Media Ownership: Past, Present, & Future

• In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S.
• In 2005 that number is believed to be down to six. (Corporations.Org)
  

According to Ben Bagdikian, author The Media Monopoly, U.S. Media is controlled by:

• Time Warner
• Disney
• News Corporation
• Bertelsmann of Germany
• Viacom (CBS)
• General Electric (NBC)

"When the central interests of the controlling corporations are at stake,
mainstream American news becomes heavily weighted by whatever serves the
economic and political interests of the corporations that own the media"

-Ben Bagdikian

Media Coverage

News Corp.'s Fox News was the subject of a documentary called "Outfoxed" where former journalist admitted to being forced to present bias views.

http://www.outfoxed.org/clips_trailer_wm.php

Regulations

The FCC: Very Reactive since "nipple gate" incident involving Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Broadcasters were fined record amounts, and a delay for live programming was implemented.

In response: Broadcasters and Cable channels are scrambling to provide content that is deemed "acceptable" by the FCC and legislators. Example: Major cable operators are developing special tiers of family-friendly programming. Comcast and Time Warner Cable are working on programming now.

The "A La Carte" idea: Cable companies would allow subscribers to choose the channels that they want to pay for. The system would allow content cautious parents to block programming, and lower their cable bills.

New regulations for advertisers: Congress has decided that U.S. children are fat. Congress has suggested that the government should require advertisers to change the way they pitch food products to kids.

Impact of Convergence

Convergence is the melding together of technologies. In terms of the broadcasting industry, convergence results in what is called multimedia–where different media forms become integrated.

Seen: Online, through a television news station’s website in the form of streaming video, print, blogs, etc.

Example: Viacom is relaunching all of its CBS station sites with prominent video and daily lunchtime Webcasts.

Fox is going to send news via wireless products in the form of news alerts on cell phones, iPods, etc.

According to an article titled "From The Set To The ‘Net" advertisers are cutting back their spending on televison ads in favor of advertising online and through technological advances like the iPods and cell phones. They spent $12 billion on online advertising in 2004. That number is said to increase to $25 billion in the next 5 years, according to Merrill Lynch.

The Future!!!!!!

TECHNOLOGY

• A major force behind the changes that will occur in the broadcast industry is technology- digital technology.
• Cable will be the place where the public gets their news and entertainment.

"The emerging structure of the television industry will flow primarily from cable television, a monopoly service that already serves 70 percent of all U.S. viewers (direct broadcast satellite controls the next 15 percent, with over-the-Air broadcast serving the remainder)." -Alternet.org

• Advertisers will move more and more ads online and to cable programs that have "more reach."
• TV stations will utilize the internet more, putting more videos of their broadcasts online and utilize exclusive web programming. They will also use other interactive technologies like podcasts and custom online newscasts

"Technology has made it possible for news to be high quality and for advertisers to have a greater reach. Simply put, the future of broadcasting lies in the future developments in technology." -Tiffani