Mediagazer

8:30 PM ET, February 1, 2026

Top News:

Thomas Buckley / Bloomberg:

Sources: Disney's board is aligning on promoting theme-park division chairman Josh D'Amaro to the role of CEO — The board of Walt Disney Co. is aligning on promoting theme-park division chairman Josh D'Amaro to the role of chief executive officer and will vote on naming a new leader next week …

Discussion: NewsMax.com

Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Bob Iger has told associates that he plans to step down as Disney CEO before December 31; the board plans to vote on his replacement next week — Disney's board is planning to meet next week, where it is expected to vote on a new CEO — Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger …

Discussion: Awful Announcing, Barron's Online, Front Office Sports, Adweek, Robbie Whelan on LinkedIn, @aagave, @fizzvstheworld.bsky.social, People, CNBC, New York Post, Media Play News, Comic Book and Variety

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

A profile of Josh D'Amaro, a front-runner for Disney CEO who oversees Disney parks, cruises, and video games; his unit supplied ~60% of Disney's 2025 profit — “Josh, can I get a quick one?” — It was the seventh time that Josh D'Amaro had been asked to pose for a photo as he wove his way through Disneyland.

Discussion: Reuters, Sports Business Journal, Benzinga, @mediaevan, @scottgustin and Deadline

April Rubin / Axios:

Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were arrested by federal agents on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, respectively, for their coverage of a Minnesota church protest — Journalist Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents on Thursday night following backlash over his coverage of an anti-ICE protest …

Discussion: @agpambondi, @whitehouse, Minneapolis Star Tribune, CNN, Committee to Protect …, @jaketapper, @newsguy.bsky.social, The Gateway Pundit, @mcclellan.house.gov, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @pressfreedom.bsky.social, @jayapal.house.gov, NPR, Real Patriotism …, New York Post, UNICORN RIOT, JURISTnews, Fox News, Bossip, The Guardian, People, TV Insider, Awful Announcing, The TRiiBE, Fox News, @repjeffries, CBS News, Politico, @anno1540.bsky.social, @nytimespr, NPR, @senatorwarnock, BBC, @lenoret.bsky.social, @jaketapper, @jaketapper, @jaketapper, The Wrap, Facebook, Variety, @therickwilson, @jaketapper, @atrupar, CBS News, @juliannemcshane, @chucktodd, @mlcalderone, Mother Jones, @brianstelter, @jeremymbarr, @timodc, @jemelehill, Breitbart, @acnewsitics, @timodc, @kristadb1.bsky.social, Associated Press, @donlemonofficial.bsky.social, Columbia Journalism Review, Forbes, MS NOW, NewsNation, Mediaite, Baller Alert, New York Magazine, @cartersherman.bsky.social, Ben Iannotta on LinkedIn, Washington Examiner, @pamspaulding.bsky.social, @frankamari.bsky.social, TMZ.com, @theintercept.com, Wall Street Journal, TheGrio, Los Angeles Times, @stoneballs.bsky.social, @christianthiels.bsky.social, @monscience.bsky.social, @scanlon.house.gov, @freedom.press, @[email protected], Townhall, Errin Haines on LinkedIn, @freedom.press, The 19th, @socialmedialab.ca, @arachnius.bsky.social, Slate, @laurajedeed.bsky.social, @mrsdeborahlynn.bsky.social, @ajnobles.com, @amerliberal.bsky.social, The Daily Caller, The Contrarian, @montealto.bsky.social, Democracy Docket, @nbedera.bsky.social, @cwebbonline.com, @jodieginsberg.bsky.social, @rephuffman.bsky.social, The Hollywood Reporter, Lev Remembers, @dmcharles.bsky.social, @inn.org, Jodie Ginsberg on LinkedIn, KSTP-TV, Australian Financial Review, Financial Times, New York Times, Freedom of the Press …, Advocate, @kamimagic.bsky.social, Mother Jones, @froomkin.bsky.social, Screen Rant, Gay City News, American Greatness, Daily Mail, The Hill, HuffPost, @jamellebouie.net, @jamellebouie.net, @theletterhack.bsky.social, @divscotty.bsky.social, @[email protected], @[email protected], The Independent, The Verge, @atrupar.com, The Federalist, TheGrio, Global News, USA Today, Boston.com, @jonflan.bsky.social, @crankyoldcrackpot.bsky.social, Vibe, All Rise News, National Enquirer, KARE-TV, @kathleenclark.bsky.social, @mcbridetd.bsky.social, @hrag.bsky.social, @jaredhardd.bsky.social, The Daily Wire, @emptywheel.bsky.social, HELLO!, @joshuaerlich.bsky.social, Hollywood Life, @irhottakes.bsky.social, @[email protected], ZeroHedge News, NOTUS, @daveweigel.bsky.social, Raw Story, Entertainment Weekly, New Republic, @rusty.todayintabs.com, The Hollywood Gossip, @pattymo.com, @mikehixenbaugh.com, @[email protected], @adamserwer.bsky.social, Deadline and @emma-briant.co.uk

