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.

National Amusements

Conglomerate ownership

What brands, companies or media products is the conglomerate best known for?

They are known for Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon JR, Smithsonian channel, CMT, MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount (+), Pluto TV, Showtime, CBS, BET, Viacom CBS, TV land, CNET.

Vertical and Horizontal integration

What examples can you find of vertical or horizontal integration for this conglomerate? Remember,

for vertical integration you are looking for companies linked through the chain of production.

They have CBS, CBSN, CBS Viacom, Paramount , MTV, Smithsonian channel, Nickelodeon.

Convergence & synergy

Find a media product or brand associated with your conglomerate. How has technology changed the

way audiences access that product? What examples of synergy can you find in the promotion or

distribution of the media product?

Paramount was usually accessed by CDs or seen on Tv where nowadays it can bee accessed across many platforms online for free. 

There is an extended with BDT and MSD as they reflect the strong abilities to deliver value to all shareholders as Paramount has the best assets to the media industry.

Diversification

What examples can you find of diversification for your conglomerate? Has the company moved into

other areas or adopted new technology to stay ahead of the competition?

Over the years as technology has evolved, varies platforms have been released where it is much easier to access any Paramount media for free without charge. There is also an app called Para mouth plus where people are able to download it on any device.

Cross-media regulation

Can you find any examples of the conglomerate getting into trouble with government regulators due

their business model, attempted takeovers or complaints from rival companies?

National Amusements issued a statement saying it is “outraged” by CBS’s lawsuit and the allegations of heavy-handed tactics by Shari Redstone — including the threat of reconstituting the network’s board of directors to force a merger with corporate sibling Viacom.

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.

Media conglomerates are growing and increasing as large corporations are starting to own a range of media. This is sometimes seen as a good act as there is a wider range of media produced and more money is made and profited. This can help increase the quality of the media produced and reach larger audience as this is media produced by us people. However, these media conglomerates becoming dominated and holding too much power can change passive views opinions on certain texts, This stops the government having control over people and their beliefs which could lead to very different views causing chaos.

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 is when you provides audience members with the product that they desire and should consider and provide the gratifications the audience wants 

Promotion is just researches and identifies the target audience for the product and figures out different ways to advertise the product in order to inform and persuade the audience of the media products value.

Distribution is when you use methods in order to get the product out to the audience so that it is easily accessible by the consumer.

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

BBC:-funded by a licence fee and has public service, it streams things of regional interest.

ITV- income from advertisement, attracts larger audience

Sky One-income from subscriptions and may invest in programming to attract a loyal audience who will likely watch all their news.

Mail online- gets more money the longer somebody stays on the site so contains lots of images and videos with lots of big headlines.

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. 

Marvel includes familiarity of products that manly included popular superhero's and action based storylines.

Disney contains family friendly content with symbols identifying. Their are also Walt Disney signiture symbols to make o more easy to identify as entertainment.

Spotify allowed for the streaming of free music with ads or through a monthly subscription to access the music without the ads in order to make money

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

In the music industry they can not rely on selling the music directly anymore and have to rely on subscriptions, sponsorships and merchandise in order to get monetary gain, while contracts are signed to have a percentage go back to the studio from the profits generated.

Cinemas invested in 3D cinema to encourage more people to leave their homes and come to the cinemas.

BBC reconsidering its funding structure as on demand streaming becomes more popular.

Some online newspapers now require you to pay subscriptions to view their contents

Advertisers find it more difficult to advertise through traditional media and so have to use targeted marketing based on social media or by sponsoring youtubers to promote their products.

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

Amazon with YouTube, Google with YouTube and  Facebook.

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

I think that over the years not only traditional music institutions but media as a whole has hugely evolved over a small time where many people are finding creative ways to be involved and stay alive. Not only is media changing but the way people access the media, people move with what's trending nowadays so traditional music may no longer be viewed as trendy and therefore not survive.

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

Diversification and vertical integration helps companies as they are able to expand their so called branches into different media or trending media in order to keep up with technology. This means they are also able to own any traditional media for future usage whilst following digital evolution.

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?

In the future, technology developed will continue meaning producers need to satisfy their audiences wants including the type of media needed. Audience will continue holding strong viewpoints and beliefs making them more powerful than media producers themselves thus showing how control is slowly shifting. Trying to take power is no longer easier like it was in the  past as people have become more aware with situations globally and communicate across various platforms.