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Thursday, February 9, 2023

The week is almost over. Here's what to expect from this year's Super Bowl ads, why Bob Iger likely started celebrating his birthday one day early, details on what the body cam footage of the NewsNation arrest revealed, how the NBC/MSNBC walkout went, and more. Plus, thousands of cuts are incoming at News Corp. and Yahoo. But first, the A1.

THE A1

Super Bowl Snub?

CNN Illustration/Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

It looks like President Joe Biden might snub Fox News in a big way.

That's at least how the network sees it. A source at Fox News told me Thursday evening that the right-wing channel has not heard back on whether Biden will grant it the traditional pre-Super Bowl interview, and that at this point the outlet is proceeding as if it is not going to take place.

"We don't have a formal no, but we are operating like it's not happening," the source explained to me.

This year, Fox is airing the Super Bowl, which would mean that Fox News would be in line for an interview. Typically, such interviews are conducted on the Friday before the Super Bowl and are agreed to much further in advance so that logistics can be coordinated.

Bret Baier first hinted at the possibility of a potential Biden rebuff during State of the Union coverage on Tuesday, telling viewers that Biden had yet to commit to an interview. At the time, he had signaled that he hoped the White House would ultimately agree to a sit-down.

Biden has sat down for at least two interviews this week, one with PBS NewsHour and another with Telemundo, which would make the possible snub all the more notable.

It goes without saying that Biden has had a frosty relationship with Fox News. He has not granted the right-wing channel a single interview during his presidency — likely due to how its hosts and commentators have portrayed and assailed his administration. The network's extremist personalities, such as Tucker Carlson, the network's highest-rated host, have regularly launched vicious attacks on the president and aired dishonest segments lambasting him.

If Biden were to agree to an interview with Fox News, it would almost certainly be conducted by Baier — a much more respected, traditional news anchor, albeit one whose program carries conservative themes. But it's possible Biden simply doesn't want to give the network any credence.

White House spokespeople declined to comment when I asked if Biden will sit down with Fox News ahead of the big game. And a Fox News spokesperson declined to comment as well. The Fox News source that I spoke to, however, indicated that the network engaged in discussions early on in the process, but that an answer about a proposed interview has simply never been given.

It's still possible, of course, an interview will come together at the last minute. But with the midnight hour fast approaching, it seems like Biden might just leave the network hanging.

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Rob Carr/Getty Images

What to Expect During the Breaks: The ad breaks during this year's Super Bowl will feature some notable trends that viewers will quickly pick up on. In short: Crypto is out, alcohol is in, and stars are abundant. While last year's big game featured a number of crypto ads, this year viewers will see the industry sit on the sidelines as it navigates a number of problems following the spectacular implosion of FTX. Meanwhile, booze will take its place, with ads for alcohol pouring onto the scene, given that for the first time in decades Anheuser-Busch will not have the exclusive rights to the game.

But there will be some other notable trends as well. Ralphie Aversa, who works on USA Today's Ad Meter that rates Super Bowl commercials, told me that brands are capitalizing on nostalgia. "You look at the T-Mobile ad that just came out with a play on 'Greece,' you look at Uber and songs from yesteryear that were big hits, and then the whole 'Breaking Bad' situation. You're definitely going to see brands lean on nostalgia." Aversa also added that brands are going all in on "star power," explaining that "this is one of those years" they are "sparing no expense" on ads.

Tim Curtis, a partner at WME who heads up the Super Bowl ad work and the talent agency's brand partnerships, echoed to me the increased use of celebrity talent. Curtis said it is a "much more musician-focused year " and "definitely a more celebrity driven year" than in the past. "It should be really, really exciting," Curtis said, adding that "music really stepped up in becoming an integral part of the commercials."

