Media Industries - The Commercial Vs. Non-Commercial Media: Week 4

What are some economic characteristics that the media have?

• Film can be reproduced using same costs

• Tv shows be sold to many markets

• Digital files be sold for low costs

• Consumers don’t have to use original media product to watch

What is the key concept for media as commodities?

Media industries produce cultural commodities whose economic value is undercertain.

What are 2 types of media industries as defined by Robert Picard?

• Single media good

  • Make once

    • Films

    • Albums

    • Games

• Continous media goods

  • develop and redone multiple times

    • TV

    • Radio

    • Newspaper

Is Tv and streaming considered a continuous media good? True or false

True

What are some challenges of media commodities?

• Hard to predict sales

• Spend budget of millions of dollars before knowing is an idea is profitable

• Long periods of no return in investment

What are the economic risks producers face?

• High production costs

• Uncertain audience responses

• Uncertain numbers for income

Is risk management one of the main fundamental economic concerns in media? True or False

True

What are some strategies to eliminate risk for companies?

• Formatting

  • Replicating successful genres, shows, franchises/ serials & actors

• Intentional overproduction

  • Attempts to compensate for unpredictable failure

• Artificial scarcity

  • Don’t make it available to rent or buy for some time

• Bundling

  • Have a deal for consumers to purchase all together

Define Mandate

The set of purposes, responsibilities and expectations that shape what a media organization is supposed to do.

What are the categories for media mandates?

• Commercial → generate revenue

• Public → serve the public interest

• Community/ DIY → serve particular communities

• Governmental → advance/ communicate government voices

What can media organizations all have?

• Commerical revenue

• Public obligation

• Government regulation

• Cultural responsibilities

What are some examples of non-commerical mandates?

• TVO

• Radio Canada

• PBS

What is commercial media?

• Media that is organized around economic/ revenue objectives

  • Commerical radio

  • Newspaper

  • Magazines

  • Film Studios

  • Streaming services

  • Film Studios

What do media with commercial mandates serve?

• Dual product markets

• Advertisers who are trying to target certain demographics

• Avoiding content that can be controverial/ disturbing to appeal to the intended audience

What determines success for media with commercial mandates?

• Subscription media → increased subscriptions, few cancellations

• Advertiser-supported media → attract large part of the demographic

• Direct pay → mass buy

• Licensing → media organize licensed content to other companies

Is non-commercial media organized around maximizing commercial profit? True or False?

False

What is public mandate media?

• Organized around serving a broader public or social purpose

• Objectives can include

  • Info.

  • Education

  • Cultural representative

  • Public affairs

  • National Identity

What are some content that is considered no commercially profitable?

• Minority language-speaking programming

• local journalism

• children’s programming

• education

• public affair

• regional programming

What are some reasons why the government would regulate media?

• Broadcasting uses public resources such as radio spectrum

• Markets may not provide certain kinds of programming

• Canadian producers compete with much larger international industries

• Canada’s two official languages

• Canada’s different regional communities

• Indigenous people have specific cultural and linguistic interests

• Media can have important democratic functions

• Media ownership can be concentrated

What is ATPN?

• First & only Aboriginal broadcaster in the world

• Programming about and for Aboriginal people to share with Canadians and viewers around the world

  • Inuit

  • First Nations

  • Metis people

Why is APTN important?

• Serve the community whose stories, languages, and perspectives are not shown in commercial media

• Different audiences

  • FN

  • Inuit

  • metis

  • ENG & FR

What does media with non-commerical mandates serve?

• Used to serve citizens and viewed as democratic

• Goal to advance societal interests with no poltical/ coporate involvement

• Make alternative & thought provoking content available

What do Community & Alternative/ DIY mandates serve & how are they funded?

• Aim toward a specific group

• Paid through donations with govern. support

• Little commerical support

What are the 3 types apart of Canada’s Broadcasting System?

• Public → CBC/ Radio Canada

• Private → Commercial broadcasters & media companies

• Community →community broadcasting services

• The act serves a public-service function connected to Canadian cultural expression and national identity.

What are Canada’s broadcasting acts, mandates, and conditions?

• Outlives Canada’s broadcasting policy

• Gives the CRTC authority to regulate the Canadian Broadcasting System

• Sets mandate for CBC

What is Bill C-11?

• Online Streaming Act → new version of the Broadcasting Act

• Making Canadian stories avaible widely for Canadian access on all platforms

• Finding ways to benefit the artists and creators in Canada

What is the Canadian why?

• Canada wants to support…

  • Stories

  • Creators

  • Ownership

  • Production

  • French Lang.

  • Indigenous media