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Elon Musk announced today that Linda Yaccarino would be the next Twitter CEO. With its revenue falling and its reputation falling faster, she may be the win Musk needs. Elon musk needs a win. The ad sales team generated more than $100 billion in ad revenue during her 12-year tenure, according to the company. That advertising revenue is just what Musk needs right now.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's top ad exec details his plans to grab market share from TV rivals with flexible offerings and 6 new measurement deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf shared plans to grab market share at the TV upfront. WBD left money on the table at the 2022 upfront and faces a soft ad market. When it comes to WBD's Premiere package of top ad inventory, for example, ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf emphasized how advertisers could customize the mix of programming to meet their wants. Discovery debuted at an inopportune time, just a few weeks ahead of the biggest TV sales event of the year. WBD dove into its 2022 TV upfront negotiations without the benefit of time to share information across its predecessor companies, causing some blowback among top advertisers.

The departure of ads chief Linda Yaccarino to Twitter has thrown NBCU into chaos. The exit comes on the heels of the departure of NBCU CEO Jeff Shell after sexual harassment allegations. One advertising executive who works closely with NBCUniversal described the situation inside the company as a "Cuban missile crisis." NBCU does have a deep bench of ad executive talent that's highly regarded in the ad industry. Although Yaccarino's departure from NBCUniversal to Twitter was a surprise, she had been close with the company and its billionaire owner.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's sales chief Jon Steinlauf is battling for business in a tough TV ad market. Meet his 8 top deputies.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery's Jon Steinlauf is helping the company rebuild but faces a soft ad market. The task of grabbing a greater share of that ad market falls to chief US advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf. He'd led its ad sales since 2018, having joined Discovery through its acquisition of Scripps Networks. He also has Warner experience, having served as VP of ad sales for Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT networks in the '90s. And it shared with Insider that four of Steinlauf's eight direct reports are women and that 56% of the ad sales leadership team are women.

☆ The Messenger, Jimmy Finkelstein's digital news startup, meets advertiser skepticism ahead of May 15 launch: 'We can't have another Quibi'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Jimmy Finkelstein's startup The Messenger will roll out an ad campaign touting its mission to provide unbiased news. An ad campaign by Publicis unit Le Truc will kick off May 22 and is designed to provoke, with copy like "Agendas are for meetings. Image from The Messenger's launch ad campaign. The Messenger said it'll have three to four big advertisers at launch as well as a significant amount of programmatic advertising. The Messenger's ad campaign promotes its ambitions to provide unbiased news.

☆ US annual inflation increase slows to below 5%, price pressures still strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Consumer prices decelerated to 4.9% year-on-year, the 10th straight month of slowdown as prices react to the Fed's rate-tightening cycle. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI increased 0.4% last month, matching March's gain. Though rents continued to put upward pressure on the core CPI, rental inflation is poised to ease. The government reported last week that the rental vacancy rate increased to a two-year high in the first quarter. In the 12 months through April, the core CPI gained 5.5% after advancing by 5.6% in March.

☆ US consumer prices increase solidly in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% last month after gaining 0.1% in March, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. In the 12 months through April, the CPI increased 4.9% after advancing 5.0% on a year-on-year basis in March. Gasoline prices rose last month after Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers announced further oil output cuts. The Fed has hiked its policy rate by 500 basis points since March 2022. The government reported last week that the rental vacancy rate increased to a two-year high in the first quarter.

☆ Wellness travel is rising among a particularly weary group of travelers — parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Morgan Awyong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But a new survey shows parents increasingly want in on a trend that isn't often aimed at families: wellness travel. The data showed an emerging picture of family travel — one in which parents may be starting to prioritize their own needs alongside those of their children. Traveling for physical health is up eight points among parents since last year, said Lindsey Roeschke, travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult. Planning a wellness family vacationThough some wellness resorts only allow adults, places like The Farm at San Benito welcome guests of all ages. Planning your own wellness tripRather than a resort stay, parents can plan their own wellness trips based on their interests.

☆ 22 red-hot reality TV companies producing shows like 'The Kardashians' and 'Queer Eye' that could grow amid Hollywood's writers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Hollywood writers' strike could drive an increase in demand for unscripted programming. Insider identified companies dominating the genre, producing reality content for top networks and streamers. Check out 22 companies behind top titles including "The Kardashians," "Queer Eye," and more. Even if the writers' strike is resolved more quickly than pundits generally are predicting, reality TV's future looks bright. Reality shows are also a way for streamers to grow their international audience as much of it translates globally.

