- Netflix is expanding in the UK with a 14-stage studio for film and TV production (Variety)
- Amazon is reportedly keeping transcripts of what people say to Alexa, unless they are manually deleted (Engadget)
- Following an internal audit, Facebook is piloting new content moderation tools that prioritize context (Wired)
- Sony is investing in tech startups with a new US$185-million fund (Tech Crunch)
- Walt Disney Television launched new programs in an effort to expand diversity and inclusion behind the camera (Deadline)
- Netflix is tightening its purse strings, and will be less experimental with what content it produces (Engadget)
- Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are among the 842 new members invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Variety)
- “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout” unveils its star-studded guest cast, and a human version of the famous sea sponge (Vox)
- Why Ryan ToysReview’s US$22-million annual YouTube income is now a big problem for the platform (Inc)
- Want to put a moral lesson in a kids TV show? New research suggests some extra explanation is necessary for it to stick (Medical Xpress)
- As Disney ramps up marketing, The Lion King reboot eyes a US$150-million opening weekend (Variety)
- China’s box office is struggling, despite the infusion of Hollywood blockbusters (The Hollywood Reporter)
- K-Pop band BTS has dethroned Harry Potter’s app with its top-spot debut on the app-download charts (Variety)
- Only 12% of kids books published in the US in 2016 were written by racial minorities. What does this mean for storytelling? (Book Riot)
- Disney is seeking underrepresented filmmakers for its new seven-month shorts incubator program (The Hollywood Reporter)
- As regulators pressure tech companies to explain how customer data is used, broadband operators still use the info to sell ads (Wall Street Journal)
- Canada is spending US$762,000 and hosting a youth summit to combat online extremism (Engadget)
- In a year packed with critically acclaimed sequels and original animated releases, it’s going to be a heated Oscars race (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Merger talks for Viacom and CBS are heating up, and Bob Bakish is the frontrunner to lead it (Digiday)
- Reading the room: LinkedIn has decided it doesn’t want users to go viral anymore, and would rather keep its content niche (Axios)
- When YouTubers do something wrong, the platform demonetizes them…but that strategy isn’t really working (The Verge)
- We all know that Netflix changed entertainment, but what exactly did it change? (The Atlantic)
- Google rolled out a new media literacy program to help kids navigate the internet (TechCrunch)
- Listen, screen time for kids isn’t all bad—there are brighter sides as well (NPR)
- …But if it really is important that kids put their screens down, AI may have a solution to get them outside more (Fast Company)
- What happens when voice assistants can’t find something we want? And what could get lost in the shuffle? (New York Times)
- It was Disney’s weekend as Toy Story 4 cleared US$120 million outside the US and Aladdin reached the US$800-million mark (Variety)
- …But in China, a Hayao Miyazaki film topped the box office, 20 years after its original release (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Netflix is testing out a feature YouTube has been using for years: pop-out boxes (Engadget)
- How China’s model for creating influencers could work outside the country (BBC News)
- How SVOD fatigue could affect producers as well as broadcasters (Realscreen)
- …And with all of the content out there, is TV having a bit of an identity crisis? (Vox)
- You really shouldn’t listen to trolls…protesters demand Netflix cancel a show it doesn’t even make (The Verge)
- Inside JoJo Siwa’s glitter-filled world, and how she got where she is now (Rolling Stone)
- Amidst all of its issues, YouTube is considering a major revamp of kids content (Wall Street Journal)
- Pixar’s new head Pete Docter is turning the studio’s focus back to originals (IndieWire)
- The US FCC has opted to make only minor changes to the Children’s Television Act (Broadcasting Cable)
- AT&T plans to combine many different aspects of WarnerMedia to save money…how will that affect kids content? (Vanity Fair)
- British channel ITV bans all-male writing teams for its comedies (Vulture)
- Now that Disney has the reigns, Hulu is expected to significantly increase its original content push (Engadget)
- With film, TV, game and music departments all under one company, is it time Sony looked at breaking up? (The Hollywood Reporter)
- MGA’s CEO Isaac Larian says he’s giving up the fight and is no longer interested in merging with Mattel (LA Times)
- Check out this time-lapse model showing how social media has changed since 2003 (How Things Work)
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