Media Studies: Media Studies Media Concept Institutions Medium Examined Mass Media Topic Media Giants


Key Question: Key Question Is media a business whose texts and products are to be sold to the consumers? Is media a public service, in which the emphasis is to inform, educate and entertain the people?


Public or Private Control?: Public or Private Control?


A Watchdog: A Watchdog Traditionally, the role of the media is to safeguard citizens’ rights by ensuring that public servants, including those who govern, are accountable to the people. It is the ‘fourth estate’ of government.


Media as the ‘fourth estate’: Media as the ‘fourth estate’ Parliament debates government policy and makes laws The Executive makes and execute policy runs the government The Judiciary interprets and clarifies the law Media - a free press can report all government activity


Liberal notions of the media: Liberal notions of the media Rooted in the freedom of the press and the neutrality of the market. Plays a vital role in democracy; Media informs the electorate, Checks and critiques government; Articulates public opinion.


Radical Theory: Radical Theory Media is profit motivated It generates content that garners the greatest profit. It tells what sells. It is geared to readership and audience tastes and prejudices. It cannot be unbiased or objective.


The Media Giants: The Media Giants


Media Monopolies: Media Monopolies 50 corporations owned more than half of all media businesses in 1982. By 1993, it was 20. In 2003 there are 6.


Media Giants: Media Giants Bertelsman AG (Random House, BMG, Internet) News Corp (Murdoch, Fox, Star TV, newspapers, Dodgers) Viacom (Paramount, Blockbuster, MTV, CBS) Vivendi/Universal (Music, studios, European media) AOL/Time Warner (Books, magazines, movies) Disney (ABC, Touchstone, sports, publishing)


AOL/Time-Warner: TELEVISION Networks WB Network HBO Cinemax Time Warner Sports Comedy Central CNN TBS TNT Cartoon Network Turner Classic Movies Court TV Production New Line Television Turner Original Productions Warner Bros. Television Looney Tunes Hanna-Barbera Cable Systems Time Warner Cable PUBLISHING Books Time Life Books Book-of-the-Month Club Little, Brown & Co. Bulfinch Press Back Bay Books Warner Books Oxmoor House Magazines Time Life Fortune Sports Illustrated People Entertainment Weekly In Style Ski Travel & Leisure Popular Science DC Comics Mad Magazine MUSIC The Atlantic Group Rhino Records Elektra Entertainment Grp. London-Sire Records Warner Bros. Records Warner Music International Time Life Music Columbia House Giant (Revolution) Records Maverick Qwest Records RuffNation Records Sub Pop Records Tommy Boy Records FILM Warner Bros. Studios Castle Rock Entertainment New Line Cinema Fine Line Features INTERNET AOL Compuserve Netscape AOL Moviefone Digital City Mapquest.com RECREATION Sports Atlanta Braves Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Trashers Turner Sports World Championship Wrestling Goodwill Games AOL/Time-Warner


AOL Time Warner: AOL Time Warner In January 2001, the $165 billion mega-merger between AOL and Time Warner was the largest media merger in history. The new company promised integrated communication, media and entertainment across all platforms. But shares of the company fell off sharply in the two years following the merger. Heading into 2003, U.S. Justice Department has opened inquiries into AOL's accounting practices prior to the 2001 merger.


Viacom: TELEVISION Networks CBS UPN MTV Networks Nickelodeon Nick-at-Nite TV Land CMT TNN (Spike TV) VH1 Showtime Networks The Movie Channel Sundance Channel FLIX BET Production Paramount Spelling Entertainment Big Ticket Television Viacom Productions King World Productions PUBLISHING Books The Free Press MTV Books Nickelodeon Books Simon & Schuster Pocket Books Scribner Touchstone RADIO Networks Infinity Broadcasting (manages Westwood One Radio networks) Metro Networks Stations Infinity Broadcasting (owns and operates over 180 radio stations) FILM Production Paramount Pictures MTV Films Nickelodeon Movies Theater Operations United Cinemas Intl. Paramount Theaters Famous Players Video Blockbuster INTERNET MTVi Group CBS Internet Group Nickelodeon Online BET.com Contentville.com OTHER Famous Music Publishing (copyright owners) Theme Parks Paramount Parks Infinity Outdoors/ TDI Worldwide (the largest outdoor Advertising group in US) Star Trek franchise Viacom


