Media Studies

Media Concept Institutions

Medium ExaminedMass Media

TopicMedia Giants

Key QuestionIs 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?

A WatchdogTraditionally, 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 estateParliament debates government policy and makes lawsThe Executive makes and execute policy runs the governmentThe Judiciary interprets and clarifies the law Media - a free press can report all government activity

Liberal notions of the mediaRooted 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 TheoryMedia is profit motivatedIt 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

Media Monopolies50 corporations owned more than half of all media businesses in 1982.By 1993, it was 20.In 2003 there are 6.

Media GiantsBertelsman 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)

TELEVISIONNetworksWB NetworkHBOCinemaxTime Warner SportsComedy CentralCNNTBSTNTCartoon NetworkTurner Classic MoviesCourt TV

ProductionNew Line TelevisionTurner Original ProductionsWarner Bros. TelevisionLooney TunesHanna-Barbera

Cable SystemsTime Warner Cable

PUBLISHINGBooksTime Life BooksBook-of-the-Month ClubLittle, Brown & Co.Bulfinch PressBack Bay BooksWarner BooksOxmoor House

MagazinesTimeLifeFortuneSports IllustratedPeopleEntertainment WeeklyIn StyleSkiTravel & LeisurePopular ScienceDC ComicsMad Magazine MUSICThe Atlantic GroupRhino RecordsElektra Entertainment Grp.London-Sire RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Music InternationalTime Life MusicColumbia HouseGiant (Revolution) RecordsMaverickQwest RecordsRuffNation RecordsSub Pop RecordsTommy Boy Records FILMWarner Bros. StudiosCastle Rock EntertainmentNew Line CinemaFine Line FeaturesINTERNETAOLCompuserveNetscapeAOL MoviefoneDigital CityMapquest.com RECREATIONSportsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta TrashersTurner SportsWorld Championship WrestlingGoodwill GamesAOL/Time-Warner

AOL Time WarnerIn 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.

TELEVISIONNetworksCBSUPNMTV NetworksNickelodeonNick-at-NiteTV LandCMTTNN (Spike TV)VH1Showtime NetworksThe Movie ChannelSundance ChannelFLIXBET

ProductionParamountSpelling EntertainmentBig Ticket TelevisionViacom ProductionsKing World ProductionsPUBLISHINGBooksThe Free PressMTV BooksNickelodeon BooksSimon & SchusterPocket BooksScribnerTouchstone RADIONetworksInfinity Broadcasting(manages Westwood OneRadio networks)Metro Networks

StationsInfinity Broadcasting(owns and operates over180 radio stations)FILMProductionParamount PicturesMTV FilmsNickelodeon Movies

Theater OperationsUnited Cinemas Intl.Paramount TheatersFamous Players

VideoBlockbuster INTERNETMTVi GroupCBS Internet GroupNickelodeon OnlineBET.comContentville.comOTHERFamous Music Publishing(copyright owners)Theme ParksParamount ParksInfinity Outdoors/TDI Worldwide(the largest outdoor Advertising group in US)Star Trek franchiseViacom

TELEVISIONNetworksABCThe Disney ChannelSoapNetESPNA&EThe History ChannelLifetimeE!

ProductionBuena Vista TelevisionTouchstone TelevisionWalt Disney TV, AnimationRADIOABC Radio NetworksRadio DisneyESPN Radio27 Radio StationsPUBLISHINGBooksWalt Disney Co. BooksHyperion BooksTalk/Miramax Books

MagazinesDiscover, DisneyESPN, US Weekly (50%)

Daily NewspapersCounty Press (MI)Oakland Press and Reminder (MI)Narragansett TimesSt. Louis Daily Record MUSICBuena Vista Music GroupHollywood RecordsLyric Street RecordsMammoth RecordsINTERNETBuena Vista InternetGroup:ABC.com, ABCNews.comOscar.com, Disney.comFamily.ComESPN Internet GroupNFL.comNBA.comNASCAR.comSoccernet.com (60%)Infoseek (43%)Toysmart.com (majoritystake)FILMWalt Disney PicturesTouchstone PicturesHollywood PicturesCaravan PicturesMiramax FilmsBuena Vista HomeEntertainmentRECREATIONSportsMighty Ducks of AnaheimAnaheim Angels

Theme ParksDisneylandWalt Disney WorldDisney-MGM StudiosEuroDisney , Disneyland Japan, Epcot, Disney's Animal KingdomDisney's CaliforniaAdventure, Disney Cruise Line

TheaterWalt Disney TheatricalProductions

Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney CoThe 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.

