that happens, the Court’s decisions could expose online platforms to an array of new lawsuits over how they present content to users. Such a result would represent the most consequential limitations ever placed on a legal shield that predates today’s biggest social media platforms and has allowed them to nip many content-related lawsuits in the bud. “The massive social media industry has grown up largely shielded from the courts and the normal development of a body of law.

☆ AMC Networks names media industry veteran Kristin Dolan as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - AMC Networks Inc (AMCX.O) on Wednesday named media industry veteran and long-time board member Kristin Dolan as its chief executive officer, filling a position that had been empty since Christina Spade's abrupt departure in November. Kristin will take the reins of the company behind shows such as "Mad Men" and "The Walking Dead" on Feb. 27. She will receive a base salary of at least $2 million, AMC Networks said. Shares of the company, which is controlled by the Dolan family, rose more than 3% in extended trading. Cord cutting and a gloomy advertising market have weighed on AMC Networks' business, but its streaming unit has emerged as a bright spot.

☆ AMC Networks names a new CEO: Kristin Dolan, spouse of chairman James Dolan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

AMC Networks , the company that owns TV channels like AMC and IFC, named Kristin Dolan its new CEO on Wednesday. She's an industry veteran, and most recently served as CEO of 605, a data analytics firm that measures audience numbers for TV networks. She is also the spouse, albeit separated, of James Dolan, the AMC Networks interim executive chairman James Dolan. The Dolan family has been considering the best way to move AMC Networks forward as it deals with cord-cutting and a tight ad market. For some time now, AMC Networks has been considered an acquisition target for larger media companies looking to bulk up their libraries.

☆ Wonya Lucas is making big changes at the Hallmark Channel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

And she's done it all while staying true to the Hallmark brand, which Lucas said is always on her mind. Courtesy: Hallmark MediaUnder Lucas, Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" movie slate has increasingly changed. When Lucas became CEO of Hallmark Media, which also includes the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries network, it had also been coming out from under a firestorm of controversy. There needed to be more diversity in both casting and storylines," Hamilton Daly said. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Three Wise Men and a Baby Hallmark Media

☆ From state media to a Shaolin temple, Baidu's ChatGPT-style bot sees partner rush
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Chinese organisations, from state media to a Shaolin temple, said on Tuesday they have signed partnerships with Baidu's ChatGPT-style project, ahead of an expected launch next month. The Chinese search engine giant (9888.HK) last week announced that it would complete internal testing of its “Ernie Bot" in March. China's Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese kung fu, said in a statement it would work with Baidu to integrate Ernie into its operations with the purpose of creating an AI-driven content environment. Over a dozen Chinese media outlets also said they had entered tie-ups with Baidu, including the state-owned Shanghai Securities Journal. Baidu's banking joint venture with CITIC (601998.SS), as well as its electric vehicle arm Jidu Auto, also said on Tuesday they would integrate Ernie into their operations.

☆ Writers are worried ChatGPT will steal their jobs. Experts offered 3 reasons why this is unlikely — and even ChatGPT itself agrees.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They offered three reasons why it's unlikely that ChatGPT will replace them in the future. Although ChatGPT might bring some changes to the workplace, here are three reasons why it's unlikely to replace you. Empathy is another skill ChatGPT doesn't have because we have "a higher order way of thinking about things," Jacobson said. ChatGPT can't beat Google's spam policiesCompanies that publish content written by ChatGPT or other AI tools are likely to be penalized by Google's unbeatable spam policies. "For now, the role of ChatGPT and other AI models in content creation is to augment and assist human content creators, rather than to replace them."

☆ Premarket stocks: Here's what keeps Jerome Powell up at night and interest rates high
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Structural changes in the labor market: The US economy added an astonishing 517,000 jobs in January, blowing economists’ expectations out of the water. “The labor market is extraordinarily strong,” he said. Core services inflation: Powell noted that he’s seeing disinflation in the goods sector and expects to soon see declining inflation in housing. Service-sector inflation, which is more sensitive to a strong labor market, is up 7.5% from the year prior through the end of 2022, and has not abated, he said. Tech layoffs, Big Oil and soft landings: What investors are watching▸ The labor market is strong, but tech layoffs keep coming.

