Description
Book SynopsisThis succinct overview explains conglomeration and regulation in the film and television industries, covering its history as well as the contemporary scene. Former producer William M. Kunz shows how the current structure of these industries has evolved and how this structure impacts the production and distribution of cultural products. Providing a critical view without taking a political stance, Kunz focuses on film and TV in order to give an in-depth portrait of these industries and their dynamic relationship to each other. Ideal as a supplement for a variety of media courses_such as media and society, policy, economics, and criticism_this student-friendly text includes synopses of key media regulations and policies, discussion questions, a glossary, and interesting sidebars.
Trade ReviewCulture Conglomerates: Consolidation in the Motion Picture and Television Industries...offers a new analysis of the growing consolidation in the visual media—film and television. * Communication Booknotes Quarterly, December 2008 *
Kunz's book is a marvelous addition to the large body of literature on the media industries from a political economy perspective. He asks some fundamental questions about the high degree of concentration in film and television industries and its relationship to the failure of corporate media to create an informed citizenry. Equally important, Kunz demonstrates how the U.S. government and the dominant corporations have worked hand in hand since Ronald Reagan's presidency to create this situation in the United States. The book is well researched, well argued, and lucidly written. This is not 'abstract' empiricism but solid political-economic research that will be useful for researching and teaching for years to come. -- Manjunath Pendakur, Southern Illinois University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Why Ownership Matters Chapter 2 Conglomeration in the Motion Picture Industry Chapter 3 Conglomeration in the Broadcast Television Industry Chapter 4 Patterns of Ownership in Motion Picture Distribution Chapter 5 Patterns of Ownership in Prime Time Network Programming Chapter 6 Conglomeration in Cable and Satellite Television Systems and Services Chapter 7 Why Ownership Matters, Revisited Chapter 8 Discussion Questions Chapter 9 Terms and Concepts 10 Selected Bibliography
