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tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
more tacos, please
@tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
2.8K followers 1.5K following 790 posts
Author of Ugly War Pretty Package (2009) and The Television Code (2018). Writing about death and TV. Co-editing The Cocktail Lover’s Guide to TV History. Highland Coo fan account. Will eat any sugary treat you give me.
Posts Replies Media Videos
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Awww…best use of chimes in a pop song. One of my favorites.
nytimes.com The New York Times @nytimes.com · 11d
Pete Byrne, the lead singer of the pop duo Naked Eyes, known for hits like “Always Something There to Remind Me” and “Promises, Promises,” has died. He was 74.
Pete Byrne, New Wave Singer Behind ‘Always Something There,’ Dies at 74
As the voice of Naked Eyes, he became a familiar presence on MTV during the synth-pop boom of the 1980s.
nyti.ms
September 26, 2026 at 6:24 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Wild sky this evening. And a rainbow!🌈
September 26, 2026 at 1:38 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
“Paramount sought permission for them to own up to 100%, given the potential need for future investment. The commission approved the request […]” (1/3)
rbreich.bsky.social Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 19d
The FCC will allow the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, & Abu Dhabi to own nearly 50% of a merged Paramount-Warner Bros — potentially giving them sway over our media.

This of course comes after Trump received gifts or struck business deals with these countries.

See the problem?
FCC Approves 49.5% Foreign Ownership of Paramount-Warner Bros.
The FCC has approved Paramount's petition to allow 49.5% ownership by Gulf state sovereign wealth funds as part of its W
variety.com
September 18, 2026 at 8:37 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
All thanks to Professors Andrew DeWaard @adewaard.bsky.social, Shawna Kidman, Pete Johnson, and Miranda Banks for spearheading “The Costs of Consolidation: Arguments and Evidence for Blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger.” I’m grateful to have had a tiny part in it.
mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social The Media and Democracy Project @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social · 24d
Profs Johnson and Jaramillo @itstv.bsky.social and @tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social are co-authors of "The Costs of Consolidation: Arguments and Evidence for Blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger"

Read/share this useful and well-researched report.

