“The writers’ branch of the TV Academy isn’t the general public, and it’s reasonable to wish they’d be more discerning in their choices. This year, the comedy writers actually did just that.” - Vulture
“Before the rash of streamers elbowed in, the landscape had been dominated by HBO and, later, by Comedy Central.” Then Netflix opened its bankbook. - The Hollywood Reporter (MSN)
If you build it (in this case, climate coverage), they will come. “In 2023, stories produced by the organization’s climate teams outperformed the average story on the website in 11 months out of 12, often dramatically.” Could they do the same with, oh, say, the arts? - Nieman Lab
Perhaps surprisingly - but perhaps not, if you’ve ever tried to figure out what to watch from 12 different streaming services - “there is such an appetite for classic films these days it almost feels as if they are part of the first-run calendar.” - The Guardian (UK)
The forensic examination of finances at the long-troubled outlet revealed conflicts of interest, misspent funds, and more than $700,000 in expenditures ($400,000 of which was to one unnamed individual) that weren't backed up by expense reports or receipts. - Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)
The layoffs, which follow the elimination of 800 jobs in February, are part of a plan for $500 million in annual cost-savings (part of $2 billion in "cost efficiencies") adopted for the coming merger of Paramount Global and Skydance. - The Hollywood Reporter
“The story was too romantic. It was tears cutting out of your eyes. And the von Trapp, they left their home. For the others, it was not possible to go away, only for the noble family. And then all the other people in the film seemed to be Nazis.” - NPR
Shares of the merged company dropped to their lowest point since they began trading in 2022. CEO David Zaslav said, “This better aligns our carrying values with our future outlook.” - Bloomberg (MSN)
The entertainment division's bonanza was from improvements in direct-to-consumer streaming and the box-office hit Inside Out 2. … The streaming business specifically (which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+) had third-quarter revenue of $6.4 billion and net income of $47 million, compared to last year's third-quarter losses of over half a billion. - The Hollywood Reporter
Ziff Davis will be “the third corporate parent for the pioneering tech news and reviews site in four years” - with its value dropping at each sale. - Variety
The CEO “said the company must reduce payroll by 20% or layoffs will commence later this month, adding that employees have until Aug. 16 to take the buyout packages, which max out at 12 weeks of pay.” That includes about 100 journalists, some who recently won Pulitzers. - Creative Loafing
"That Pixar hit, about core emotions like joy and sadness, and this summer’s blockbuster sequel, which focuses on anxiety, have been embraced by educators, counselors, therapists and caregivers as an unparalleled tool to help people understand themselves." - The New York Times
The Annenberg report: Of the top 100 2023 films, the numbers are grim - from the 99 that had no Native or Pacific Islander women to the 39 without Black women. Why the backsliding? - HuffPost
"Just 32% of speaking characters in the top 100 movies at the box office in 2023 were women or girls, according to (USC's) Annenberg Inclusion Initiative annual report released Monday. That’s very nearly the same percentage as when Stacy L. Smith first began the study in 2007." - AP
