“We decided to focus on what parents think because they know better what’s appropriate for their children than any tech company, any private company, any senator or policymaker or staffer or regulator." - The New York Times
Out of 302 staffers, 14 were laid off and 12 left voluntarily; programming cuts are being made on WNYC, classical station WQXR (including the elimination of all WQXR podcasts), and programming at the performing/broadcast venue the Greene Space. - Gothamist
The 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell inspired a similarly lauded mini-series in 1980. But the current telling is different in crucial ways — and its popularity demonstrates how sharply America’s attitudes toward Japan have changed over the past 50 years. - The New York Times
"Apocalypse is not always world-historical. Our lives are full of personal apocalypses; our nations experience them repeatedly, often in times of great distress. We learn who we are, what we stand for and what really matters in apocalyptic times.” - The New York Times
Hm: “Rather than rejecting the use of generative AI outright, the group encourages consideration based in four overarching principles: the value of primary sources, transparency, legal considerations and ethical considerations of creating human simulations.” - The Guardian (UK)
At least for now, customers of satellite TV won’t be deprived of college football, The Bear on Hulu, or another rewatch of Inside Out 2. "The nearly two-week battle has been costly. Thousands of subscribers canceled their service during the blackout.” - Los Angeles Times
Though The Bear also won quite a haul, and there were a few surprises, Shōgun snagged a record-breaking total of 18 Emmys over the two ceremonies. - The New York Times
It’s down to three finalists: Boulder; Cincinnati; and, of course, staying home in Utah, though mostly relocating to the travel-friendlier Salt Lake City. - Seattle Times (AP)
But the discussion about those actors? Weirdly - or perhaps predictably - still ageist, sexist, and gross. "It’s strange to experience a culture that appears to be both cognizant and ignorant of certain issues — particularly when it has exacerbated the problems itself.” - HuffPost
Whether it’s with Shōgun or The Bear, looks like FX is going to clean up at the awards show today. But, don’t forget, “the Emmys are never entirely predictable.” - Variety
The prime minister, Voldemort, and James Bond may face off in the spring. Er, that is, Hugh Grant, Ralph Fiennes, and Daniel Craig seem likely to snag a good number of nominations for their Very Serious Film work this year. - The Guardian (UK)
A lot. “A video game trafficking ring has been smashed by police in Italy, after fake vintage consoles and games worth almost €50m ($55.5m) were seized. Among the counterfeit games were popular titles from the 1980s and 90s, including Mario Bros., Street Fighter and Star Wars.” - BBC
Take Emily in Paris for the most recent, most egregious example: Even in Part 1, “the stories don’t have enough space. When you combine arcs that already aren’t fully developed with multiple new characters and force everything into two chunks of episodes, the result is an incongruity.” - HuffPost
The numbers bear out a dire situation for satellite TV. Just 13 million U.S. households subscribe to it, a decrease of about 15.3 percent from last year. - The New York Times
While subscriber numbers are tanking, programmers prop up revenues by raising carriage fees for their channels—the aforementioned “higher contractual rates.” Instead of making TV bundles more attractive through choice and flexibility, the industry has chosen to fleece whoever hasn’t reached their personal breaking point through routine price hikes. - Tech Hive