Washington Post:

Independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort have been released from custody after their arrests for coverage of a protest at a Minnesota church — The former CNN host was taken into custody in Los Angeles. — Federal authorities arrested independent journalist Don Lemon in Los Angeles …

Discussion: Associated Press, KARE-TV, @bettevcollins.bsky.social, @blackvotersmatterfund.org, @denisedwheeler.bsky.social, Ben Fertig on LinkedIn, Cele|bitchy, New York Times, The Atlantic, TMZ.com, Steady, The Guardian, Law Dork, The Hollywood Reporter, Poynter, @ac360, Free Press Action Fund Feed, @attorneygriggs, @foxnews, @prestonmitchum, @mollyjongfast, @sbg1, NBC News, Los Angeles Times, Techdirt, @froomkin.bsky.social, Mediaite, The Intercept, CBS News, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, Advocate, Just Jared, @donlemonofficial.bsky.social, @andrewlevesque.bsky.social, @blackskynews.blacksky.app, Deadline, Vox, The Present Age, The Forward, USA Today, The Wrap, Press Watch, Baller Alert, Newser, Deseret News, Truthout, The Inner Circle …, @ag.state.mn.us, Advocate, TheGrio, Wonkette, Straight Arrow News, UPI, @couts.bsky.social, Hollywood Life, The Guardian, @davejorgenson.bsky.social, People, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota Reformer, The Washington Free Beacon, Florida's Voice, Salon, New York Magazine, Twin Cities, New York Post, URL Media and New York Daily News

Richard Luscombe / The Guardian:

Press freedom groups denounce the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, saying the arrests are an “unequivocal attack on the First Amendment” — Groups say arrests of ex-CNN anchor and Georgia Fort are ‘extremely alarming’ and an ‘attack on the first amendment’

Andrew Marchand / The Athletic:

ESPN closes the deal to acquire multiple NFL Media assets after receiving US regulatory approval; NFL will get a 10% stake in ESPN as part of the agreement — Share full article — Government regulators have approved ESPN's billion-dollar blockbuster acquisition of multiple NFL Media assets …

Discussion: Awful Announcing, TheDesk.net, The Wrap, NBCSports.com, ESPN, Deadline, Sports Business Journal, Cord Cutters News, New York Post, Variety, Washington Post, Awful Announcing and Daily Mail

Trishla Ostwal / Adweek:

OpenAI says it is asking select advertisers to commit at least $200K as it rolls out beta ads on ChatGPT; two sources say their firms were pitched lower amounts — OpenAI is asking select advertisers to commit at least $200,000 as it rolls out beta ads on ChatGPT, the company confirmed to ADWEEK.

Discussion: Stephanie Emmanouel on LinkedIn, Trishla Ostwal on LinkedIn, BleepingComputer and TestingCatalog, more at Techmeme »

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:

NBCU says some brands are paying a record $10M+ for 30-second Super Bowl ad slots this year, with advertisers paying an average of $8M, matching 2025's peak — Broadcaster NBC says some brands are paying more than $10mn for a 30-second slot — Some of the world's biggest brands are paying …

Discussion: @kennysmith.bsky.social and Adweek

Rebecca Rubin / Variety:

Amazon's Melania documentary opens with $7M at the North American box office, above pre-release estimates of $3M to $5M; Amazon spent $75M on the documentary — “Melania,” a documentary that shadows the first lady of the United States in the lead-up to Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration …

Discussion: Fox News, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Dow Jones Newswires, NBC News, @lucas_shaw, Rolling Stone, Consequence, TechCrunch, The Wrap, CNBC, Comic Book, @benfritz, Screen, Bloomberg, TMZ.com, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Mediaite and People

Austin Fuller / Current:

The Public Media Bridge Fund, formed due to CPB cuts, raises $66.5M of its $110M goal and launches disaster recovery and restructuring programs for stations — The Public Media Bridge Fund is rolling out two new programs to help stations facing unforeseen disruptions.

