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☆ Full-frontal nude dating show ‘Naked Attraction’ premieres on Max
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - A new addition to streaming service Max strips the reality dating show genre down to its bare essentials. "Naked Attraction" features six nude contestants in glass booths whose body parts are gradually revealed, “bit by lovely bit,” until a single contestant is chosen for a date. “I will remind you that HBO is the home of ‘Real Sex’ and ‘Cathouse,'” Bloys said at the Vox Media’s Code 2023 conference, referring to other explicit shows. “You need an entire mix of programming.”Discovery+ acquired all seasons of "Naked Attraction," in a 2021 deal with Britain-based distributor All3Media. As of Wednesday, the show was the most popular series on the streaming service, a week after its launch.

Persons: Casey Bloys, Danny Moloshok, Max, ” Casey Bloys, ‘, Bloys, CNN Max, Ana Navarro, Dawn Chmielewski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: HBO, HBO Television, Association Summer Press, REUTERS, Max, ‘, Vox, Warner Bros, Discovery, CNN, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Britain, Italy, Sweden, Singapore, American, Dana Point , California

☆ Microsoft technology chief says supply of Nvidia's AI chips is improving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Demand was far exceeding the supply of GPU capacity that the whole ecosystem could produce," Scott told the Verge's Nilay Patel. Microsoft, like Google and other tech companies, has been quickly adding generative AI to its own products and selling the technology's capabilities to clients. Training and deploying the underlying AI models has mainly relied on Nvidia's GPUs, creating scarcity of supply. Nvidia expects to increase supply each quarter through next year, finance chief Colette Kress told analysts on last month's earnings call. Traffic to ChatGPT has declined month over month for three consecutive months, Similarweb said in a blog post.

Persons: Nilay Patel, Kevin Scott, Scott, OpenAi, we've, Patel, that's, Colette Kress, Similarweb, I'm, Doug Clinton Organizations: The Ritz, Carlton Laguna, Microsoft, Nvidia, Training, Qualcomm, PCs Locations: Dana Point , California, OpenAI

☆ Disney, The New York Times and CNN are among a dozen major media companies blocking access to ChatGPT as they wage a cold war on A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Guardian’s Ariel Bogle reported last week that CNN, The New York Times, and Reuters had blocked GPTBot. Publishers such as Condé Nast, Hearst, and Vox Media, which all house several prominent publications, have also taken the defensive measure. The deep archives and intellectual property rights of these news organizations are immensely valuable — arguably crucial — to training A.I. “I see a heightened sense of urgency when it comes to addressing the use, and misuse, of our content,” Coffey said. News organizations might feel they’re on solid legal ground, as Coffey told me, but there has yet to be any serious action taken against the OpenAI.

Persons: Ariel Bogle, Condé Nast, GPTBot, Danielle Coffey, Coffey, newsrooms “, ” Coffey, Barry Diller, OpenAI, “, ”, they’re Organizations: CNN —, CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, Disney, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, ABC News, ESPN, Hearst, Vox Media, News Media Alliance, Associated Press Locations: The, …

☆ Media and entertainment companies are finding more investment from the Middle East, but it can come with controversy. Here are 11 of the most notable deals.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Insider broke down 11 top media companies with Middle Eastern backing or partnerships. Middle Eastern investment has poured into US media and entertainment, and US media companies have been eager recipients. Here's a rundown of 11 key Western media and entertainment companies, listed alphabetically, that have licensing and investment partnerships with Middle Eastern entities. Jimmy Finkelstein's news startup The Messenger has Middle Eastern funding via its acquisition of IMI-backed startup Grid, which is now shuttered. The North Road, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up, took a $150 million investment in January from the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar's main investment vehicle, to support its expansion.