☆ Disney needs to show investors it has a plan to make streaming profitable — and stop hemorrhaging money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Disney's direct-to-consumer unit, which includes streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, has yet to reach profitability — losing nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Those loses spurred Disney's board to push out then-CEO Bob Chapek and bring Iger back to the top job. In 2021 Disney spent $25 billion to produce original content, and the following year expanded its budget to $33 billion. Similarly, Macquarie's Nollen said Disney's advertising-based subscription tier for Disney+ is "a lever Disney can pull to raise revenue." "Lots of angry people ask me why I support Nelson Peltz for the Disney board, and I give a simple answer: What has this board done for its shareholders other than wipe out more shareholder money?"

One of the really interesting questions here – this will be fascinating – the core of linear TV is sports rights. When you look at the size and scope of the linear TV business, it's huge. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesByron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder and CEO: I think linear TV will exist for a very, very long time. Simmons: I believe Apple, out of nowhere, will start making their own awesome televisions that have Apple TV embedded in them. We are witnessing early stages of this dynamic with deals like "NFL Sunday Ticket" on YouTube and the MLS deal with Apple TV.

☆ Disney has bigger problems than Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But there are problems with spinning off ESPN, even if it would raise cash and allow Disney to trim debt. Labor painsUnionized rank-and-file workers at Disney World last week voted 96% against a contract offer from Disney that would have given them raises of at least $1 a year over the next five years. The company called the rejected wage proposal a “very strong offer.”But the last thing that Iger or Disney needs is to upset the strong demand for travel to Disney World or other park locations. Political battles in FloridaThe political culture wars are yet another headache for Iger, as Disney faces the possible loss of the powers it has to operate as a government-like entity for the land on which Disney World operates. “We are monitoring the progression of the draft legislation, which is complex given the long history of the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” said Jeff Vahle, president, Walt Disney World Resort.

☆ BuzzFeed says it will use AI to help create content, stock jumps 150%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

BuzzFeed, for now, will not use artificial intelligence to help write news stories, a spokesperson told CNN. Media industry leaders have increasingly said that artificial intelligence will revolutionize their businesses. CNET recently used an artificial intelligence tool to help write stories. But, Guglielmo said, the outlet will not shy away from using artificial intelligence moving forward. The Associated Press also began using artificial intelligence to automate news stories nearly a decade ago.

☆ BuzzFeed’s CEO says AI could usher in a ‘new model for digital media,’ but warns against a ‘dystopian’ path
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“I think that there are two paths for AI in digital media,” Peretti said. But, with AI, the staffer could write the questions and the software could spit out a highly personalized response for the user. In the supplied example, a user would take a quick quiz and the AI would write a short RomCom using the data provided. “There’s the CNET path, and then there is the path that BuzzFeed is focused on,” Peretti said. “I think the content farm model of AI will feel very depressing and dystopian.”

☆ Disney slams Peltz for lack of media experience, but its board is light on it, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney directors unanimously rejected activist investor Nelson Peltz's request to join the board this month, in large part due to his lack of media industry expertise. That would be a stronger argument if Disney's current board members had ample media and entertainment experience when they joined. Peltz's strongest claim for a board seat is probably ensuring that succession planning finally happens in an organized and coherent way – which doesn't appear to be the primary argument he's making. According to a company filing Tuesday, Disney decided not to offer Peltz a board seat because he didn't suggest any specific strategic ideas and had minimal industry experience. But Disney's board is filled with directors whose prior experience have little to do with streaming services, legacy pay TV, theme parks or films.

☆ I asked ChatGPT to write my resignation letter but instead I got career coaching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

My editor asked me to see whether ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, could write a decent resignation letter. But I hadn't expected that the personalized resignation letter would prompt self-reflection. What I didn't expect was that the effect of seeing ChatGPT's personalized resignation letter in black and white would be so jarring. My request was straightforward and so was the reply:Can you write me a resignation letter for my job as Senior Correspondent at Insider? If you change your mind and decide that you do not want to resign, you can try to retract your resignation letter.