Walt Disney Company: TELEVISION Networks ABC The Disney Channel SoapNet ESPN A&E The History Channel Lifetime E! Production Buena Vista Television Touchstone Television Walt Disney TV, Animation RADIO ABC Radio Networks Radio Disney ESPN Radio 27 Radio Stations PUBLISHING Books Walt Disney Co. Books Hyperion Books Talk/Miramax Books Magazines Discover, Disney ESPN, US Weekly (50%) Daily Newspapers County Press (MI) Oakland Press and Reminder (MI) Narragansett Times St. Louis Daily Record MUSIC Buena Vista Music Group Hollywood Records Lyric Street Records Mammoth Records INTERNET Buena Vista Internet Group: ABC.com, ABCNews.com Oscar.com, Disney.com Family.Com ESPN Internet Group NFL.com NBA.com NASCAR.com Soccernet.com (60%) Infoseek (43%) Toysmart.com (majority stake) FILM Walt Disney Pictures Touchstone Pictures Hollywood Pictures Caravan Pictures Miramax Films Buena Vista Home Entertainment RECREATION Sports Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Anaheim Angels Theme Parks Disneyland Walt Disney World Disney-MGM Studios EuroDisney , Disneyland Japan, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's California Adventure, Disney Cruise Line Theater Walt Disney Theatrical Productions Walt Disney Company


Walt Disney Co: Walt Disney Co The Walt Disney Company is the third largest global media conglomerate. Its 2000 revenues topped $25 billion, with 27% derived from parks and resorts, 24% from studio entertainment, and 17% from media networks.


News Corp.: TELEVISION Networks - U.S. FOX Broadcasting Company FOX News Channel FOX Kids Network FOX Sports (partial in some markets) The Health Network FX National Geographic's cable channel (50%) Golf Channel TV Guide Channel (44%) Stations 22 Fox affiliated stations PUBLISHING Books HarperCollins General Book Group Regan Books Amistad Press William Morrow & Co. Avon Books Magazines TV Guide (partial ownership) The Weekly Standard Maximum Golf Newspapers New York Post (U.S.) The Times (U.K.) The Sun (U.K.) News of the World (U.K.) The Australian (Australia) The Herald Sun (Australia) The Advertiser (Australia) RADIO Fox Sports Radio Network SPORTS Los Angeles Dodgers New York Knicks (partial ownership) New York Rangers (partial ownership) Los Angeles Kings (partial ownership) Los Angeles Lakers (partial ownership) Dodger Stadium Staples Center (partial ownership) Madison Square Garden (partial ownership) INTERNET TheStreet.com (partial ownership with New York Times Co.) Healtheon/WebMD Corp. (partial ownership) FILM Twentieth Century Fox Blue Sky Studios Fox Searchlight Pictures News Corp.


News Corporation: News Corporation Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation Ltd. Has media holdings in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia. As of September 30, 2000, its assets totaled $38 billion and total annual revenues approximate $14 billion. In 2003, the company is seeking to acquire DirectTV, a U.S. satellite tv company.


Bertelsmann: TELEVISION Production/ Distribution UFA Film & TV Production (Germany) Trebitsch Production (Germany) Delux Productions (Luxembourg) Cinevideo (Canada) Holland Media House (Netherlands) First Choice (U.K.) Stations 16 stations in Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Poland, Hungary PUBLISHING Books Ballatine Publishing Group Bantam Doubleday Dell Bertelsmann Publishing Book-of-the-Month Club (management) Crown Publishing Group Doubleday Fodors Travel Publications Knopf Publishing Group Random House Inc. Magazines Gruner & Jahr Child Family Circle (majority) Fitness Inc. McCall's (majority owner) Parents (majority owner) YM (majority owner) RADIO FM Radio Ntwk (Germany) MUSIC Arista Records BMG BMG Music Publishing BMG Music Service RCA Records Bad Boy Records LaFace Records Time Bomb Records Windham Hill Group AOL Europe (partial ownership) Barnesandnoble.com (partial ownership with Barnes and Noble) CDNow Lycos Europe (partial ownership) Napster (partial stake) INTERNET Bertelsmann


Vivendi/GE/NBC-Universal: TELEVISION Production/Distribution Universal Television Group: NBC! Multimedia Entertainment Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (partial owner) USA Networks Inc. (partial owner) Canal+ (Europe) FILM Production/Distribution Universal Studios October Films (partial owner) United International Pictures (partial owner) Cinema International BV (partial owner) MUSIC Universal Music Group: MCA Records Polygram Island/Def Jam Motown Decca Records Geffen/DGC Records Universal Records Interscope Records Rising Tide INTERNET Universal Studios New Media Group VivendiNet Vizzavi (European multi-access portal) PUBLISHING Havas Press (France) TELECOMM Cegetel (a leading private French wireless operator) Vivendi Telecom International Vivendi/GE/NBC-Universal