#BlockTheMerger

macrolab.ucsd.edu/paramount-wa...
Decades of mergers and acquisitions have reduced the number of major U.S. media companies to a handful of transnational conglomerates that dominate the production and circulation of news, film, television, sports, games, and other forms of media and culture. If Paramount Skydance acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, not only will this newly-formed conglomerate be burdened with $79 billion of debt, it will struggle to respect competitive safeguards, serve consumer needs, cultivate the media industry’s long term health, and act in the broader interest of the public. A team of more than 20 media experts from universities across the U.S. and Canada have collaborated on this research to encourage the courts, government regulators, non-governmental organizations, legislators, and citizens to challenge this deal. While this study addresses some of the quantitative impacts of this potential merger, our scope is far wider. The fourrteen sections of this study define consumer welfare, public interest, and healthy competition more broadly, and consider democratic objectives like fair media access for non-profit and public-serving organizations, the preservation of community cultural spaces like theaters and of community social events like sports, and the support of a diverse range of stories and storytellers. Having spent decades researching the many (often non-quantifiable) ways that media and culture shape our lives as citizens and individuals, we enumerate here what kinds of impacts we can expect from this deal, and why policymakers and the public should be so concerned.
September 14, 2026 at 1:19 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Dolly Parton was the only thing keeping this country together. 💔
August 25, 2026 at 7:56 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Excited to announce that "The Freedom to Televise: Regulating North American TV in the 20th Century,"a special issue of Television and New Media co-edited by myself and Jennifer Porst is out in the world! journals.sagepub.com/toc/TVN/curr...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
August 6, 2026 at 6:44 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
A delightful and not-even-a-smidge-condescending discussion of THE ODYSSEY. Highlights include an understanding of how movies are different from epic poems & a nuanced take on how creative decisions (and I would add industry-specific demands) shape a modern Odysseus. shows.acast.com/the-ancients...
Hollywood’s Odyssey: The Historians' Verdict | The Ancients
shows.acast.com
July 30, 2026 at 7:54 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Wild sunset along the St. Lawrence River.
A red sun hovers in the sky with a red glow above it and reflected in the water below.
July 25, 2026 at 12:15 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Media scholars from around the country (myself included) have worked with MACRO Lab on an extensive new report: "The Costs of Consolidation: Arguments and Evidence for Blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger.”
macrolab.ucsd.edu/paramount-warner-merger
The Costs of Consolidation: Arguments and Evidence for Blocking the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Decades of mergers and acquisitions have reduced the number of major U.S. media companies to a handful of transnational conglomerates that dominate the production and circulation of news, film, television, sports, games, and other forms of media and culture. If Paramount Skydance acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, not only will this newly-formed conglomerate be burdened with $79 billion of debt, it will struggle to respect competitive safeguards, serve consumer needs, cultivate the media industry's long term health, and act in the broader interest of the public. A team of more than 20 media experts from universities across the U.S. and Canada have collaborated on this research to encourage the courts, government regulators, non-governmental organizations, legislators, and citizens to challenge this deal. While this study addresses some of the quantitative impacts of this potential merger, our scope is far wider. The fourteen sections of this study define consumer welfare, public interest, and healthy competition more broadly, and consider democratic objectives like fair media access for non-profit and public-serving organizations, the preservation of community cultural spaces like theaters and of community social events like sports, and the support of a diverse range of stories and storytellers. Having spent decades researching the many (often non-quantifiable) ways that media and culture shape our lives as citizens and individuals, we enumerate here what kinds of impacts we can expect from this deal, and why policymakers and the public should be so concerned. Download the report as a pdf (2.8 MB) or read each section below
July 14, 2026 at 4:59 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
We think Max is actually solving a murder.
merrymacsanctuary.bsky.social Merrymac Farm Sanctuary @merrymacsanctuary.bsky.social · Jul 12
Max just chill-maxing on a Sunday at Merrymac ☀️💛
July 12, 2026 at 8:47 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Big ol’ fuckin’ party when THAT day comes
dandrezner.bsky.social Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · Jul 12
My hot take is that Lindsey Graham did many contemptible things but if you’re furious that his Senate Democratic colleagues are posting nice things about him today you need to put down your phone, get some fresh air, and remember a time when a colleague you disliked departed this mortal coil.
July 12, 2026 at 8:40 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Not a bad morning when you can visit a 5th generation mezcalero and fill up a water bottle with mezcal from his stash.
A hand holds a small water full of clear liquid (mezcal).
July 6, 2026 at 4:56 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
“Wonderwall” is no “El Rey”
July 6, 2026 at 3:12 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Por todo mal, mezcal. 🇲🇽
July 6, 2026 at 3:08 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Ay ay ay my heart
July 6, 2026 at 2:31 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
In certain US neighborhoods, too
nkalamb.bsky.social Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · Jul 2
Do Americans not understand that their flag is essentially understood as a hate symbol globally?
July 5, 2026 at 11:43 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Drinking a Victoria, praying for una victoria. 🇲🇽
In the background a centuries-old white convent. In the middle ground is a large green palm tree. In the foreground, sitting on a a brick surface, is a glass of brown beer in a glass that says Victoria. Next to it is a brown bottle with a gold label that says Victoria in cursive.
July 5, 2026 at 11:26 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
As long as there is a teacher standing, there will not be a people on its knees.
A white poster with red letters on a weathered red wall. In Spanish the poster reads As long as there is a teacher standing, there will not be a people on its knees.
July 5, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by more tacos, please
rodolfofernandez.bsky.social
If you need two of the most corrupt people in the world to collude on your behalf, you are a loser.
July 5, 2026 at 9:57 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
El fascismo recorre el mundo.

Happy 4th!
Black and white street art on a yellow wall. A monstrous looking creature with a top hat flies, carrying a stick of dynamite and a flame. A sign reads “EL FASCISMO RECORRE EL MUNDO.” Artist stamp reads Subteráneos CCR*J.
July 4, 2026 at 8:26 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
We are where we need to be on this day.
In the background: a blue sky with white clouds and a mountain covered with greenery. Large, Multi-colored block letters spell MEZCAL. A red, white, and green Mexican flag flies above the letters.
July 4, 2026 at 4:37 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Goodbye to Puerto Escondido 🥲
June 27, 2026 at 1:44 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Extreme close-ups of self-important people talking about their feelings. 🤬
latimes.com Los Angeles Times @latimes.com · Jun 26
Ahead of the final season of the hit series, Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri sat down with The Times to talk about the hit series. Read the full interview here: www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
June 26, 2026 at 10:54 PM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
June 25, 2026 at 3:01 AM
tvbookstvbooks.bsky.social
Ochoaaaaaaaa!!! 🇲🇽
June 25, 2026 at 2:40 AM