Michelle Castillo
CNBC
New York, NY, United States
Contact Michelle
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Past articles by Michelle:
Niche streaming services are taking on Netflix and Amazon by going after sci-fi fans and Broadway lovers
Small niche streaming services like Dust are finding loyal audiences that they hope to pull away from Netflix and Amazon. → Read More
Twitter is the 'Harvey Weinstein of social media' and 'toxic' for advertisers, Citron Research says
In a note to investors, Citron Research called Twitter "the Harvey Weinstein of social media" based on an Amnesty International study. The report claimed Twitter had become a place for human rights abuse and was "toxic" for women, noting women are abused every 30 seconds on the platform. → Read More
Facebook was manipulated by Russians, who used the same targeting tools that advertisers love
The same tools that made Facebook effective for marketers enabled abuse by Russians. → Read More
Facebook settles virtual reality lawsuit with ZeniMax over theft of company secrets
Zenimax sued Facebook-owned Oculus saying it stole code and secrets to develop virtual reality products. A jury found Facebook guilty, and awarded ZeniMax $500 million. The two parties decided to settle the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. → Read More
Apple buys Platoon, a start-up that helps indie musicians get discovered
Apple has purchased a tech startup that focuses on finding and developing musical artists. Platoon was founded by former Skype executive Saul Klein and music industry veteran Denzyl Feigelson. → Read More
Apple is in talks to buy a violent Israeli TV show and sign Richard Gere as lead, dispelling the myth that it wants only family-friendly video
Despite reports Apple only wants family-friendly video content, the company is negotiating the rights to violent Israeli show "Nevelot" (translation: "Bastards"), aiming to star Richard Gere with show-runners Howard Gordon and Warren Leight. → Read More
Apple buys a new TV show from NBA superstar Kevin Durant
"Swagger" is inspired by Durant's real-life experiences playing youth basketball. Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo ("Empire"), Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman and Reggie Rock Bythewood will serve as executive producers. → Read More
Geopolitical concerns and higher interest rates led GroupM to lower ad spending projections for 2019
Media investment firm GroupM said China's slowing growth and higher interest rates are bringing down ad budgets. And a potential trade war is having a particular impact on the automotive industry, which is traditionally among the largest advertisers. → Read More
You can now watch 'Buffy,' 'Angel' and 'Firefly' on Facebook
Facebook is bringing past episodes of three Joss Whedon classics to its video section, Facebook Watch. Episodes can be co-viewed in real-time with other users. → Read More
Facebook's YouTube competitor is pivoting to older audiences as teens tune out and publishers balk
Facebook said video was the future. It launched Watch as a hub for shows and premium video content. But media companies say its hard to create successful shows, and media buyers aren't convinced there's an audience. Now it may be concentrating on older viewers, as younger people move away from Facebook to Instagram. → Read More
Facebook's ad platform is down at a horrible time for Black Friday retailers
Facebook's ad tools manager was not allowing media buyers to buy ads for clients the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It could potentially affect sales if retailers are unable to place ads. → Read More
Apple enters multiyear agreement with Oscar-winning production company to make original movies
The multi-year deal involves the New York-based film and TV studio producing multiple films for Apple. → Read More
Snap's vice president of content Nick Bell is leaving the company
Nick Bell led Snapchat's media efforts, including its Discover vertical and recent investment in more original content. → Read More
Disney's new Netflix rival will be called Disney+ and launch late 2019
The company is removing all its movies from Netflix, and start its own streaming service for its past content as well as more original shows and movies. → Read More
The Satanic Temple sues Netflix for $150 million for using a statue of a demon god in 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'
The Satanic Church is not happy with "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" for depicting satanists as evil and featuring a statue similar to its monument to Baphomet. → Read More
Roku plans to shake up how customers watch video, and it could help the company earn more ad dollars
Roku wants to get more media companies to put their content on its service in exchange for more advertising revenue share. Because of its dominant position in the streaming video space, companies may be willing to broker those deals. → Read More
Trump says he's open to working with Democrats in regulating social media companies like Facebook and Twitter
President Donald Trump said he would work with Democrats to regulate social media companies, though warned about free speech issues. Trump has been critical in the past of social media firms being biased against conservative voices. → Read More
Mark Zuckerberg: Apple is Facebook's 'biggest competitor by far' in messaging
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said because Apple adds iMessage as its default messaging app, it gives it a competitive advantage in areas like the U.S. where iPhone sales dominate. → Read More
Facebook to report earnings after the bell
Analysts expect earnings per share to decline 7.5 percent year-over-year. Facebook warned revenue growth rates would decline in the high single-digit percentages. → Read More
Netflix reportedly encourages execs to widely explain why they fire people
Netflix encourages executives to explain their decisions to fire people and lets directors see salaries of all employees, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The culture, spawned by CEO Reed Hastings, gets mixed reviews. → Read More