Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 24

"Roughly $100 million would be needed over the next two years to avoid widespread closures."

Exclusive | The Onion Brought Back Its Print Edition. The Gamble Is Paying Off.

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 23

"The Onion has more than 53,000 subscribers paying as much as $9 a month."

Print editions appeal to nostalgic readers and stand out in a crowded digital-media landscape, making them an attractive strategic play.

TV Giant Nexstar Agrees to Acquire a Rival, Tegna, for $6.2 Billion

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 22

"Nexstar and its partners would oversee 265 television stations in 44 states and Washington, D.C., cementing its position as the largest owner of local TV stations in the country."

Is Beehiiv the Next Billion-Dollar Newsletter Startup?

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 17

"While Substack takes a 10% cut of a newsletter’s revenue, Beehiiv charges just a small monthly fee that starts at $43 for 1,000 subscribers and goes up to $404 for 100,000 subscribers."

Last August, when CNN’s Oliver Darcy decided he wanted to leave the network and launchStatus, an email newsletter focused on the media industry, he cast about for a platform that would allow him to cu...

www.theinformation.com

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 16

"A tabletop robot that serves as a virtual companion, targeted for 2027, is the centerpiece of the AI strategy."

Apple Plots Expansion Into AI Robots, Home Security and Smart Displays

Apple Inc. is plotting its artificial intelligence comeback with an ambitious slate of new devices, including robots, a lifelike version of Siri, a smart speaker with a display and home-security camer...

PBS Slashes Budget by 21% After Federal Funding Cuts

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 15

"PBS is disproportionately affected by the loss of federal funding because it has historically relied on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting more than NPR has."

Exclusive | Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 12

"The Perplexity offer could be an attempt to signal to the judge that there is an interested buyer, should he force a sale."

In mounting an unsolicited bid for Google’s browser, the AI startup seeks to take advantage of uncertainty over a pending antitrust ruling.

SEO Is Dead. Say Hello to GEO.

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 11

“We’re at the inflection point where people don’t need to visit websites.”

Search-engine optimization now feels dated. Generative-engine optimization is all about trying to trick AI chatbots.

nymag.com

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 10

"When users type a question, the Dia browser analyzes it and pulls answers from whichever A.I. model is best suited for answering."

Is A.I. the Future of Web Browsing?

Amazon to Cut Wondery Staff, Reorganize Audio Business

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 9

"The moves are an acknowledgement that Amazon’s big push into podcasts hasn’t worked out as planned."

As podcasting becomes video-oriented, Amazon is shuffling Wondery into Audible and a new “creator services” team while cutting approximately 110 staff members

OpenAI Unveils GPT-5, Its Latest and Most Powerful Model, After Two-Year Wait

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 7

“GPT-5 is the first time that it feels like talking to an expert in any topic — a Ph.D.-level expert,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said.

CEO Sam Altman said using the chatbot will be like talking with a doctorate-level expert in any topic.

Exclusive | Amazon to Pay New York Times at Least $20 Million a Year in AI Deal

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 4

"The annual payment amounts to nearly 1% of the Times’s total 2024 revenue."

The multiyear deal lets Amazon use content from the Times’s news and cooking sections and the Athletic.

Exclusive: OpenAI Secures Another Giant Funding Deal

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 3

"OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion at a $300 billion valuation, months ahead of schedule, as part of its plan to secure $40 billion in funding this year."

A Media Giant Leans on People, a 50-Year-Old Brand, to Confront the AI Age

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 2

"In many cases, the strongest card media companies can play is to lean more heavily on their most recognizable, legacy brands."

Dotdash Meredith renames itself People Inc. after its marquee title.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Will Shut Down

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Aug 1

"Public broadcasters are turning to foundation funders, philanthropists and local donors to help resolve the coming cash crunch."

Inside the Media’s Traffic Apocalypse

Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Jul 28

"If there is consensus, it’s around having a diversified strategy that avoids being reliant on any third-party platform to reach an audience."

The whole premise of internet publishing — that you could reach audiences far and wide — is starting to crumble.

nymag.com

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Tyler Borchers @tylerborchers.com · Jul 27

"With the exception of a partnership with the Associated Press earlier this year and a 2024 pact with Reddit, Google has mostly sat on the sidelines while AI rivals strike deals with publishers."

Google Seeks Licensing Talks With News Groups, Following AI Rivals

The company has ramped up its overtures to news organizations in recent months