Re/code
Sprint and T-Mobile may want to pursue some kind of merger; AT&T is trying to buy Time Warner, which narrows the marketplace, Verizon is expected to pursue other mergers and acquisitions in the media business. So, they may be think it's best to be quiet.
TechCrunch
Snapchat use seems to be falling a lot ever since Instagram Stories basically copied Snapchat Stories. That may not be good news as Snapchat pursues its IPO.
PC Magazine
PC Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak says live streaming "needs to end now" because of the likelihood gruesome, violent acts will continue to be shown there.
Tubefilter
Facebook has tapped Tamara Hrivnak, most recently director of music partnerships at YouTube and Google Play to lead global music strategy and business development. The hiring suggests that Facebook may be looking to license music, according to Billboard.
Tubefilter
CPM rates tend to go up from the beginning of the year to the end. They also rise at the beginning of every quarter and fall the end of eveey quarter. And then, there's also Christmas.
New York Daily News
A 14-year old Miami girl committed suicide, live on Facebook. A friend alerted police what was happening but police were misdirected and arrived too late to help.
BuzzFeed
American Action Network, a group closely aligned with Speaker Paul Ryan, will run the Snapchat filters promoting “A Better Healthcare Plan.com,” as well as digital ads promoting the GOP’s replacement efforts. Whatever those are.
Tubefilter
There will be a "Fab Five" but apparently the original experts will have some role. The new Netflix series is "reimagining" the series to reflect how life and politics has changed from 2003-07 when the reality show was a Bravo hit, and moving from New York to "the red states."
Re/code
Facebook seems determined to snuff out Snapchat, and has copied lots of its features. Add the Stories feature. Facebook is only testing it in Ireland but it's coming soon to a mobile phone near you. Reportedly original sharing on Facebook has declined on Facebook. The Stories feature may help that turn around.
The New York Times
"Ultimate Beastmaster" may be the first of many reality shows, says Netflix's Ted Sarandos. It has hoped-for-international appeal, with competitors from 108 countries.