Persons: Peter Chernin, Jeff Zucker, Uber, Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, hasn't, Mohammed bin Salman, SRMG, Abu, Abu Dhabi's, Jimmy Finkelstein's, BeIn, Stone, Ian Orefice, WBD Organizations: Providence, North, IMI, ex, CNN, Public Investment Fund, Blackstone, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Guardian, Media, Bloomberg Media, Saudi Research, Media Group, Media Investments, CNN Business, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Sky News Arabia, Business, Independent, SRMG, Miramax, BeIn, Paramount, Qatar Investment Authority, Penske Media Corporation, Billboard, Variety, Penske, Vox Media, New York, Billboard Arabia, RedBird Capital, Mideast, MBC Group, MBC, Fortress Investment Group, Investment, Warner Bros Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, West, Saudi, Abu Dhabi, ViacomCBS, SRMG

☆ National Geographic Lays Off More Writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

National Geographic, the science and nature magazine that for more than a century has sent its writers and photographers to explore and document some of the most remote corners of the Earth, shed more writers and other staff members this week in a round of layoffs that had been announced in April. The round of layoffs is the second at Washington-based magazine in the last year, after a number of top editors were laid off in September, and comes during a tumultuous time for the media industry as several news outlets have decreased head counts, including Buzzfeed, Los Angeles Times, Vox Media and The Washington Post. The company that manages the publication, National Geographic Partners, said in a statement on Thursday that National Geographic “will continue to publish a monthly magazine that is dedicated to exceptional multiplatform storytelling with cultural impact.”“Staffing changes will not change our ability to do this work, but rather give us more flexibility to tell different stories and meet our audiences where they are across our many platforms,” the company said, without specifying the number of people being laid off. “Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect.”

Organizations: Geographic, Los Angeles Times, Vox Media, The Washington Post, National Geographic Partners Locations: Washington

☆ CNN management focused on 'listening' and 'getting back to work' as the network moves on from Chris Licht
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Trisha Gopal | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A trio of longtime executives have taken charge at CNN following the exit of Chris Licht. There's a moment in Tim Alberta's brutal profile of CNN's now-former CEO Chris Licht where Licht awkwardly takes a jab at his predecessor Jeff Zucker. The following Monday, as Licht attempted to quell growing calls for his ouster, Licht told CNN staff: "As I read that article, I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me. Jeff Zucker and Chris Licht at an event in 2019, back when Zucker still ran CNN and Licht was the showrunner on The Late Show on CBS. If Licht was seen as mismanaging CNN's top talent, Entelis, in particular, is known to be the queen of talent.

Persons: Chris Licht, David Leavy, Amy Entelis, Tim Alberta's, CNN's, Licht, Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Donald Trump, Christiane Amanpour . Licht, Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, Kara Swisher, Mike Coppola, — Licht, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, Wolf, David Zaslav, Zaslav, WBD, Leavy, We're, — Leavy, I'm, Kaitlan Collins, Don Lemon's, Poppy Harlow, Licht's, PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, Jonathan Miller, Entelis, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama, Turner, Lisa Ling's, Bell, Tapper —, CNN —, She's, — Organizations: CNN, Morning, Vox Media, CBS, ABC, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery, HBO, Getty, BBC News Board, Integrated Media, CNN Worldwide, Masa Locations: Trump, Japan, America

☆ MTV News to shut down as Paramount slashes US workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Paramount Media Networks announced Tuesday it will shutter MTV News and slash its US workforce by 25%, bringing to an end the iconic music video network’s news division that once covered a range of issues from pop culture to politics and became a household name for Generation X and Millennial adolescents. During the ’90s, MTV News also provided an alternative to traditional cable news that appealed to young Americans. In addition to MTV News, some units in the company are being eliminated altogether, most of which are operations, a Paramount spokesperson said. CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, Gannett, Vox Media, NBC News and others have also cut their workforces in recent months. The Paramount Media Networks division is cutting staff by 25%.

☆ 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.

☆ 2023 layoff tracker: The latest on which companies have announced job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

New York CNN —BuzzFeed, Lyft, Whole Foods and Deloitte all recently announced layoffs affecting thousands of US workers. With 11,000 job cuts announced in November and the 10,000 announced in March, Meta’s headcount will fall to around 66,000 — a total reduction of about 25%. The company announced in January that it was eliminating some 18,000 positions as part of a major cost-cutting bid at the e-commerce giant. IndeedJob listing website Indeed.com announced cuts of approximately 2,200 employees, representing almost 15% of its total workforce, the company said in March. The cuts come after the company announced several rounds of job cuts throughout the pandemic due to falling demand, followed by rapid hiring last year.

