Industries: Ownership and control

 Media conglomerate research


1) Type up your research notes from the lesson - what did you find out about your allocated media conglomerate? Selection of companies: Alphabet, The Walt Disney Company, National Amusements, Meta, News Corp, Time Warner, Comcast. If you were absent or didn't have time in the lesson to make these notes, research any one of the companies above and find examples of all the terminology outlined in the notes at the start of this blogpost.

A conglomerate is a large company composed of a number of smaller companies (subsidiaries). A media conglomerate, or media group, is a company that owns numerous companies involved in creating mass media products such as print, television, radio, movies or online. The big 6 in america that own 90% of the industry are COMCAST , disney , CBS , Viacom , newscorp , AT&T .


2) Do you agree that governments should prevent media conglomerates from becoming too dominant? Write an argument that looks at both sides of this debate.

Government should stop the conglomerates from taking full ownership of the media as they will then be able to speak out against certain government ideas and will strike their opinions upon the audiences . However giving them the power may cause the government to feel comfortable as they can trust them as they wouldn't do anything damaging to ruin their reputation .

Media Magazine reading and questions

Media Magazine 52 has a good feature on the changing relationship between audiences and institutions in the digital age. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM52 and scroll to page 9 to read the article 'Two Key Concepts: The Relationship Between Audience and Institution'.

1) Briefly describe the production, promotion and distribution process for media companies.

PRODUCTION -pre-production (planning), production (filming), and post-production (editing, color-grading, and visual effects).

PROMOTION - Using paid media channels to promote products or services to a wide audience.

DISTRIBUTION - A content distribution strategy is a systematic plan that outlines how to disseminate and promote content to reach a target audience effectively


2) What are the different funding models for media institutions?

BBC Licence fee paid by the public.

Sales of DVDs, magazines, merchandising and
other BBC products.
Sales of programmes and formats to other broadcasters.
ITV Fees paid by advertisers buying advertising space

on the channel.
Programme sponsorship.
Sale of its programmes and formats to
other broadcasters.

Sky One Income is generated by subscription fees and

advertising revenue.
Sony Sales of hardware such as PS4.

Sales of games and associated merchandising.
Advertising and sales via online community.
Sales of music.
Film sales.
Licensing of music (for advertising, gaming, film
soundtracks etc.).
Profits from online games and standalone
gaming products.
The MailOnline Sale of advertising space.
Advertorial features.
Sponsorship.

3) The article gives a lot of examples of major media brands and companies. Choose three examples from the article and summarise what the writer is saying about each of them. 
 
Disney is known as a family-friendly brand that focuses on children’s entertainment. It has built on its original reputation for animation, created early in the 20th century, through the construction of a ‘universe’ of merchandising and branded products, including Disneyland and the Disney Princess franchise. Parents
can feel reassured that a Disney product will provide a wholesome form of entertainment appropriate for
children.



4) What examples are provided of the new business models media companies have had to adopt due to changes in technology and distribution? 

Using the internet as streaming services such as BBC using iPlayer or ITV using ITVx .


5) Re-read the section on 'The Future'. What examples are discussed of technology companies becoming major media institutions?

DISNEY , AT&T , PARAMOUNT , NEWSCORP , CBS , COMCAST .

6) Do you agree with the view that traditional media institutions are struggling to survive?

Yes as customer interests change regularly and due to the high variety of media outlets and interprets there viewings change .


7) How might diversification or vertical integration help companies to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing media landscape? 

They view the diversity in industries and audiences . Vertical integration helps the business understand what they need to provide audiences with .


8) How do YOU see the relationship between audience and institution in the future? Will audiences gain increasing power or will the major global media conglomerates maintain their control?

I feel the audiences may fall out with many industries due to the volume of other sources causing disagreements . 
Audiences may increase in power but they will never reach the power that the major conglomerates hold .

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