Nexstar and Tegna, two of the largest television groups in the United States, agreed to merge last year in a $6.2 billion deal that put scores of stations under the umbrella of Nexstar, the biggest local broadcaster in the industry. - The New York Times
David Ellison of Paramount gave his pitch last week to theatre owners, saying that he would commit Paramount to a 45-day theatrical window. “‘Long live the movies,’ Ellison said.” - Boston Globe (AP)
“Screenmaxxing is big business for an imperiled theatrical exhibition industry. … PLF screens seem to be an effective way to lure them out of the house, and charge a little (or a lot) extra for the assurance that they’re seeing a version of the movie that goes above and beyond.” - The Guardian (UK)
Bizarrely, Netflix would up in a much stronger place: “The company did not say how it plans to spend the $2.8-billion US termination fee it received after losing the Warner Bros. movie studio, including HBO, and lifted its earnings per share.” - CBC
“Audiences clearly crave these stories – but why? Isn’t a movie more impressive if it’s so well rehearsed that it seems real? Isn’t it better that an actor’s pained scream sounds authentic because they’re an elite professional, not because they stubbed their toe?” - The Guardian (UK)
“Headline Newds, a new series of web videos, ... is made up of bite-size (segments) in which the climate emergency is broken down and raunchily explained to us by a variety of OnlyFans models.” Now, isn’t this better than throwing soup at paintings in art museums? - The Guardian
"With just nine months remaining before the first Boulder, Colorado, edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the organizers of the world’s most important showcase for independent cinema — which was held in Park City, Utah, for the last 45 years — are making big moves." - The Hollywood Reporter
The Kingdom’s bet on entertainment at home has been matched by an equally ambitious push abroad — one that is rapidly reshaping Hollywood’s balance sheet. - The Hollywood Reporter
The deal shatters several records: It gives Nexstar control of 265 local stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching 80% of the nation's households. Federal competition law from 2004 limits companies to less than half that level. - NPR
NPR today announced it has received philanthropic gifts totaling more than $110 million — including the largest by a living donor in NPR's history — as a strategic investment in its future. - Editor & Publisher
“The BBC said Wednesday that it plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs to save 10% of its annual budget — £500 million ($677 million) — over the next two years. … The (broadcaster) said earlier this year that it faced ‘substantial financial pressures’ and wanted to cut a tenth of its budget by 2029.” - AP
Among those let go are 20 people from the company's publicity departments, as well as the entire home entertainment and EPK teams. On the digital marketing side, positions at every level, including senior vice president, were eliminated. Layoffs have also occurred throughout the Marvel division due to a reduced production slate. - TheWrap (MSN)
“Further concentrating marketplace power in the hands of a smaller group of distributors that dictate the terms, windows, scheduling, screen-placement of movies, and access to historic film catalogs will have a real and lasting impact on Main Street and millions of movie fans around the world.” - Los Angeles Times
