A Problem: Consolidation of Media Ownership

HAS THE CONSOLIDATION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP BECOME A THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY?

Since 2006, there are 8 media companies that dominate the markets (market values):

Disney (ABC) (72.8 Billion) List of assets

AOL-Time Warner (CNN) (90.7 Billion)

Viacom (CBS) (53.9 Billion)

General Electric (NBC) (390.6 Billion) List of assets

News Corporation (FOX) (56.7 Billion) List of assets

Yahoo! (40.1 Billion)

Microsoft (306.8 Billion)

Google (154.6 Billion)

WHEN CORPORATIONS GET THIS BIG?

- IT IS PREDICTED THAT GLOBAL MEDIA MAY BECOME MORE POWERFUL THAN SOME GOVERNMENTS.

- IF GE WAS A COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE RICHER THAN 130 OTHER COUNTRIES BASED ON GNP.

- LOCAL COMMUNITIES IS WHERE THE MOST DIRECT DEMOCRACY TAKES PLACE. NO NATIONAL PAPER, MAGAZINE, OR NETWORK CAN CATER TO THE 65,000 DIFFERENT POLLING LOCALS ACROSS THE U.S.

- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS AS THESE MEDIA CORPORATIONS CONTINUE TO GROW?

- What is the government’s role in media consolidation?

- What is our role in media consolidation?

IS THE INTERNET THE ANSWER TO THE MEDIA CONSOLIDATION?