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| Sam Feist |
C-SPAN enlists CNN Washington bureau chief Sam Feist to come on board as its new CEO at the end of June. Feist joined CNN as an intern in 1989. In addition to heading the D.C. bureau since 2011, his positions at the news platform have included serving as its political director, the founding executive producer of “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and producer of such shows as “Crossfire” and “Inside Politics.” In a memo to staff, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson called Feist a “CNN institution” and “one of the best-connected journalists in Washington.” Feist will become the third chief executive in C-SPAN’s history, replacing co-CEOs Susan Swain and Rob Kennedy, who had served in that role since 2012. C-SPAN chairman Pat Esser said in a statement that Feist is “an outstanding leader who is trusted and respected by both sides of the aisle and who has a deep respect for C-SPAN’s nonpartisan mission.”
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Fox Corporation, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have finally come up with a name for their joint sports streaming service. Venu Sports aims to be "an all-new streaming home where sports fans outside of the traditional pay TV eco-system can experience an incredible collection of live sports, all in one place," Venu Sports CEO Pete Distad said in a statement. The service, which is expected to launch this fall in the US, is slated to offer sports content from sources including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, college sports, UFC, PGA and FIFA World Cup. Details of the formation and launch of Venue are subject to regulatory approval and the finalization of definitive agreements between the parties.
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Real Simple magazine has teamed up with Pinterest on what it is calling a “shoppable” issue of the magazine. The magazine’s June “Best & Brightest” issue, which is online now and will be available on newsstands May 17, features more than 120 products that can be immediately purchased by readers via QR codes that link to Pinterest boards and then to the online retailer pages for each product. “We're thrilled to team up with Pinterest to help our readers get tried-and-true products into readers' homes," said Real Simple editor in chief Lauren Iannotti. The issue follows a “strategic partnership and licensing agreement” between Real Simple owner Dotdash Meredith, the IAC-controlled publishing company that also operates such publications as People, Food & Wine, Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle and Southern Living, and ChatGPT that will “enhance ChatGPT with DDM's trusted content, including time-tested recipes, expert health and financial information, leading style and entertainment content, and rigorous product reviews.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is being bought by the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Baltimore Banner... The British Broadcasting Corporation is axing approximately 2,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its work force... Snap, the company behind Snapchat, is also succumbing to layoff fever, announcing plans to lay off 16 percent of its employees, about 1,000 people.
CBS News Radio will go off the air on May 22, part of the axe-swinging managerial plan put into play by CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss... The Economist, which was first published in 1843, is changing hands. Canadian billionaire Stephen Smith has agreed to acquire a 26.9 percent stake in the publication from Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, her family and family foundation... Nexstar Media Group says it has closed its acquisition of TEGNA, the broadcast, digital media and marketing services company that was formed in 2015, when the Gannett Company split into two publicly traded companies.
USA TODAY brings on Jamie Stockwell as VP of news, effective March 30. Stockwell was most recently deputy managing editor of news for the Washington Post... YouTube expands its likeness detection capabilities to a pilot group of government officials, journalists and political candidates... The AP Fund for Journalism adds 50 news organizations to its local news program, bringing the total number of participating newsrooms to 100. 
Versant Media Group, the NBCUniversal cable TV spin-off, today reported its first financial results as 2025 revenues dipped 5.3 percent to $6.7B and standalone EBITDA dropped 9.1 percent to $2.2B.
Trump Media & Technology Group is discussing a spin-off of the Truth Social platform following the expected closing of its $6B merger deal with TAE Technologies... Condé Nast sells off Them, the digital LGBTQ-focused platform it launched in 2017, to Equalpride, publisher of Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness and Pride.com... CBS News has parted ways with longevity influencer Peter Attia, one of the 19 contributors that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss brought on as part of her plan to present a wider variety of voices on the platform. 
