Technology Convergence is All around Us Essays

Technology Convergence is All around Us Essays Technology Convergence is All around Us Essay Technology Convergence is All around Us Essay It snatched up Paramount Communications for $9. 5 billion. That brought Paramount Pictures, Television and theme parks into the fold. Later that same year, Victim purchased Blockbuster Entertainment for $7. Billion. With more than 4,000 video stores across the country, Blockbuster holds nearly 25 percent of the market share. And in April 2000, the Federal Communications Commission approved Fiascos newest acquisition, CBS Corp.. The deal brought to Victim the network giants 38 television stations and 162 radio stations. Victim itself is owned by National Amusements, Inc. A family-held corporation that runs 1,390 movie theatres in the United States, the United Kingdom and Latin America. Questions to Ponder 1 . Video sales and rentals account for a huge share of the American movie-viewing publics consumption. Should other motion picture producers be concerned that Paramount Pictures is owned by the same company that owns Blockbuster video outlets? What would those concerns be? Should co nsumers be similarly concerned? 2. Scholars and media experts have long argued about the cultural influence of entertainment fare. At issue are our society cultural norms and whether media depictions of ethnic/racial groups, gender relationships, economic issues and social class status relationships are influenced. How influential to culture do you think Victim Inc. Has been, or has the potential to be? Is this influence beneficial or detrimental to societal culture? CASE STUDY 2: The Tribune Company The Tribune Company, in Chicago, was known a generation ago for its flagship, nationally renowned newspaper, The Chicago Tribune. In 1993 the company Joined with local cable company Chicago Land Television. The cable news outlet operated from a facility in the Tribunes newsroom. This was the first serious merger of what had been separate media, newspapers and television. The company also eventually created the first converged Washington bureau. Today, the company owns 26 major arrest television stations, including national superstition WAG-TV, radio station WAG in Chicago; interests in the Warner Brothers TV network, and daily and weekly newspapers in English and Spanish. The company also publishes educational materials and owns the Chicago Cubs baseball team. It has interests in nearly 20 online information providers, including the largest Internet access company in the world, America Online, which it bought into in 1991. Tribune is a Fortune 500 company, with 2002 revenues of $5. 4 billion. In March 2000, Tribune Company announced its merger with The Times Mirror Company, publisher of The Los Angels Times and other newspapers and magazines. Questions to Ponder 1 . Ordinarily, different news media have separate groups of reporters newspaper, radio and television. In such a circumstance, the different reporters may find different points to emphasize or dig out different sets of information. What are possible implications of having the same set of Journalists producing a news story for the different media? Will the story essentially remain the same, or will reporters still find different aspects of the story to emphasize, depending on the medium they write for? 2. Print Journalists say their form of Journalism offers depth and context that broadcasters cant afford because of time constraints. Broadcast Journalists say their brand of Journalism offers immediacy, sound and pictures that print cant match. But while each boasts different strengths, does competition still exist between print and broadcast media? Is one form better than another? Top of Form Bottom of Form Case study 3: The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, was formerly known as Walt Disney Productions. Within the last two decades, the epitome of family movie-making success has become a lit-media giant under the direction of CEO Michael Eisner (1942- ). Early on, the company, founded by brothers Walter and Roy Disney, showed a knack for marketing diversity in entertainment. After building the most successful animation and family film studio in the world, the family-owned company started its own theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, Cilia. Disneys theme parks now entertain families on both coasts and in Europe and Japan. Michael Eisner brought rapid expansion when he took over in 1984. Eisner had already established himself as an entertainment genius at American Broadcasting Co. ND Paramount Pictures. He revamped Disneys structure and added to its film repertoire by creating Touchstone Pictures, which produced movies with more mature themes. Disney was already big five film studios, two record companies, three printing companies, four magazines, the theme parks, and the Mighty Ducks National Hockey League franchise. Then, in July 1995, in one of the largest corporate acquisitions in history, Disney bought another media- merged giant, Capital Cities/BBC Inc. , for $19 billion. Capital Cities Communications had already bought BBC for $3. 5 billion in March, 1985. The acquisition added to Disneys empire the BBC Television Network (with 225 affiliated stations); ten broadcast television stations (reaching 25 percent of the U. S. Market); four cable TV networks (ESP., ASPEN, Lifetime Television, and A; Television); 21 radio stations; two more publishing companies; seven daily newspapers; and six international media companies in Luxembourg, Paris, London, Tokyo and Munich. Since then, the company has continued to grow. In 2002, the company had revenues of more than $25 billion. The news, information, and entertainment products of these companies often appear as separate entities to the audience in general: we go to a movie theater or attend a hockey game; we turn on the television or flip through a magazine. But the scope of Disneys empire can be seen in subtle, yet all- encompassing fashion on the Internet. Just go to the Web site of the Walt Disney Internet Group, www. Go. Com its all there. Questions to ponder: 1 . Many consumers may not realize that the same company that built a reputation on such family fare as Mackey Mouse and Snow White has also has interest in psychological thrillers like The Sixth Sense and raunchy comedy like Deuce Abigail: Male Gigolo. Many corporations have similar diverse products, such as Altair, which not only owns the Philip Morris tobacco company, but also owns Kraft Foods, Inc. And is part owner of the Miller Brewing Co. Should such diversity influence consumers opinions about a company? How could such influence affect a company like Disney? Evaluation: due on July 22, 2013 Make a summary of your Report; discuss what have you learned in completing the task, indicate the problems you have encountered and how you are able to solve them. (Insert your name and a word count at the bottom of your individual Evaluation) DUE DATES