Chapter 5
THE MASS MEDIA AND THE
POLITICAL AGENDA
Current Events Focus: Who Owns the Media?
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Media Consolidation
• As of 2004, five conglomerates control most of
the radio, television, film, and publishing
companies:
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•
•
•
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The Walt Disney Company
News Corporation
General Electric
Time Warner
Viacom
• Consolidation of media outlets with telecom
industry was justified as necessary to streamline
production and dissemination of information
(Internet, telephone, radio, cable)
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Media Consolidation
• However, one may inquire into what
effects further consolidation of media
outlets may have on the quantity and
quality of information.
• Editorial, programming, news content, and
public transparency decisions reside among a
few individuals and organizations.
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Who Owns the Media?
The Walt Disney Company
• Television
• 10 regional television stations
including affiliates in New
York, Chicago, and LA.
• ABC Television Network
including ABC Family, The
Disney Channel, ESPN, The
History Channel, E
Entertainment, Lifetime.
• Buena Vista, Touchtone, and
Walt Disney Television
• Publishing
• Books—Hyperion, Disney
Children’s Publishing)
• Magazines—Disney Magazine,
US Weekly (50% ownership),
Video Business
• Radio
• Own 64 stations within the
U.S.
• Radio Disney
• ESPN Radio
• Online/Multimedia
• ABC.com/Internet group
• ESPN.com
• NASCAR.com
• Go Network
• Film
• Walt Disney Productions
• Touchtone Pictures
• Miramax
• Hollywood Pictures
• Buena Vista Entertainment
(International)
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Who Owns the Media?
News Corporation
• Television
• 36 Fox stations in major
U.S. cities
• Fox Television Network
including FOX News, FX,
SPEED Channel, Fox Movie
Channel, Fox Sports
• Direct TV
• Publishing
• Books—Harper Morrow
• Magazines—The Weekly
Standard, TV Guide
• Newspapers—New York
Post, Wall Street Journal,
The Times of London, 20
Daily Papers in Australia
(Murdoch)
• Radio
• Classic FM
• Fox Sports Radio Network
• Sky Radio (England,
Germany, Denmark)
• Film
• 20th Century Fox
• Blue Sky Studios
• Fox Searchlight Pictures
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Who Owns the Media?
General Electric
• Television
• 14 NBC stations
• 14 Telemundo Stations
• Paxson Communications
• NBC Television Network
Studios
• CNBC
• MSNBC
• Bravo
• USA
• A&E
• History Channel
• Film
• Universal Pictures
• Focus Features
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Who Owns the Media?
Time Warner
• Television
• Cable systems—Time Warner,
Kablevision (Hungary)
• Networks—CNN, HBO, TBS
Superstation, Cartoon
Network, Court TV, Turner
Broadcasting (Movies,
Classics, South, Latin)
• Production companies—
Warner Bros. Studios, HannaBarbera Cartoons
• Publishing
• Books—Little Brown, Time
Inc., Warner Books
• Online/Multimedia
• AOL
• MapQuest
• Netscape Communications
• CompuServe Interactive
Services
• Film
• Warner Bros.
• Castle Rock
• Turner Original Productions
• New Line Cinema
• Warner Brothers International
Theaters
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Who Owns the Media?
Viacom
• Television
• 17 CBS stations
• 18 UPN Stations
• 5 Independents
• Publishing
• Simon and Schuster
• Radio
• Infinity Broadcasting
• Westwood One
• TDI Worldwide
• Film
• Paramount Pictures
• Paramount Home
Entertainment
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Conclusion
• While the old media has become more
consolidated, the increased use of the new
media (i.e., Internet and satellite systems)
has increased the dissemination of
information in both content and speed.
• Consequently, rules and regulations have
lagged far beyond advances in information
technology which has prompted a call for
greater regulation.
© 2011 Taylor & Francis
Conclusion
• Yet, others believe the Internet provides a
check on the consolidation and uniformity
of the old media.
• Is government regulation of these new
technologies even feasible?
© 2011 Taylor & Francis