Media Convergence, and the Players in the Global Media System

Media Convergence,and the Players in theGlobal Media SystemBy Nancy R. Cudis1 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Media Convergence Fewer individuals and organizations control increasing shares of the mass media No longer a recent development (since the 1980s) Viewed as a business expansion Result: A global commercial media system dominated by a small number of superpowerful, mostly US-based transnational media corporations2 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Definition of Terms Media mergers: one media-related company buys another company for control of their resources • To increase revenues • To increase viewership Media oligopoly: a few firms dominate a market (as a result of buyouts, forced or otherwise)3 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Contributing factors Deregulation – frees economic activity from the binding rules of the government • Brought upon by pressure from IMF, World Bank, and US Government New satellite digital technologies4 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Why merge? to reduce labour, administrative and material costs to use the same media content across several media outlets to attract increased advertising by providing advertisers with package deals and one- stop shopping for a number of media platforms to increase brand recognition and brand loyalty among audiences through cross- promotion and cross-selling.5 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: In the late 90s Time Warner ($24 billion) The Walt Disney Company ($22 billion) Bertelsmann ($15 billion) Viacom ($13 billion) Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation ($11 billion)6 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: As of 2010 The Walt Disney Company News Corporation Time Warner Viacom7 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: A Scenario The Walt Disney Company  Broadcasting (31 % of its income)  Theme parks (23 %)  Creative content--films, publishing, and merchandising (46 %)8 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: A Scenario Disney selected holdings:  The U.S. ABC TV and radio networks  10 U.S. TV stations and 21 radio stations  U.S. and global cable television channels: Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews; holdings in Lifetime, A&E and History channels  Americast, interactive TV joint venture with several telephone companies  Theme parks and resorts: DisneyLand, Disney World9 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: A Scenario Disney selected holdings  Controlling interests in the NHL Anaheim Might Ducks and major league baseball’s Anaheim Angels  Consumer products, including more than 500 Disney retails stores worldwide  Disney Quest: a chain of high tech arcade game stores  Disney Cruise Line10 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

The Players: A Scenario Disney selected holdings  Several major film, video, and TV production studio: Disney, Miramax, and Buena Vista  Magazine and newspaper publishing, through its subsidiaries: Fairchild Publications and Chilton Publications  Book publishing: Hyperion Books  Music labels: Hollywood Records, Mammoth Records, Walt Disney Records11 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Rules of Thumb Treat global market as an arena for competition Dominate the markets; you must be big enough that your competition can’t buy you out Have interests in numerous media industries12 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

In the Philippines13 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

In the Philippines14 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

In the Philippines ABS-CBN Corporation  ABS-CBN in other locations outside the Philippines  Radio stations  Cable TV  Publishing15 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Think about it. By any standard of democracy, such a concentration of media power is troubling, if not unacceptable.16 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Issues Loyalty to advertisers than to public interest Reduction in market-based competition (equity joint ventures) Loss in diversity of viewpoints Less diversity in programming and reporting17 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Issues Less coverage of local issues Less independent and critical journalism Media content is treated as a product Feeds the culture of consumerism18 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Questions?19 www.nancycudis.com July 14, 2012

Media Convergence, and the Players in the Global Media System

by Nancy Cudis on Jul 14, 2012

Accessibility

Upload Details

Usage Rights

2 Embeds 16

Statistics

Media Convergence, and the Players in the Global Media System Presentation Transcript

http://www.nancycudis.com	10
http://954064455877745520_59cc5e497d9547c1e56915cc613e5a101776aab1.blogspot.com	6