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☀️ FOX Cutting Show Costs As Revenue Takes a Hit

UNI sets comedy pic with Quinta Brunson / WB JJ Abrams pic casts up / A24's latest A-List talks

Sean McNulty

Aug 6

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Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY, August 6, 2024.

Where don’t worry America, #BigTech has totally heard you loud and clear around kids and technology.

Meet AI for Kidz! (working title). OPENAI’s investment arm has put $3.5M in AI startup HEEYO, which aims to “to help children learn using AI” . . . because based on test scores these days, clearly iPhones and YOUTUBE have totally dropped the ball. 🙄

As for getting your kids to engage with “learning,” don’t worry — HEEYO totally has you covered! It’s developing tech for the AI to replicate the voice of a child’s family member, which 💯 doesn’t sound like the plot of a new BLUMHOUSE movie (or a plot point from a Matrix prequel).

Either way, hey Casey — think enough time has passed to make a new Silicon Valley a worthwhile endeavor at HBO, no?

Okay fine, I know my place. But Casey — you know where to reach me. Via Giphy

AS YOU PROBABLY SAW: A judge ruled against GOOGLE in a lawsuit, calling it a monopolist, saying it acted illegally and abused a monopoly in search. He has yet to put forth next steps. Trump also called GOOGLE “illegitimate” and encouraged his followers not to use it. Gonna guess GOOGLE has more meetings on the calendar today to discuss the judge thing.

HERE’S THE ISSUE: As far as I can tell, BING’s problem isn’t that people can’t find it. It’s hard to argue that any product has emerged in GOOGLE’s 2+ decades of existence that gives you results anywhere near as accurate or relevant.
So, we’ll see what the judge says about next steps — but if one of them is now to make you have to type Google.com before every search you do vs. just typing what you’re looking for into your browser prompt, I’m not sure America’s gonna see this as victory.

PLUS: TIKTOK has been sued by the DOJ over child data privacy violations, a company which is being forced to sell its entire U.S. division over concerns about the way the company handles its data on all Americans . . . so I guess this kinda falls into the “Oh, and another thing” category.

THEN: What do WBD and OPENAI have in common? Besides both having the WB film & TV library embedded in their products 😏, people keep leaving! Granted for vastly different reasons, but OPENAI’s cofounder and product leader have now also left the company, and its Prez is on “extended leave.”

ALSO: What is it with media moguls and the 4 kids thing? India has its own version with the head of RELIANCE (parent co. of streaming giant JIO CINEMA) setting a succession plan for his 4 kids, to begin sometime in the mid-2030s. HBO — you have a 9-year head start.

IN THIS EDITION

FOX hits a new milestone in its post-DISNEY sale existence . . . but not in the good way — dive underneath the numbers to see what’s afoot, how #cordcutting has increasingly affected the business and how Lachlan’s mitigating steps against it are working out — and a look at what’s ahead (sorry FOX Network series budgets).
FUBO gives the latest snapshot into the virtual cable TV bundle biz as VENU looms.
Deal news at UNI, A24, WB, NETFLIX, SONY and . . . yeah, a busier than usual Monday in town.
PLUS: The latest editions to the weekly Wakeup new jobs board.

Ankler Live Event in L.A. tomorrow!

Just a reminder — some folks from one of the most talked-about series out there in FX’s Fargo, alongside one of my favorite interviewers, Katey Rich, will do a live edition of her Prestige Junkie podcast tomorrow evening (just click here or the image to RSVP).