Media Conglomerates I: Ownership and Control

Models of Ownership

Public Ownership, Private Ownership, Non-Profit, Mixed

Public Ownership

Funded by the State and “in the public interest”, mostly concerned about jobs and sovereignty.

Public Ownership in Democratic Countries

Media operate at arm’s length. Government has no direct control

Public Ownership in Socialist countries

Media Owned and Controlled by the Government

Private Ownership

Funded by Private wealth Operated to Maximize ROI

Non-Profit

Funded by Foundations with a Specific Mandate/Goal

Mixed

Combination of Public, Private and non-profit funding

Subsistence Economy

CMC - Commodity-Money-Commodity

Capitalist Economy

MCM - Money-Commodity-More Money

Media Orgs in theory vs in practice

Media Orgs should adhere to laws and regulations in the country they operate, but often laws are bent around these companies.

Vertical Integration

When Media Production and Media consumption are controlled by the same company

Ex of Vertical Integration

• Classical Hollywood 1920s to 40s

• Shaw Brothers Studio in Hong Kong

• France, UK, Japan

Concentration

The extent to which a market sector or industry is dominated by the largest business

Conglomeration

What else you might own that is not just strictly film/tv content

Platformization

Sites and services that host, organize, or circulate users’ shared content or social exchanges with them, without having produced the majority of that content