BGR reports: “A series of reports said recently that all the big AI companies are struggling with their next-gen models, OpenAI included. As a result, the expected GPT-5 upgrade for ChatGPT might see delays. However, all the big AI firms are continuing to launch new features for their existing models, and that includes OpenAI.”
Huffpost reports: “Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, on Wednesday announced the spinoff of many of its cable TV channels, including MSNBC, carrying out a plan the company had hinted at earlier this year. In addition to MSNBC, the portfolio of the newly created company titled “SpinCo” will also comprise CNBC, USA, Oxygen and E!, among other channels, as well as digital assets, including Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. Those assets made about $7 billion in revenue in the year that ended Sept. 30, the company said in a press release.”
Deadline reports: “Promise, a generative AI studio led by three notable tech and industry figures, has launched with backing from Peter Chernin‘s The North Road Company and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The startup intends to make films and series as well as exploring new formats. The company said in a launch announcement that it is “actively engaging with leading Gen AI artists, Hollywood talent, and rights-holders to develop a multi-year lineup of category-defining films and series.”
The Verge reports: “After moving from DVD rentals to all-digital streaming more than a decade ago, Netflix is making its next big transformation: it’s also becoming a hub for live content. The streamer’s foray into livestreams started with a Chris Rock comedy special and a rocky Love is Blind reunion, then quickly jumped into live sports streaming with a golf tournament that paired professional golfers with Formula 1 drivers.”
Extreme Tech reports: “Apple is once again thinking about developing its own TV set. Amid a larger push to settle into the smart home market, the company is reportedly considering the potential of an Apple-branded television—a project it dropped over a decade ago after deciding it would be too difficult to pull off.”
Broadband TV News reports: “Warner Bros Discovery streaming service Max is now officially live in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong. Subscribers can watch content from HBO, Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Cartoon Network and Max Originals. The launch coincides with the debut of highly anticipated HBO Original Dune: Prophecy, as well as the rather curious brand extension Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, hosted by James and Oliver Phelps.”
TechCrunch reports: “Creator marketplace startup Agentio, which has built an automated platform for YouTubers to sell their ad slots to brands, has raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Benchmark with participation from returning investors Craft Ventures and AlleyCorp.”
CNET reports: “Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can now press play on audiobooks. Beginning Tuesday, customers of the music streaming service in the US, UK and Canada have a new perk: Audible’s catalog of more than 1 million audio titles, Amazon said in a press release. One audiobook per month is up for grabs for individual plan subscribers and family plan primary account holders.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Broadcast viewing typically rises in the fall, with the start of a new TV season and a host of live sports offerings. The fall of 2024 is proving no different. Broadcasters claimed their highest share of TV use in the United States in nine months in October, accounting for 24 percent of all viewing for the month.”
Digital Music News reports: “TikTok parent company ByteDance is valuing its business at $300 billion, despite the looming ban for TikTok in the United States. The valuation results from a recent buyback offer by ByteDance, according to the Wall Street Journal. President Joe Biden signed a law earlier this year that would force ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January or face a ban in the United States.”