☆ US small business sentiment slumps to more than 10-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - U.S. small business confidence fell to more than a 10-year low in April on worries about the near-term economic outlook and persistent worker shortages, but there were few signs that businesses were having difficulties accessing credit. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) said on Tuesday its Small Business Optimism Index dropped 1.1 points to 89.0 last month, the lowest level since January 2013. "As we've argued before, though, measures of sentiment are often a poor guide of what is likely to happen in the economy because it tells us more about how business owners are feeling, rather than what they are doing." The share of owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months fell two points to a net negative 49%. Forty-five percent of owners reported job openings that they could not fill, up 2 points from March.

☆ Check out the 18-page pitch deck that AI startup Papercup used to raise $20 million and help media and entertainment companies reach new global audiences
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Papercup is a UK-based startup that's helping media and entertainment companies find global audiences. Read the pitch deck Papercup used to raise its $20 million Series A round. Digital media and streaming companies are increasingly looking overseas for growth as the US market for subscribers gets saturated. Its most recent round was its $20 million Series A last year led by Octopus Ventures; other investors included Local Globe, Sands Capital, and Sky and Guardian Media Ventures. Check out the deck that helped Papercup raise its $20 million Series A round.

☆ Slower US job growth expected in April; unemployment rate seen rising to 3.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The unemployment rate is forecast to have risen to a still historically low 3.6%. "The labor market is slowly bending, but not breaking," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. "There is continued resilience in the labor market right now, but the trend is one that is continuing to see a decelerating pace of momentum." The service-providing sector likely accounted for most of the anticipated job gains in April. WAGE GAINS MODERATEAverage hourly earnings are expected to have risen by 0.3% in April, matching March's gain.

DreamWorks Animation has laid off 33 staffers, or around 2%, in recent days. DreamWorks' parent company, NBCUniversal, has been laying off staff across divisions in recent months. The cuts were confirmed by a spokesperson from DreamWorks Animation, whose parent company, Comcast's NBCUniversal, has eliminated roles across the organization over the past six months. DreamWorks Animation said in a statement that the layoffs were part of an overall cost reduction and that a majority of those affected were in support functions. This person said staffers laid off in this round learned the news several weeks ago, giving those affected some time to prepare.

☆ US trade deficit narrows sharply in March as exports rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in March as exports increased, which could position trade to continue contributing to economic growth in the second quarter. The trade deficit contracted 9.1% to $64.2 billion, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. But consumer goods imports increased $2.4 billion, lifted by pharmaceutical preparations, other textile apparel and household goods. Adjusting for inflation, the goods trade deficit narrowed 4.4% to $99.4 billion. A smaller trade deficit was one of the contributors to the economy's 1.1% annualized growth rate in the first quarter.

☆ US productivity drops in first quarter; labor costs jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. worker productivity fell more than expected in the first quarter after growing in the second half of 2022, boosting labor costs, which could see the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates higher for a while. Nonfarm productivity, which measures hourly output per worker, dropped at a 2.7% annualized rate last quarter, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Unit labor costs - the price of labor per single unit of output - surged at a 6.3% rate after increasing at a 3.3% pace in the fourth quarter. Unit labor costs rose at 5.8% rate from a year ago. Labor costs are rising too quickly to be consistent with the U.S. central bank's 2% inflation target.

☆ Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels. Wali wa kukaanga, KenyaWali wa kukaanga is Kenya’s answer to fried rice, and translates to just that in Swahili. So it’s no surprise that the Polynesian island country’s most popular rice dish, alaisa fa’apopo, has ties to the coconut, too. Thai fried rice (Khao Pad), ThailandThai fried rice uses the layering of flavors that's characteristic of the country's cuisine. ArenaCreative/Adobe StockWhen it comes to fried rice, the Chinese version tends to steal the spotlight.

☆ U.S. weekly jobless claims rise as higher borrowing costs cool demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits increased last week as the labor market gradually softens amid higher interest rates, which are cooling demand in the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 for the week ended April 29. Nevertheless, the labor market remains tight. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference that "the labor market remains very tight," but noted there were "some signs that supply and demand in the labor market are coming back into better balance." The claims report has no bearing on the government's closely watched employment report for April, which is scheduled to be released on Friday, as it falls outside the survey period.