☆ How WWE’s Vince McMahon ruthlessly got his job back despite allegations of sexual assault and misuse of company funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

WWE has always been a family business – Vince McMahon, Sr., handed over the reins to his son in the 1980s – and it seemed set to continue that way. Why was Vince McMahon stepping aside such a big deal? Vince McMahon was more akin to a king than a business executive in the world of WWE, his fingerprints on everything. Once considered a wrestling genius, critics have more recently come to consider Vince McMahon a creative liability. McMahon,” Vince McMahon’s devious on-screen character, who served as wrestling’s greatest heel for years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

☆ Republicans ignored Rep. George Santos' red flags as he propelled himself to a House victory deceiving voters, NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An NYT report revealed that at least some of the GOP knew of Rep. George Santos' lies. "I guess unfortunately we rely on the person to be truthful to us," the GOP Nassau County chairman told The Times. According to the Times, Santos hired an unnamed Washington research firm to conduct a vulnerability study in connection to his campaign towards the end of 2021. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee failed to follow up on red flags when looking into Rep. George Santos because researchers were encumbered with other researching dozens of other candidates, per the Times. Santos has faced multiple calls to resign but has remained steadfast in his conviction to complete his term despite deceiving 142,000 voters.

☆ Disney board exposed itself to activist intervention, but Peltz may be overreaching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's share price spike in 2021 was caused by the same phenomenon — investors charging into streaming services with significant subscriber growth. Activist investor Nelson Peltz spent about 30 minutes Thursday morning speaking with CNBC's Jim Cramer and David Faber in a wide-ranging interview about why he wants a Disney board seat. Now Iger's back, and the Disney board has tasked him with finding a successor in the next two years. It's a far easier case to be made that Disney's board and Iger have consistently bungled succession planning. As Trian noted in its presentation (on Slide 28), the Disney board extended Iger's retirement date five different times between October 2011 and December 2017.

☆ Cesar Conde consolidates power at NBC with network shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —On paper, Cesar Conde is the chair of NBCUniversal News Group. But on Wednesday he also appointed himself as the effective president of NBC News. But the NBCU News Group boss notably declined to select a single successor to oversee the sizable portfolio of Oppenheim. Leist will continue to oversee “Today” and Rodriguez will oversee “Nightly” and NBC News NOW. All three executives — Blumenstein, Leist, and Rodriguez — will report directly to Conde, making him the ultimate network boss.

☆ Disney names Nike executive Mark Parker as new chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Walt Disney Company has named Nike executive chairman Mark Parker as its new board chair, replacing longtime director Susan Arnold, whose term limit is expiring. Parker, a Disney board member since 2016, takes over Disney’s board at a time of transition for America’s largest media company. Disney said among Parker’s qualifications as board chair is that he navigated a successful CEO transition at Nike. And Disney’s media networks are struggling as cord cutting accelerates and once lucrative outlets like ESPN lose viewership. She praised Parker for helping lead Disney through a difficult period for the company and the broader media industry.

☆ LinkedIn is having a moment thanks to a wave of layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some LinkedIn users affected by recent layoffs have formed groups on the site aimed at providing assistance, coordinating around signing exit paperwork and aiding with connections for new jobs. Suddenly, the normally staid professional network has become both a vital lifeline for recently laid off workers and a surprisingly lively social platform. “There’s been an uptick in [LinkedIn use] since the pandemic,” said Jennifer Grygiel, an associate professor and social media expert at Syracuse University. Layoffs and upheaval in social media industryEven apart from the layoffs, the social media landscape has been through a volatile year. But lately it appears users have more than enough reason to use LinkedIn amid a wave of thousands of layoffs.

☆ Bernard Kalb, former CNN anchor and correspondent for NBC and CBS, is dead at 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Bernard Kalb, the long-time journalist and founding anchor of CNN’s “Reliable Sources” program, died on Sunday at his home in North Bethesda, Maryland, his family said. Kalb’s death was caused by complications from a recent fall, his younger brother, Marvin Kalb, told CNN by phone. Kalb then became the first anchor of CNN’s “Reliable Sources” program from 1992 to 1998. “We were so fortunate to have Bernie host Reliable Sources from its launch and during all those years. “We are all grateful for the many years we have been able to spend with a truly remarkable human being,” Marvin Kalb told CNN.

Rita Moreno was hooked when she was tapped to play a ghost in the television comedy "Lopez vs. Lopez," starring comedian George Lopez and his daughter, Mayan Lopez. "I loved why she comes back from the dead," Moreno said about her character on the show, which airs on NBC (NBC News and NBC are part of NBCUniversal). George Lopez and Rita Moreno in "Lopez vs. In her view, "Lopez vs. Lopez" has “all the makings of a successful family comedy,” Moreno said. Brice Gonzalez and George Lopez in "Lopez vs.

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