Social network Gab overhauled its Gab TV video hosting platform with a new video player and backend video processing system to improve speed, it said Thursday. It said it plans to implement Gab Ads into the platform so some creators can monetize content. It said Gab TV uploading is available only to Gab paid subscribers, but it's working on a free version with some storage limits. Gab said it also expanded and improved its cloud infrastructure.

The FCC’s Media and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureaus will co-host a virtual forum on audio description for online video March 28, at 1 p.m. EDT, said a public notice in docket 21-140. “Consumers currently watch a large volume of video programming online, but the availability of audio description online is inconsistent,” said the PN. The event will include an introduction from Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer, and executives from Apple, Paramount, NBCUniversal and PBS Kids, plus American Council of the Blind representatives. The forum will focus on the availability of audio description for online video and ways to enhance accessibility, the PN said. The agency had a similar forum on online captioning in December (see 2112020075).

Netflix is testing features for subscribers in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru to limit password-sharing, it said Wednesday. Its policy that allows people who live together to share a Netflix account with separate profiles and multiple streams has “created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared,” the company said. It's working on ways to monetize password-sharing among members who share “outside their household,” so they can still “do so easily and securely, while also paying a bit more.” Members in the test countries who are on standard and premium plans can add two “sub accounts” with independent profiles, personalized recommendations, login and password for about $3 a month. Netflix will study results from the tests of the two features in the three countries “before making changes anywhere else in the world.”

Sony joined as a steering committee member of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, said the coalition Wednesday. C2PA, as the coalition calls itself, works to “address the prevalence of mis/disinformation and to scale transparency and trust in online content,” it said. Adobe, Arm, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Truepic and Twitter are its founding members.

SiriusXM announced a limited-run Joni Mitchell channel through April 14 on the SXM App and on satellite channel 105 running March 30-April 15. The channels coincide with Mitchell's being honored as 2022 Person of the Year at The Recording Academy's MusiCares charity event slated for April 1 to raise funds for programs and relief efforts for the music community, SiriusXM said Wednesday. Mitchell pulled her music from Spotify in January (see 2201310029) “in solidarity” with Neil Young over Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan’s misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Mitchell decided to “remove all my music from Spotify," she said then. "Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives."

Sling TV is now available on the Echo Show 15, said the virtual MVPD Tuesday. Users can launch the Sling app and request specific programming by using Alexa voice control. Availability of TV programming on the smart display “bridges the gap for cord-cutters,” said Sling TV's Seth Van Sickel, senior vice president-product and operations. Echo Show 15 users can trial a Sling TV plan for three days; plans start at $35 per month. The service will roll out to other Echo Show devices in the future, said the vMVPD.

Vizio added three free channels to its WatchFree+ service, it said Tuesday. New channels are “Kick Back,” “Love Always” and “Cinema Selects,” joining some 250 premium channels and 5,000 movies and TV shows, said the company. The TV maker expanded WatchFree+ to include ad-supported VOD programming in December; it controls 100% of ad inventory for curated channels, it said.

Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases on Amazon and select streaming services, said Chase Tuesday. The full list of participating streaming services will be available April 1 when the program is activated. It runs through June 30. “Streaming has become such a big part of consumers’ lives that we decided to help cardmembers earn cash back while enjoying their favorite shows on top platforms,” said Brent Reinhard, Chase Freedom general manager.

Netflix scheduled the release of its first-quarter results for April 19, after the markets close at 4 p.m. EDT, said the company Tuesday. It's forecasting Q1 global streaming paid net additions of 2.5 million, which would be down nearly 70% sequentially from Q4 and 37% fewer than in Q1 2021. Analysts said Netflix lost about $50 billion of its market value in the 24 hours after its Jan. 20 earnings announcement in which it said it finished Q4 falling nearly 3% short of its projected global net additions (see 2201210003).

Acceding to political pressure and canceling carriage of conservative One America News (OAN) "sets a dangerous precedent" and DirecTV "should stand fast against such pressure to stifle dissenting and alternative opinions," the West Virginia and Ohio attorneys general wrote DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow Friday. "The Fourth Estate must have ample room to cover the government and politics of the day, without newsrooms constantly looking over their shoulder," Patrick Morrissey and Dave Yost said. The letter follows a similar one last week from six other Republican AGs (see 2203110025). OAN sued DirecTV, AT&T and its chairman, William Kennard, in San Diego County Superior Court last week, alleging breach of contract. OAN said it signed an advertising agreement with AT&T Services -- covering traditional advertising and programmatic targeted advertising -- that runs until 2024 on the assumption DirecTV would renew its carriage of the network beyond the 2022 expiration. It said AT&T also violated a nondisparagement clause in its carriage agreement with OAN when various WarnerMedia programs did coverage critical of OAN. AT&T said the allegations "are completely without merit, particularly as they relate to AT&T and our independent Chairman.” DirecTV said the lawsuit allegations "are baseless, and we are confident that we have fully complied with both the law and our agreement.”