TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer Slams Facebook ‘Attacks’ That Are ‘Disguised as Patriotism’

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Chi Chi DeVayne asked fans to pray for her as she was readmitted to hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia.The drag queen, who is best known for appearing on the eighth series of Drag Race and the show’s third All Stars season, was first hospitalised in July with suspected kidney failure.She was initially discharged days later, but in a video shared on social media this weekend told fans that she had been readmitted after her health took a turn for the worse.“Hey

Dade Hayes Finance EditorIn an interview with CNBC, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar addressed the launch of HBO Max, conceded a “mistake” with HBO branding and comparing Max with Disney and NBCUniversal’s streaming efforts.Today’s interview (watch a large chunk of it above) was Kilar’s first since major layoffs hit WarnerMedia this week.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterWarnerMedia sprung the news Friday of a major internal reshuffling, which translated to the departures of WarnerMedia Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt and HBO Max chief content officer Kevin Reilly, and the elevations of Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff and HBO programming guru Casey Bloys.

Nellie Andreeva Co-Editor-in-Chief, TVTop CAA agent Nick Khan, who was Co-Head of Television, is departing the agency to join client WWE as President & Chief Revenue Officer, reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.Khan fills the void left by the January exit of Co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson who were ousted in January amid a rocky last year for the company.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorAMC Networks said it plans to restart production on the second half of Season Six of Fear The Walking Dead in Texas in late August; on new series Kevin Can F*** Himself in Boston at the end of September; and on Seasons 11 of The Walking Dead in Georgia in October. “Our ability to resume in the safest possible way is something we are closely focused on,” said CEO Josh Sapan on a conference call Tuesday.

Agnes Chu, who helped to lead the launch of Disney+, is leaving the company for a new role running Condé Nast Entertainment. As president of the publishing company's entertainment arm, she will oversee video content across digital, social and streaming platforms and will also lead efforts to adapt its IP into film and TV projects.

Peter White Television EditorDisney+ content chief Agnes Chu is leaving the Mouse House to head up Condé Nast Entertainment’s video push.Chu, who was SVP, content for the nascent streamer, is set to become president of the publishing company’s studio and distribution division.

Music Ally, Ek has made controversial new comments about artists’ public unhappiness with the money they receive from streaming, and how he believes they can create a “continuous engagement with their fans.”“It’s quite interesting that while the overall pie is growing, and more and more people can partake in that pie, we tend to focus on a very limited set of artists,” Ek said in the interview. “Even today on our marketplace, there’s literally millions and millions of artists.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorSiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer said the company’s in contract talks with star host Howard Stern, whose agreement expires at year end. He said he “knows what Howard wants” and is trying to make it work.“I don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I want Howard here.

Comedian and Saturday Night Live co-head writer Michael Che said his socially-distanced outdoor sets in Queens weren't meant as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests, despite the support he initially got from protesters and organizers. During his Tuesday appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the SNL "Weekend Update" host spoke about the origins of his free outdoor shows, which he's been doing in Long Island City since June.

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorTiktok CEO Kevin Mayer said Wednesday the company will do what it takes to ensure TikTok’s availability and success as pressure builds to ban the hugely popular Chinese-owned app in the U.S., and as a report circulated that some American investment firms have suggested taking a majority stake.“We are willing to take all necessary steps to ensure the long-term availability and success of TikTok.

blog post.  “But let’s focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor — namely Facebook — disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the U.S.”Mayer’s comments come as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to speak before Congress on Wednesday.

Also Read: We Need to Talk About Kevin Mayer: What Disney Exec's Move to TikTok Means for Booming Social PlatformTikTok has surged in the last year, routinely sitting at or near the top of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play app store.