Vivendi Universal: Vivendi Universal Created in December. A merger combined Vivendi's telecommunications assets with Universal Studios and Canal+'s programming and broadcast capacity. Vivendi Universal's subsidiary Universal Music Group is the world's top music company, with roughly 22% of the global market share in 1999. Heading into 2003, the company plans to sell off $16 billion in assets because of massive debts.


Convergence: Convergence Corporations own a variety of media outlets TV, radio, movies, books, magazines newspapers, Internet


Links between the Media Giants: Links between the Media Giants


Research tool Who owns what: Research tool Who owns what The following information was found at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/giants/


Synergy: Synergy Corporations cross-promote products Dreamworks Shrek ignored by Disney media CNN plugs Turner Classic Movies NBC promotes GE-backed airplane


Slide25: Average American heard 42 mentions by time film opened Batman Synergy


Divine secrets of Ya Ya synergy: Divine secrets of Ya Ya synergy 2002 Time-Warner-AOL film Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood Location of key scene changed from New York Times to Time magazine HBO showed Media show 28 Days almost daily Sometimes followed by HBO Behind the Scenes: The Ya Ya Sisterhood


BUT . . .: BUT . . . Time magazine gave the film a mediocre review Media synergy doesn't influence all content Not yet . . .


Conflicts of Interest?: Conflicts of Interest? Disney owns ABC How does ABC cover Disney? How does Time-Warner-AOL cover its many interests?


The Power of The Few: The Power of The Few


Media power: Media power The study of power relations forms the basis of the study of media and communications.  Power and knowledge are closely interlinked.


What is power?: What is power? Power is the means by which certain individuals and groups are able to dominate others Power is potentially or actually part of all social relationships Usually a person who has control also has power Media Power is exerted by controlling the informational environment, system of influences, commands and feedback


Newspaper organization: Newspaper organization


Who has power over media content?: Who has power over media content? Traditionally = Editors Now? Competition in the market place? Interest groups? Advertisers? Audience? Readers? Government? Owners?


How can outside influence control editorial decisions?: How can outside influence control editorial decisions? Operational: Control of editors / reporters Allocative: Through the allocation of funds / personnel for certain programs or certain sections of the newspaper denial of funds for other sections or programs External: Pressure from advertisers / consumer groups 


Media Diversity: Media Diversity Media diversity is when media outlets are owned by a number of persons making diversity of opinion a realistic expectation. Democratic governments attempt to ensure diversity and are wary of concentration in media ownership. Governments attempt to ensure diversity and are wary of concentration in media ownership


Convergenceand Diversity: Convergence and Diversity Corporations own a variety of media outlets and shops TV, radio, movies, books, magazines newspapers, Internet In effect this reduces choice and diversity Or


Critics of consolidation: Critics of consolidation Mergers limit number of independent voices in media Limits free exchange of ideas Facilitates censorship Profit imperative, rather than quality, determines programming Rupert Murdoch as Mao


Government controls on media: Government controls on media Airwaves are in the the public domain Radio /TV bound by public service requirements. BUT Governments are reducing limits on media consolidation More choice at lower prices?


Corporations and Culture: Corporations and Culture Fewer media businesses = less choice of opinion? Corporations control more culture industries This drags down standards Leads to more “trash” Future of freedom of speech


Oligarchy powers: Oligarchy powers Monopolies are non-competitive Hypercommercialize content without fear of competitive retribution US commercial radio = 18 minutes of ads per hour Low quality populist output


Media Moguls: Media Moguls ‘Media moguls” are persons who own and operate large media corporations in a personal or eccentric style Moguls occur when there are one or a few players in the media scene Gives rise to fears of the reflection of one point of view.


Censorship: Censorship Rupert Murdoch's (News Corp.) HarperCollins cancelled publication of book by Chris Patten former British Government of Hong Kong Why? Patten critical China Fact. News Corporation has huge interests in China Self-censorship an even greater concern


The Future? Research Questions: The Future? Research Questions Can the internet and other new technology break the hold of the media giants? Is the influence of the media giants benign or harmful to democracy and freedom? Is too much power in the hand of too few?