TELEVISIONNetworks - U.S.FOX Broadcasting CompanyFOX News ChannelFOX Kids NetworkFOX Sports (partial in somemarkets)The Health NetworkFXNational Geographic's cablechannel (50%)Golf ChannelTV Guide Channel (44%)

Stations22 Fox affiliated stationsPUBLISHINGBooksHarperCollins General BookGroupRegan BooksAmistad PressWilliam Morrow & Co.Avon Books

MagazinesTV Guide (partialownership)The Weekly StandardMaximum Golf

NewspapersNew 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)

RADIOFox Sports Radio NetworkSPORTSLos Angeles DodgersNew York Knicks (partialownership)New York Rangers(partial ownership)Los Angeles Kings(partial ownership)Los Angeles Lakers(partial ownership)Dodger StadiumStaples Center (partialownership)Madison Square Garden(partial ownership)INTERNETTheStreet.com (partialownership with New YorkTimes Co.)Healtheon/WebMD Corp.(partial ownership)FILMTwentieth Century FoxBlue Sky StudiosFox Searchlight PicturesNews Corp.

News CorporationRupert 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.

TELEVISIONProduction/DistributionUFA Film & TV Production(Germany)Trebitsch Production(Germany)Delux Productions(Luxembourg)Cinevideo (Canada)Holland Media House(Netherlands)First Choice (U.K.)

Stations16 stations in Germany,France, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Belgium,England, Poland, HungaryPUBLISHINGBooksBallatine Publishing GroupBantam Doubleday DellBertelsmann PublishingBook-of-the-Month Club(management)Crown Publishing GroupDoubledayFodors Travel

PublicationsKnopf Publishing GroupRandom House Inc.MagazinesGruner & JahrChildFamily Circle (majority)FitnessInc.McCall's (majority owner)Parents (majority owner)YM (majority owner)

RADIOFM Radio Ntwk (Germany)MUSICArista RecordsBMGBMG Music PublishingBMG Music ServiceRCA RecordsBad Boy RecordsLaFace RecordsTime Bomb RecordsWindham Hill GroupAOL Europe (partialownership)Barnesandnoble.com (partialownership with Barnes andNoble)CDNowLycos Europe (partialownership)Napster (partial stake)INTERNETBertelsmann

TELEVISIONProduction/DistributionUniversal Television Group: NBC!Multimedia EntertainmentBrillstein-Grey Entertainment(partial owner)USA Networks Inc. (partialowner)Canal+ (Europe)FILMProduction/DistributionUniversal StudiosOctober Films (partial owner)United International Pictures(partial owner)Cinema International BV(partial owner)MUSICUniversal Music Group:MCA RecordsPolygramIsland/Def JamMotownDecca RecordsGeffen/DGC RecordsUniversal RecordsInterscope RecordsRising TideINTERNETUniversal Studios NewMedia GroupVivendiNetVizzavi (European multi-accessportal)PUBLISHINGHavas Press (France)TELECOMMCegetel (a leadingprivate French wirelessoperator)Vivendi TelecomInternationalVivendi/GE/NBC-Universal

Vivendi UniversalCreated 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.

ConvergenceCorporations own a variety of media outletsTV, radio, movies, books, magazines newspapers, Internet

Links between the Media Giants

Research tool Who owns whatThe following information was found athttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/giants/

SynergyCorporations cross-promote productsDreamworks Shrek ignored by Disney mediaCNN plugs Turner Classic MoviesNBC promotes GE-backed airplane

Average American heard 42 mentions by time film openedBatman Synergy

Divine secrets of Ya Ya synergy2002 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 . . .Time magazine gave the film a mediocre review

Media synergy doesn't influence all content

Not yet . . .

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

Media powerThe study of power relations forms the basis of the study of media and communications.

Power and knowledge are closely interlinked.

What is power?Power is the means by which certain individuals and groups are able to dominate othersPower is potentially or actually part of all social relationshipsUsually 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

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

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 DiversityMedia 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 DiversityCorporations own a variety of media outlets and shopsTV, radio, movies, books, magazines newspapers, InternetIn effect this reduces choice and diversityOr

Critics of consolidationMergers limit number of independent voices in mediaLimits free exchange of ideasFacilitates censorshipProfit imperative, rather than quality, determines programming Rupert Murdoch as Mao

Government controls on mediaAirwaves are in the the public domainRadio /TV bound by public service requirements.BUT Governments are reducing limits on media consolidationMore choice at lower prices?

Corporations and CultureFewer media businesses = less choice of opinion?Corporations control more culture industriesThis drags down standardsLeads to more trashFuture of freedom of speech

Oligarchy powersMonopolies are non-competitiveHypercommercialize content without fear of competitive retributionUS commercial radio = 18 minutes of ads per hourLow quality populist output

Media MogulsMedia moguls are persons who own and operate large media corporations in a personal or eccentric styleMoguls 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.

CensorshipRupert Murdoch's (News Corp.)HarperCollins cancelled publication of book by Chris Patten former British Government of Hong KongWhy?Patten critical ChinaFact. News Corporation has huge interests in China

Self-censorship an even greater concern

The Future? Research QuestionsCan 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?

As the fourth estate media was expected to be the voice of the citizens, take the views of the governing to the governed and vice versain short, create and provide the public sphere which is vital for the effective functioning of a democracy. The media is to serve the public interest. The term public interest does not mean what the public is interested in, but means that the media should work in the interest of the public, give the members of the public the information that will make them perform effectively as citizens.

You will hear more about the liberal theory of the media later this semester.