ON THE SIDELINES 🏈

For the first time in two decades, Fox will have a new broadcasting team in the Super Bowl booth, after Joe Buck and Troy Aikman departed for ESPN. Instead, Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will guide viewers through the game. (Inquirer)
Rihanna spoke to the media at the Apple Music press conference Thursday: "When I first got the call to do it again this year I was like, 'Are you sure? I'm three months postpartum. ... As scary as it was, because I haven't been on stage in seven years, there's something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. It's important for me to do this year." (Variety)
David Marcelis has a smart piece on how those who are streaming the Super Bowl — I am in this camp — are prone to spoilers on big plays from news alerts, group chats, and perhaps cheers from neighbors. (WSJ)
Ben Strauss writes about "how Mina Kimes, a football nerd, is shaping the future of NFL coverage." (WaPo)
And don't forget the Puppy Bowl! The annual treat is being teased as "bigger and better" than ever before. (Variety)

THE BUSINESS

CNN Photo Illustration/Reuters/Getty Images

Disney's Delight: Bob Iger, whose birthday is Friday, got an early gift Thursday morning. Moments after the Disney CEO concluded a lengthy interview with CNBC, activist investor Nelson Peltz phoned into the financial news network. "The proxy fight is over," Peltz announced to Jim Cramer, adding that Iger "plans to do everything we wanted" the company to do. Behind the scenes at Disney, The NYT's Brooks Barnes and Lauren Hirsch reported that executives were giddy. "Toodle-oo!" one executive texted a reporter with a screenshot of the CNBC headline. Peltz told CNBC he holds no animus toward Iger and might even get him a birthday gift. More here from CNBC.

► Of note: During his interview with CNBC's David Faber, the Disney boss said that "everything is on the table" when asked about potentially purchasing Comcast's stake in Hulu.

► Iger also said his plan is to stay at Disney for two years, which is the length of his current contract. "That is my preference," he told Faber.

Correspondent in Cuffs: NewsNation is standing by correspondent Evan Lambert after he was arrested Wednesday while reporting from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's press conference. The network said that Lambert was "safe" and had gone home "for a much-needed respite" after the incident. Lambert, it added, "acted professionally and at a minimum, is owed an apology." Body camera footage released from the incident showed an Ohio National Guard member pushing Lambert. Press advocate organizations, such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, condemned police for the arrest. And DeWine told Jake Tapper that Lambert "never should have been stopped from reporting."

🔭 Zooming out: According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, more than 200 journalists have been arrested in the country since 2020. RCFP executive director Bruce Brown told me last month, following the arrest of a WSJ reporter, that there has been an "alarming number of incidents we've seen over the last several years where police have detained, arrested, or assaulted journalists who were doing their jobs."

✂️ News Corp. to Cut 1,250 Jobs: News Corp. shares were down 3% in after-hours trading after the company missed on earnings, with CEO Robert Thomson citing "obvious global challenges" that had "a tangible impact" on the business. Thomson said that in 2023, News Corp. will cut 1,250 positions, or about 5% of its workforce. CNBC's Lillian Rose has more here.

► Thomson also said on the earnings call that Dow Jones subscriptions have "passed the 5 million mark for the first time" in recent weeks.

Pickets at 30 Rock: A few dozen members of the NBC News Digital union followed through on their threat and walked out on Thursday to protest the layoffs of seven colleagues. Some held signs calling NBC "Nothing But Criminals," The Daily Beast's Corbin Bolies, Diana Falzone, and Justin Baragona reported. That said, while some unionized staffers walked out, others declined to participate. I'm told approximately 100 union members showed up to work and that traffic at NBCNews.com was not impacted. More from The Beast here.

IN THE INDUSTRY

"Fear of U.S. government scrutiny is holding up a deal to sell Forbes to a foreign buyer, leaving the company scrambling to find U.S. investors," Liz Hoffman and Ben Smith report. (Semafor)
Here we go again... Men's Journal's first AI-generated story was found to contain 18 errors, prompting corrections. (Futurism)
McKay Coppins has been granted access to hundreds of Mitt Romney's private emails, text messages, and diary entries as he works on a book about the prominent Republican. (Axios)
Lionsgate shares are up more than 5% in after-hours trading after beating on earnings. (The Wrap)
Warner Music Group shares ended the day down 4% after a "tough quarter." (Variety)