☆ BuzzFeed Shuts Down Its Namesake News Division
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BuzzFeed is shutting down its namesake news division, which won acclaim for its journalism but fell prey to the punishing economics of digital publishing that has laid low many of its peers. Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed’s chief executive, said in an email to employees on Thursday that he was closing BuzzFeed News as part of a broader round of cuts at the company. About 60 people will be affected by the shuttering of the news division, some of whom will be offered jobs at other parts of the company. BuzzFeed’s decision is the latest in a series of financial setbacks faced by digital media companies. The media industry writ large has pivoted to focus on streaming, and digital advertising — a mainstay for digital publishing companies — is increasingly going to tech platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

BuzzFeed wasn't the only digital media company to announce layoffs Thursday. Miller added that going public is probably not the best strategy for digital media companies like Buzzfeed. The news comes during a tough period for digital media companies as publishers are cutting staff as advertisers reduce spending. BuzzFeed will lay off 15% of staff and shut down its news unit, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti wrote in an email to staff Thursday. The digital media company scaled back its news operation in an attempt to make BuzzFeed News profitable, resulting in the departure of several editors.

☆ Vox Media announces new hosts of iconic Code Conference after Kara Swisher’s departure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Vox Media is gearing up for its first Code Conference without Kara Swisher at the helm. The invite-only event, which attracts top technology executives and journalists, will be hosted by The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel, Platformer founder Casey Newton and CNBC senior media and tech reporter Julia Boorstin, Vox Media told CNN on Wednesday. Swisher, the journalist who co-founded the news-making conference with reporter Walt Mossberg and hosted it for the past two decades, will still participate in the conference, albeit in a less outsized role. “This year, there will be more to discuss than ever,” Jim Bankoff, chief executive of Vox Media, told CNN. “Code will build on Kara’s legacy, and we’ll continue to evolve the conference to best serve its audience.

☆ Tim Cook shares a trick Steve Jobs used as Apple's CEO: It's 'one of the things I loved about him'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Since Tim Cook became CEO of Apple, he's worked to cement his own legacy — but he still admires his predecessor Steve Jobs' leadership style. "I knew I couldn't be Steve [when I became CEO]," Cook, 62, told GQ on Monday. But that doesn't mean Cook couldn't take a leadership trick or two from Jobs' book. Under his leadership, Apple has grown into a multitrillion-dollar company. Today, the Apple CEO still uses some of Jobs' old traditions, like 9 a.m. meetings every Monday, he told GQ.

☆ News organizations say they won't pay for Elon Musk's Twitter Blue because 'verified checkmarks no longer represent authority and expertise'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some news organizations say they won't pay for their reporters to get Twitter Blue. The New York Times and LA Times said they won't pay to get their Twitter accounts verified either. One of his most contentious projects has been to drastically switch up Twitter Blue, the site's subscription service. Twitter Blue is also required for accounts to get blue checkmarks next to their names. "Now a Blue checkmark just says they are a Twitter Blue subscriber.

☆ News organizations reject Elon Musk’s demand of paying to keep checkmarks on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —News organizations have a message for Elon Musk: We are not going to pay you for checkmarks on Twitter. Historically, a blue checkmark placed next to the name of an account has indicated that the social media company has confirmed the identity of the person or business operating it. Musk earlier this year launched Twitter Blue, a subscription service that costs $8 a month. A blue checkmark. POLITICO additionally said it will not pay for Twitter Blue.

☆ The digital media rollup dream is dead for the moment — now it's all about core brand strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

What's happening in the digital media space echoes trends from the biggest media companies, including Netflix , Disney and Warner Bros. The rollup dream's rise and fallFrom late 2018 to early 2022, the digital media industry had a shared goal. First, digital media companies needed more scale to compete with Facebook and Google for digital advertising dollars. Large legacy media companies such as Disney and Comcast 's NBCUniversal invested hundreds of millions in digital media in the early and mid-2010s. "The digital media rollup has proven successful only when assets are thoughtfully combined with an eye toward consumers," Goldberg said.

☆ A cryptic message that's been on Blockbuster's website for months has people wondering if it'll make a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

People recently noticed a message on Blockbuster's website: "We are working on rewinding your movie." The message sparked speculation of a possible comeback and nostalgia for the defunct rental stores. People recently noticed that a message greets you when you visit Blockbuster's website. Before that, the website showed a message from its current owner, Dish Network, directing people to Dish's on-demand service. So far, Dish hasn't commented on whether the message on the website means anything, and the company did not respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication.

