"In the case of fundraising programming, there are no awards for style points. Does it pledge? Is it constructed for that purpose? It may be a fun show to watch, but if people don't open their wallets as the key measurement, it's a bomb." - Current
Like most digital technologies, the quality of deepfakes is increasing at an alarming rate, and it is clear that even the most complex deepfake tools will be as easy to use as Instagram filters in the very near future. - Shelly Palmer
"The companies — Walt Disney Co., Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Sony Pictures Entertainment, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia — were forced to abandon their take-it-or-leave-it approach to the talks, which had been dragging on for five months." - Los Angeles Times
"The 12-day journey, backed by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, was the latest act in a race among spacefaring countries to generate public excitement about human spaceflight." - The New York Times
Well, things have changed: The Ted Lasso freakout has faded, while Squid Game's popularity has spurred producers to search for more "international drama." - Variety
Fans of K-drama probably know much of this already, but "peppered throughout the series are blink-and-you'll-miss-them references to historical events and political jargon." - NPR
Nearly two-thirds of NPR stations are affiliated with colleges or universities, and "with higher education at the crossroads of the culture wars, public media is vulnerable to growing political interference over its operations." - Nieman Lab
People can derive pleasure from recreational horror, whether in a haunted attraction or in front of the screen. For some, it is about maximum stimulation; those people are the adrenaline junkies. But for others, it is about keeping fear at a tolerable level. Aeon
The new Disney Plus documentary on Dr Anthony Fauci, which explores the personal side of the controversial figure, has a certified 91 percent approval rating from critics and a mere 2 percent from audiences. - The Spectator
Some observers have been criticizing the English titles for Squid Game in particular, with one Korean-American even saying "If you don't understand Korean, you didn't really watch the same show." The format's constraints make it a tricky business — and one hugely affected by Netflix. - The Guardian
Many listeners don't realize how enmeshed public radio is with higher ed: two-thirds of NPR outlets are affiliated with colleges or universities, many of which own the stations' licenses. As culture war politics erupt at universities (e.g., Nikole Hannah-Jones and UNC), public radio becomes vulnerable. - Nieman Lab
Computer Space made its debut in 1971 at a trade show for pinball machines and jukeboxes. (Its creators founded Atari and released Pong the following year.) The common story is that it was too complicated for bar patrons, but that wasn't the real problem. - The Conversation
"Unless an agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in the coming days, 60,000 IATSE film and TV workers will go on strike on Monday, Oct. 18, at 12:01 a.m. PDT." The primary issues are rest periods and minimum pay. - The Hollywood Reporter
If the LGBTQ community, including members of your own staff, tells you that — even when couched in calling out racism — 70 minutes of Chappelle insulting gay and trans people is hateful, how can your response be “um, no it’s not”? - Los Angeles Times