☆ LeBron James' SpringHill is circling Complex Networks as owner BuzzFeed struggles to regroup after layoffs and a stock price plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

LeBron James and Maverick Carter's SpringHill has had conversations about buying BuzzFeed's Complex Networks, sources said. SpringHill Co., LeBron James and Maverick Carter's media and entertainment venture, has explored buying troubled BuzzFeed's Complex Networks, two sources familiar with the situation said. In addition to Complex Networks, BuzzFeed has HuffPost; food vertical Tasty, which includes licensed cooking products; as well as video series like travel-themed "Bring Me." Complex built long-form, host-driven video series like "Hot Ones" and "Sneaker Shopping" into high-profile brands in their own right. SpringHill Co. is a rollup including SpringHill Entertainment, which Carter founded with LeBron James, his childhood friend.

☆ US private payrolls increase solidly; wage growth cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummarySummary Companies Private payrolls increase by 296,000 in AprilPrior month's gain revised lower to 142,000WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - U.S. private employers boosted hiring in April amid strong demand for workers in the leisure and hospitality industry, but a slowdown in wage growth offered some good news for the Federal Reserve's fight against inflation. Private payrolls increased by 296,000 jobs last month, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private employment would increase 148,000. It has not been a reliable gauge in forecasting private payrolls in the BLS employment report. According to a Reuters survey of economists, private payrolls likely increased by 160,000 jobs last month.

☆ U.S. services sector grows steadily in April -ISM survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The services sector is being supported by consumers shifting spending from goods, which are typically bought on credit. Services inflation remained strong. Services prices tend to be stickier and less responsive to interest rate increases. Some economists view the ISM services prices paid gauge as a good predictor of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation. Services sector employment growth slowed further.

☆ How 2 longtime Warner Bros. execs and a veteran media banker plan to invest $360 million in sports, live experiences, and proven IP
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Iosilevich, Kevin Tsujihara, and Jeff Bewkes raised $360 million to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming. "Today it's television, tomorrow it's virtual reality," Alex Iosilevich, a longtime media banker and investor, told Insider. The trio announced April 27 that they raised $360 million for their first private equity fund to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming companies. Bewkes was chairman and CEO of Time Warner; he left as part of AT&T's 2016 acquisition of the company. With the market for subscription-based streaming services getting saturated, streaming companies will have to look more aggressively for new audiences through overseas expansion, ad-supported tiers, and new entertainment content.

☆ Check out the 16-slide deck Rebel Girls used to raise $8 million to expand its empowerment-focused storytelling to TV, film, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rebel Girls is a certified B Corp focused on empowering girls through inspiring content. Rebel Girls is a media company that started in 2016 with a mission to empower girls through inspiring, women-focused content. "It used to be if there was a female protagonist, she'd use magic — and the female protagonist was considered just for girls," Rebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe told Insider. Rebel Girls' content strategy is to show up everywhere girls are, online and offline. Scroll down to read the pitch deck Rebel Girls used to raise its Series A.

☆ US job openings post third straight monthly decline in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - U.S. job openings fell for a third straight month in March, but remained at levels consistent with a tight labor market. Job openings, a measure of labor demand, dropped 384,000 to 9.590 million on the last day of March, the lowest level since April 2021, the Labor Department said in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, on Tuesday. Data for February was revised higher to show 9.974 million job openings instead of the previously reported 9.931 million. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 9.775 million job openings. Federal Reserve officials were gathered for a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday.

☆ US factory orders rebound on aircraft in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Factory orders increased 0.9% after decreasing 1.1% in February, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Orders increased 2.4% on a year-on-year basis in March. Orders for transportation equipment increased 9.0% after dropping 3.2% in February. Civilian aircraft orders soared 78.3%. Motor vehicle orders fell 0.6%.

☆ Newsletter publisher TheSkimm has laid off 13%, its second layoff this year as cuts ripple across media
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Newsletter publisher TheSkimm laid off 13%, or about 22 people. It's the second layoff this year for the once-buzzy millennial media outlet. Layoffs hit newsletter publisher TheSkimm for the second time this year as it continues to face a punishing advertising market. The cuts came amid a tough economic environment in which a wide range of media, entertainment, and tech companies have laid off staff. The company faced tough times in the pandemic when advertisers were spending less and reassessing which media outlets were truly essential, and TheSkimm's lighthearted tone felt out of step with the times.

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