Dominion Properties of Norfolk, Virginia sells ‘Bay Area Parent’ – ParentCo LLC announced it has acquired ‘Bay Area Parent’ media entities from Dominion Properties. Those media properties include a magazine with print and digital editions. Furthermore, the deal includes the brand’s electronic newsletters and BayAreaParent.com. The brand is touted as the “greater San Francisco Bay Area’s premiere parenting magazine and family-focused digital marketing company.”
ParentCo LLC is an affiliate of the Silicon Valley-based Weeklys publishing group, which publishes 14 weeklies in Northern California in addition to producing consumer magazines, events and digital titles. Since 2020, Weeklys has acquired the East Bay Express, the Press Banner in Santa Cruz County and the Healdsburg Tribune while launching East Bay magazine and the Los Gatan in Los Gatos, California.
Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through its subsidiary, CAL DVM, represented Dominion Enterprises in the transaction. No terms of the transaction were announced. [Dirks, Van Essen & April]
TravelHost Sold to Bridge News – Bridge News has acquired TravelHost from William Schroeder. TravelHost calls itself the “premiere destination resource for travelers.” Through a website and magazine, the brand helps travelers decide where to stay, where to go and see when on the road. Dating back to the 1960s, TravelHost was the first in-room hotel magazine in the U.S. The website now covers 175 U.S. cities. [Dirks, Van Essen & April]
American soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies at Qatar World Cup – Prominent American soccer journalist Grant Wahl died suddenly in Qatar while covering Friday’s World Cup game between the Netherlands and Argentina.
Wahl, who grew up in Mission, Kansas, was perhaps the most well-known soccer writer in the United States.
Wahl also had a presence on television, working for Fox Sports and CBS Sports and had his own Substack newsletter, GrantWahl.com. He also was the author of the 2009 New York Times bestseller “The Beckham Experiment,” that chronicled the impact of David Beckham’s move to the MLS’ LA Galaxy.
He celebrated his 48th birthday on Wednesday, tweeting while there were no games he was happy to be with friends and colleagues.
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ won’t air on TV in 2022. Here’s how you can watch the classic. – Since 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has resonated with generations of families celebrating the holiday. But you won’t find the classic on TV in 2022.
The iconic 25-minute special will not air on broadcast TV this year, but you can stream it on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ subscribers can watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – along with other holiday specials featuring Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts – on demand all year long.
For those who don’t have Apple TV+, the platform has provided multiple-day windows for non-subscribers to watch these programs for free.
“The Twitter Files, Part 3” – Twitter CEO Elon Musk introduced part 3 of his project to reveal the internal workings of the social media company.
In a Future Filled With Electric Cars, AM Radio May Be Left Behind – Carmakers say electromagnetic interference causes static and noise on AM transmissions, annoying customers. Broadcasters say they could lose a connection to their core listeners, who rely on the radio for emergencies.
“Rather than frustrate customers with inferior reception and noise, the decision was made to leave it off vehicles that feature eDrive technology,” BMW said in a statement, referring to the system that powers its electric vehicles.
Tesla, Audi, Porsche and Volvo have also removed AM radio from their electric vehicles, as has Volkswagen from its electric S.U.V., ID.4, according to the carmakers and the National Association of Broadcasters. Ford said that the 2023 F-150 Lightning, its popular electric pickup truck, would also drop AM radio.
About 47 million Americans listen to AM radio, representing about 20 percent of the radio-listening public, according to the Nielsen Company, the media tracking firm. [NY Times]
FTC’s Move to Block Microsoft’s Deal for Activision Blizzard Came Despite Charm Offensive – The commission’s complaint said the deal is illegal because it would give Microsoft the ability to control how consumers beyond users of its own Xbox consoles and subscription services access Activision’s games. Microsoft has repeatedly said it wouldn’t engage in such actions. The FTC’s complaint accused Microsoft of reneging on a similar pledge to a European regulator in the past, a criticism the company disputes. [WSJ]
Superman: The Movie premiered on this day in 1978 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