Discussion: Radio Ink and Allie Vanyur on LinkedIn

Matthew Keys / TheDesk.net:

Former GM of Sacramento public radio service CapRadio, Jun Reina, was arrested and charged with allegedly embezzling ~$1.33M from station funds for personal use — Police in Sacramento have arrested the former general manager of two public radio stations licensed to the California State University system in that city.

Discussion: Radio Ink, @adlerben, Sacramento County …, KXTV, CBS News, Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Bee, capradio.org, KQCA-TV, Inside Radio, Radio & Television …, Sacramento Business Journal and Current

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More News:

Wall Street Journal:
Sources: OnlyFans is in talks to sell a nearly 60% stake to Architect Capital in a deal that values the company at around $5.5B, including debt

Discussion: Mashable, Engadget, @laurenthomas, TechCrunch, Axios and crypto.news

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer:
Authorities led by Italian investigators seized three illegal IPTV services in Europe; the US DOJ also said it dismantled three pirate services in Bulgaria

Discussion: CyberScoop, The Record, US Department of Justice and Advanced Television

Sarah Scire / Nieman Lab:
Analysis of Apple News in the UK: Apple News+ has 1.7M subscribers generating ~$136M for outlets; national papers account for 55% of time spent on Apple News

Bloomberg:
Sources: BMG, a division of Bertelsmann, is weighing a bid for music rights investor Concord in a deal that could value Concord as high as $7B

Discussion: Digital Music News, Music Business Worldwide, Music Business Worldwide, CMU and Billboard

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:
A look at Chicago alt-weekly The Chicago Reader as it scales back to a monthly publication under new EIC Sarah Conway and reverts to a for-profit business model

Discussion: @royalpratt.bsky.social

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Bluesky releases its first transparency report: users rose 60% in 2025 to 41.2M, including AT Protocol accounts; moderation reports from users grew 54% to 9.97M

Discussion: @[email protected]

Earlier Picks:

David Folkenflik / NPR:
Current and ex-VOA staff say a recent VOA interview by Kari Lake, who is calling herself USAGM deputy CEO, tramples on the firewall between the two agencies

Discussion: @rickstengel.bsky.social, @kaedotcom, @newsguyusa and @maxboot.bsky.social

Gene Maddaus / Variety:
Ahead of contract talks between SAG-AFTRA and studios beginning February 9, negotiators consider ideas such as an AI “tax” on studios that use synthetic actors

Discussion: @xpangler

New York Times:
Peter Chernin sells North Road to France's Mediawan; sources: the agreement, paid mostly in stock, values the independent film and TV studio at ~$900M

Discussion: Pulse 2.0, Variety, Advanced Television, Sports Business Journal, The Wrap, Screen, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline

Michael Savage / The Guardian:
A BBC internal review found a “noticeable” gender mismatch among older presenters, with older women required to look younger or develop “idiosyncratic personas”

Discussion: Elle Farrell-Kingsley on LinkedIn, Caroline Allen on LinkedIn, Jonte on LinkedIn, @taniahershman.bsky.social, @catherinefletcher.info, @julietemckenna.bsky.social, @[email protected] and @shakethescales.bsky.social

Anna Tingley / Variety:
Reporters from mainstream news organizations including NYT, WaPo, AP, and Vanity Fair were shut out of the premiere screening of Melania in Washington, DC

New York Times:
Sources: WaPo's layoffs may narrow its scope to topics of expertise and reader interest based on digital traffic, with politics and video becoming more central

Discussion: @dcattorneygeneral.bsky.social, Poynter, The Federalist, @perryvandell, @sallyjenki, @schadjoe, NPR, @gregpinelo.bsky.social, New York Post, PR Daily, @siobhan_ogrady, @nosacredcowfla.bsky.social, @mrfahrenheit.bsky.social, @oliverdarcy.bsky.social, Awful Announcing, Barrett Media and Lawyers, Guns & Money

From Techmeme:

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple execs question if it has the ingredients to win in AI-first era, new MacBook Pros are about to launch, Apple considers clamshell foldable iPhone

Wall Street Journal:
Documents and sources: Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan backed a $500M investment for a 49% stake in WLF, four days before Trump's inauguration

a16z:
Survey of 100 companies in the Global 2000 on AI use: 78% of CIOs use OpenAI models in production vs. 44% for Anthropic, but Anthropic's gains are impressive

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