☆ NPR to cut 10% of its staff in ‘a major loss’ for the public radio network, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jon Passantino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —National Public Radio will lay off 10% of its staff after projecting a $30 million budget shortfall, NPR’s chief executive John Lansing wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday. In his memo, Lansing said the network was grappling with a “sharp decline” in revenues from its corporate sponsors as a result of the uncertain economy. “With approximately 65% of our budget supporting personnel costs, we will need to eliminate many of the vacant positions that have been frozen. In recent months, the media and technology sectors have taken a battering as advertisers tighten spending amid economic uncertainty. CNN, NBC News, MSNBC, Vox Media, Gannett and other news organizations have cut their workforces in recent months.

☆ Amazon's internal Slack channel blows up after employees are told to return to office. Now they're creating a petition to fight back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Within hours of Friday's announcement, over 5,000 Amazon employees joined the new Slack channel, called "Remote Advocacy," according to screenshots seen by Insider. The channel was created "to advocate for remote work at Amazon" and seeks "data, anecdotes, articles about the benefits of remote work," it said. 'Absolute chaos'Several Amazon employees in the Slack channel expressed frustration, confusion, and anger. An impromptu survey within the Slack channel showed almost 80% of respondents saying they'll look for another job because of this change. In the Slack channel, employees are putting together a petition to push back against the return-to-office mandate.

☆ Google is facing its first real competition in search
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is the first time search engines are in legitimate competition — with all thanks to ChatGPT for the plot twist. Now, the chatbot is integrated in Bing and gives the search engine its first fighting chance against Google. Microsoft for now has a "first-mover" advantage, meaning its first-ever AI search engine can attract a large share of users. More on the first-ever search engine race here. Tech workers with skills in Web3, AI, and cybersecurity remain in high demand.

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.

☆ These 6 CEOs are taking pay cuts to prevent more layoffs and fight tough times as industrywide reductions persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Apple CEO Tim CookCook at Code in 2022. Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox MediaApple CEO Tim Cook is taking a 40% pay cut in 2023, bringing his annual target salary to $49 million for the year, per documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in January. The executive requested the pay reduction himself, coming on the heels of recent controversy surrounding his hefty salary. In 2022, Apple investors were urged to vote against Cook's nearly $100 million pay package by a shareholder advisory firm. The SEC filing references "concern" over Cook's total annual compensation in 2021 and 2022, noting the 2023 reduction comes amid "balancing shareholder feedback, a desire to continue to create meaningful performance and retention incentives, and Mr. Cook's support for changes."

☆ I'm an HR executive that was just laid off from Vox Media. I've been preparing for this since my first day on the job.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Last Friday, I was informed that I was being laid off from my position at Vox Media. Today is my last day as executive director of talent and development for Vox.com after one year at the company. "What's the difference between the life I'm experiencing now and the one I want to have? It's about what kind of life I'm trying to live. At the end of the day, there is no job that's 100% secure because companies exist to thrive and drive profits.

☆ Mega-publisher Dotdash Meredith cuts 7% of its workforce, citing weakened ad market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

It’s the latest example in a brutal wave of layoffs that have consumed the media and technology industries. In making the job cuts at Dotdash Meredith, which will impact 274 employees, CEO Neil Vogel cited the poor economic terrain the company is trying to navigate. In recent months, the media and technology sectors have taken a battering as advertisers tighten spending amid economic uncertainty. CNN, NBC News, MSNBC, Vox Media, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Gannett and other news organizations have cut their workforces in recent months. Google said it had made the decision to eliminate 6% of its workforce, which translates to approximately 12,000 jobs.

☆ Vox Media is in talks to raise $200 million as it considers asset sales and acquisitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Private equity giant CVC Capital is discussing a $200 million investment into Vox Media. Vox Media, which owns New York magazine, Recode, The Verge and more, recently laid off more than 100 staffers. Both CVC Capital and Group Black had talks aimed at acquiring the digital media company, according to reports. Vox Media, the digital media venture that houses assets including New York magazine, The Verge, Eater, and SB Nation, is looking to raise around $200 million, according to two people familiar with talks. The sources said they believe Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff wants to use the money to acquire new assets while also potentially putting some Vox Media properties on the block.

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