Media Consolidation

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Media Consolidation
Jeff Gralnick
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What is media consolidation?

• Media consolidation is when stronger corporations
  begin to buy out and/or run out independent media
  sources
• This has been a problem for many decades

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Monopolies

• Monopolies have an unfair advantage over small
  business
• There are 5 major media monopolies

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At a glance
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• Owns 10 television stations in 10 major cities
• As well as 53 radio stations across the country

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• Owns 180 Infinity radio stations concentrated in
  41 cities
• 34 television stations
• Stations which 15 of the top 20 in the market

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• Owns 22 television stations as well as a
  considerable amount of companies in the newspaper
  and book publishing industry
• News Corp. is infamous for Rupert Murdoch
• Outfoxed stop at 1415

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The Top Two

• Media giants Clear Channel Communications and
  AOL-Time/Warner are regarded as the behemoths of
  the media market.

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• In the year 2001 alone, Clear Channel
  Communications owned 60 million tickets to 26,000
  events
• They represent athletes such as Michael Jordan
  and Kobe Bryant, 36 Television stations in 28
  different cities
• As well as 1200 radio stations in all 50 states
  including District of Colombia
• They have influence over 54 of Americans between
  the ages of 18-49.
• These numbers indicate that they are not only the
  biggest events promoter in the United States but
  the premier radio network.

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Hierarchy

• This corporation not only is a monopoly but an
  empire
• Chairman - L. Lowry Mays
• CEO and Director - Mark P. Mays
• President, CFO, Secretary, and Director - Randall
  T. Mays
• They are all relatives

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Court Cases

• An example of this is in 2002 when a class action
  lawsuit was filed against Clear Channel in New
  York City Federal Court.
• However, this accusation of Clear Channels
  actions was dismissed in court.

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• This is the largest Internet service provider
  (ISP) in the United States
• Time-Warner owns 10.8 million cable households
• Net neutrality

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Continued

• Ever since the merger of AOL and Time/Warner in
  January of 2000, they own a significant share in
  each media outlet
• Music, publishing, news, entertainment, cable and
  Internet industries

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So what does this all mean?

• Information is being withheld or censored
• No variety in the media is being presented to the
  consumers
• Information being presented is mostly things that
  are in the self-interest of the corporations who
  own the media networks

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What Should Be Done?

• Lobby to break up monopolies
• Listen to community radio
• Watch public access television
• Boycott
• Get involved with grassroots efforts
• Be informed/DIY (do it yourself)

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Sources

• "Disney, the Mouse That Roared."
  Businesswire.com. 26 Nov. 2006.
• http//denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2004/
  04/05/daily13.html
• http//www.wsgr.com/WSGR/Display.aspx?SectionName
  /practice/antitrust/casestudies.htm
• http//www.nytimes.com/2005/03/21/business/media/2
  1radio.html?positionex126906120026en9f0a69fce
  490aa1b26ei508826partnerrssnytadxnnl1pagewa
  ntedalladxnnlx1175548885-O/n4Vevy75ZD5LGtDSnQQ
  
• http//www.hoovers.com/free/co/factsheet.xhtml?COI
  D11824cm_venPAIDcm_catYAHcm_plaCO3cm_itec
  lear_channel
• http//youtube.com/watch?vTHvtbgJp05M
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid6737097743
  434902428qoutfoxed
• http//www.veoh.com/videos/e97206szs4npk9

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Dialogue

• How does media consolidation make you feel?
• Has this presentation given you new information,
  that has change your outlook on the media?
• How do you think you will become active in
  combating media consolidation? If not, why?
• What do you think the most effective way of
  combating media consolidation?
• Do you think the media consolidation crisis is
  only going to get worse? How so? If not, why?
• Will this information inform the decisions you
  make in the future about choosing your media
  outlets?