Amazon Bundles Showtime, Starz Subscriptions With Prime Membership (Hollywood Reporter)
Amazon now is bundling subscriptions to streaming services like Showtime with its existing $99-a-year Prime offering. The Streaming Partners Program, which launched Tuesday, gives Prime members the option to pay extra for access to 30 different over-the-top streaming offerings.
Time Warner CEO: Tim Cook Is Right, TV Is Broken (Hollywood Reporter)
In October, Apple CEO Tim Cook called TV a “broken” experience because it is too difficult for viewers to find what they want. On Tuesday, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes agreed with Cook. “To be able to take all these channels that you’ve all paid for and use them on all your devices is very difficult, and that is why Tim is right.”
Where cable really shines: On DVRs (Media Life)
Cable shows draw fewer viewers, on average, than broadcast shows. But there is one area where cable clearly reigns supreme: DVR playback. This week Nielsen released its list of most-DVRed programs on television for 2015, and cable programs took all top 10 spots. The lift the shows are getting from seven-day playback is astounding.
FCC’s Wheeler Connects With Facebook’s Zuckerberg (Broadcasting & Cable)
FCC chair Tom Wheeler has “connected” with Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg about the issue of social media and violence, according to an FCC source speaking on background. The source did not characterize the conversation, but said the bottom line for the chair remains that the FCC does not regulate edge providers.
FCC Aiming to Complete Auction by Q3 2016 (Broadcasting & Cable)
The FCC Tuesday began walking everyone through the application for the reverse (broadcaster) portion of the upcoming incentive auction, which Incentive Auction Task Force chairman Gary Epstein was predicting would be wrapped up—both reverse and forward portions—by third-quarter 2016.
GETTING AMERICANS ONLINE WILL BE A BIG ELECTION ISSUE IN 2016 (Wired)
One key storyline of this election season has been how presidential campaigns are using technology — whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or e-mail — to target voters online. But an arguably more important story is how those candidates would help the 55 million Americans who don’t have access to the Internet at all get online.
A RESPONSE TO A DUMB THING DONALD TRUMP SAID ABOUT THE INTERNET (Tech Policy Daily- Commentary)
Let’s ignore, for a moment, how Trump gleefully mocked one of our fundamental constitutional rights. Let’s ignore how he likened the people who support that right to a swarm of idiots. I’d rather talk about the Internet — specifically, the idea that you can shut parts of it down at will. You probably can’t, at least not here.
AT&T’S STEPHENSON: FCC’S NET NEUTRALITY ORDER PUTS TELECOM INDUSTRY INTO A STATE OF LIMBO (Fierce Telecom)
A top AT&T executive is concerned that the FCC’s new net neutrality rules create an ongoing air of uncertainty for all members of the telecommunications industry ecosystem. Randall Stephenson, chair and CEO of AT&T, said the various rulings and challenges on the FCC’s order will likely not be entirely sorted out until 2017.
Europe to Unveil Plans to Reform Copyright, Introduce Digital Single Market (Hollywood Reporter)
The European Commission will unveil wide-ranging proposals that will overhaul Europe’s copyright laws and see the introduction of a borderless digital single market across all 28 countries in the European Union. The plan, which is expected to become law by 2017, would tear down online barriers.
The Crypto Wars Come to San Bernardino (Foreign Policy)
First, Paris. Now, San Bernardino. In the aftermath of each attack, political leaders have seized upon the role of the Internet and encrypted communication tools — both in spreading the Islamic State’s ideology and allowing plots to be developed under cover.
Spotify Considers Allowing Some Artists to Withhold Music From Free Service (Wall Street Journal)
In private talks, Spotify has told music executives that it is considering allowing some artists to start releasing albums only to its 20m-plus subscribers, who pay $10 a month, while withholding the music temporarily from the company’s 80m free users.
Apple’s plan to kill cable has been put on hold, says CEO of CBS (Business Insider)
Les Moonves, CEO of CBS, says that the company was in talks with Apple to be included in its still forthcoming cable-killing TV-subscription service — but that Apple has placed development of that service on hold. “They’ve had conversations on it, and I think they pressed the hold button,” Moonves said on stage Tuesday.
When Personalized Learning Gets Too Personal: Google Complaint Exposes Student Privacy Concerns (Recode)
Few educators debate the merits of personalized learning. The proliferation of low-cost laptops and tablets married with services provided by Google, Apple and Microsoft have given teachers the tools to track the individual progress of students and customize lesson plans. But when does personalized learning get too personal?