MEDIA MOVES

CNN hired Danny Freeman as a correspondent in Philadelphia. (CNN)
Dr. Tara Narula has exited CNN: "With my hospital & medical practice and some other opportunities I am working on, I have decided to depart CNN. I have enjoyed meeting and working with many great people and wish everyone the best!" (Twitter)
STAT News tapped Torie Bosch as its new opinion editor. (STAT)
The CW hired Tom Martin as head of business affairs and general counsel. (Deadline)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump Time: He's back. Meta on Thursday officially restored Donald Trump's access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts, weeks after announcing that it would do so. While his access was restored, Trump did not come out of the gates with a post on either account. That said, even if he never posts, access to the platform allows Trump to advertise ahead of 2024, which will be crucial to his campaign. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has more.

🔎 Zooming in: The restoration of access sets the stage for some thorny content moderation calls in the weeks, months, and years ahead. For instance, a Meta spokesperson previously told me that Trump will be permitted to attack the results of the 2020 election without facing a suspension. But he won't be allowed to attack the 2024 election.

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

James O'Keefe was "outright cruel" to employees at Project Veritas, according to a leaked memo some staffers presented to the right-wing media/activist organization's board, Will Sommer reports. (Daily Beast)
The big question: Will O'Keefe survive at Veritas? Remember, Andrew Rice reported his fate could be decided during a board meeting Friday. O'Keefe and Veritas have declined to comment about his current status at the organization. (New York)
Quite the headline here from Matt Gertz: "After lauding Rick Scott's radical GOP agenda, Sean Hannity claims Biden is smearing the GOP on Social Security and Medicare." (MMFA)
"That's not true, senator": Kaitlan Collins relentlessly grilled Scott about his previous positions in an interview in which the Republican attempted to twist Jake Tapper's words to support his case. (CNN)
During his show, Tapper hit back at Scott, noting his comments had been taken out of context by the senator. (Raw Story)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Yikes at Yahoo: Yahoo on Thursday became the latest tech company to announce large layoffs. The company said that it will slash its workforce by 20% by the end of the year, including about 1,000 staffers this week, as it moves to restructure its advertising division. CEO Jim Lanzone told Axios' Sara Fischer that the changes will be "tremendously beneficial for the profitability of Yahoo overall," though the company described them as tough. Fischer has more here.

TOO MANY TABS

Elon Musk fires top Twitter engineer for telling him that his engagement numbers are down because public interest in his antics is waning, Zoë Schiffer and Casey Newton report. (Platformer)
Musk's decision to charge for Twitter API access jeopardizes the study of influence campaigns and platform manipulation, researchers say. (CNN)
TikTok said Thursday it had identified a Russian disinformation network targeting European users with propaganda about Ukraine. (Bloomberg)
Meta has officially closed its deal to acquire Within after a lawsuit from the FTC. (TechCrunch)
Microsoft has axed its industrial metaverse team. (The Info)
James Vincent outlines seven problems "facing Bing, Bard, and the future of AI search." (The Verge)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Getty Images

Civil Suit Served: The family of slain cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and the "Rust" production company. The lawsuit alleges the intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. The family is represented by attorney Gloria Allred, who alleged Baldwin never reached out to Hutchins' parents after the shooting. CNN's Cheri Mossburg has more here.

OFF STAGE

Harvey Weinstein has been hit with a new rape lawsuit, an allegation he denies. (Deadline)
The Emmys have set a Fox air date of Monday, September 1. (THR)
Evangeline Lilly visited Jeremy Renner at his home: "He was wheeling himself around, laughing with his friends." (CNN)
"The Peripheral" has been renewed by Amazon Prime for a second season. (TV Line)
Former "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson has signed a podcast deal with iHeartMedia. (Deadline)
The Weeknd and HBO dropped the trailer for its "Live at Sofi Stadium" special. (Variety)

Thank you for reading! This newsletter was edited by Jon Passantino. Have feedback? Send us an email here. We will see you back in your inbox next week.