Television Network Mergers

The recent surge in media mergers has set off a wave of stories that all hit very close to home. In some cases, the news organizations themselves become news. The formation of communication conglomerates raises profound questions for reporters' lives and work, such as: What is the best way to cover stories of high profile and complexity? Will the new giants broaden both the definition of journalism and the opportunities for journalists to practice their craft? What are the prospects for the new partnership of big news, new media, and big business? The consequences of consolidation vary by media industry. The evolution of communication technology is so fast that today's truisms can be undone tomorrow. "Media Mergers "provides a healthy dose of skepticism, a search for illuminating facts, and a willingness to consider all sides of the discussion. This book approaches the emergence of media giants from a variety of angles. The contributors offer many ways of understanding their scale and their significance. "Media Mergers "is divided into six parts: "Point/Counterpoint," "The Imperial Moment," "Captains of Communication," "States of Media," "The Consequences of Media Empires in the United States," and "The Consequences of Media Empires Around the World." Authors include: Todd Gitlin; Steven Rattner; Ken Auletta; Madeline Rogers; Danny Schechter; Barbara Maltby; and Mac Margolis. Included in this volume is a roundtable introduced by Walter Cronkite and moderated by Alex Jones. Participants are Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Neil S. Braun, P. Anthony Ridder, and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. A review essay by Anne Wells Branscomb concludes book. She discusses various books on the subjects of media moguls, multimedia conglomerates, and media takeovers. "Media Mergers "is especially pertinent today, an age in which the communications industry is constantly changing, progressing, and being affected by business upheavals. It will be of interest to publishers, media specialists, and all those in communications, policy and research.

The recent surge in media mergers has set off a wave of stories that all hit very close to home. In some cases, the news organizations themselves become news. The formation of communication conglomerates raises profound questions for reporters' lives and work, such as: What is the best way to cover stories of high profile and complexity? Will the new giants broaden both the definition of journalism and the opportunities for journalists to practice their craft? What are the prospects for the new partnership of big news, new media, and big business? The consequences of consolidation vary by media industry. The evolution of communication technology is so fast that today's truisms can be undone tomorrow. Media Mergers provides a healthy dose of skepticism, a search for illuminating facts, and a willingness to consider all sides of the discussion. This book approaches the emergence of media giants from a variety of angles. The contributors offer many ways of understanding their scale and their significance. Media Mergers is divided into six parts: "Point/Counterpoint," "The Imperial Moment," "Captains of Communication," "States of Media," "The Consequences of Media Empires in the United States," and "The Consequences of Media Empires Around the World." Authors include: Todd Gitlin; Steven Rattner; Ken Auletta; Madeline Rogers; Danny Schechter; Barbara Maltby; and Mac Margolis. Included in this volume is a roundtable introduced by Walter Cronkite and moderated by Alex Jones. Participants are Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Neil S. Braun, P. Anthony Ridder, and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. A review essay by Anne Wells Branscomb concludes book. She discusses various books on the subjects of media moguls, multimedia conglomerates, and media takeovers. Media Mergers is especially pertinent today, an age in which the communications industry is constantly changing, progressing, and being affected by business upheavals. It will be of interest to publishers, media specialists, and all those in communications, policy and research.

(Cont.) In the programming market I find that the ratings of merging stations increase, suggesting that mergers increase the quality and variety of programming. During the 1990s the broadcast television industry also experienced significant consolidation at the national level. This consolidation was spurred in part by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which relaxed restrictions on the number of television stations a firm can own nationwide. Chapter 3 studies the effect of group ownership on viewers by using ratings data for 750 television stations in 1993 and 1998. I find that the increase in group ownership led to small increases in ratings.