The Illusion of Choice [infographic]

It seems like in today’s world there are fewer and fewer people making choices for the greater good. What I mean to say is that everything in our world seems to be able to be consolidated. The media of course is no exception to this trend with only 6 major companies dictating about 90% of the media we have access to. In less than 30 years the number of companies providing us with our media has dropped from 50 to just 6. The six companies consisting of GE, New-corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. If your wondering who owns the major networks its CBS of course, GE owns NBC, News-corp owns fox, and Disney owns ABC.

A reason for concern is the gross misrepresentation have so few companies controlling so much causes. According to today’s infogaphic Media Consolidaiton: The Illusion of Choice there is one media executive to every 850,000 subscribers. It’s kind of like representative government except you don’t get to choose who represents you and there is no better option.

If the free market had truly decided who was the winner and loser I would have no problem with there just being six companies running our media. However the path to success for these companies was not so honorable. Some of these companies even though they’re some of the most profitable in the world don’t even end up paying taxes. Crazy how the average citizen who probably only makes enough to get by has to pay more proportionately than one of these powerhouses.

---

.
Media Consolidation:
THE ILUJSION OF CHOICE
Media has never been more consolidated. 6 media giants now
control a staggering 9 0 % of what we read, watch, or listen to.
CONSOLI DATION
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
THESE SIX COMPANIES ARE:
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
That’s $36 billion more
than Finland’s GDP...
232 MEDIA EXECUTIVES CONTROL
THE INFORMATION DIET OF
277 MILLION AMERICANS
That’s 1 media exec to 850,000 subscribers
 
An audience the size of San Francisco
TELEVISION
Control of 1 of every 5
hours of television
Monopoly of n U.S. markets
like NYC & Chicago
‘
NEWS
CNN TIME HUFF
— BE POST
I I
178 MILLION UNIQUE USERS
READ TIME WARNER NEWS
EVERY MONTH

That’s 2x Digg, Tumblr
and Reddit, combined...
... and also almost 3x
Google News
NEWS CORP OWNS THE TOP
NEWSPAPER ON 3 CONTINENTS
In 2010, they avoided $875 m in U.S. taxes
Enough to double
FEMA’s budget...

... or fund NPR for
40 years
4(15
RADIO
Everywhere else in the United States,
80% OF STATIONS’ PLAYLISTS MATCH
“Mrs. Robinson” has aired 6 million times
THAT’S 32 YEARS
OF BACK-TO-BACK,
NON-STOP PLAY
Listening to
«Mrs. Robinson”
for the first time
Age 3
Still listening to
“Mrs. Robinson”
32 years later
Age 35
MOVIES
The Big Six’s box office sales hit si billion in 2010
THAT’S 2X THE BOX OFFICE SALES OF
THE NEXT 140 STUDIOS


MERGERS
AOL SPENT $124 BILLION TO
BUY TIME WARNER IN 2001
That’s 6x what Congress funded to rebuild Iraq
Enabled by FCC deregulation and a decades-long orgy of mergers and
acquisitions, these 6 giants dominate our media landscape. Until regulations
return, (or they buy each other out of existence) they will continue to control
90% of everything Americans see, hear and consider important.
ELND
Brought to you by
FRUGAL DAD
fron a 5..d. b.sc ca,l packag.
,..r, —‘—‘-,•—‘r-————-•••,——’-,’—,-—,’—’
_..1_1.__ hn,,no,nL...hn,,nnc I k..
._L:L_l.H—l__ (t____1 CJ .J...
___J —- k_._ -----
http:llwt.wbmi.com/r..w,u.nfr,tf232893
http:ffoxoffic,mojo.com/yIdiit/?yr’.2OIDpitm
htp:l.epmcocomjpi424flptinLdm
F.V.JeF.ni.*g.pd
httll.n.w.ðiaorgfwNFL.ttendance
1983
2011
In 1983, 90% of American
media was owned by 50
companies
In 2011, that same 90% is
controlled by 6 companies
GE
Notable t
Properties:
COMCAST
NBC
UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
FOCUS
FEATURES
V,.
e
NEWS- I
CORP
Notable
Properties:
FOX
WALL STREET
JOURNAL
NEW YORK
POST
DISNEY
Notable
Properties:
ABC
ESPN
PIXAR
MIRANAX
MARVEL
STUDIOS
VIACOM
Notable
Properties:
MTV
NECK JR
BET
CMT
PARAMOUNT
PICTURES
TIME
WARNER
Notable
Properties:
CNN
HBO
TIME
WARNER
BROS
CBS
Notable
Properties:
SHOWTIME
SMITHSONIAN
CHANNEL
NFL.COM
JEOPARDY
60 MINUTES
TOTAL 2010 REVENUE FOR THE BIG SIX WAS
$275.9 BILLION
... enough to buy every
NFL team 12 time8...
... and sx the government
bailout of General Motors
3,762 business contribute 30%
J
Comeast’s NBC merger guarantees:
In 1995, The FCC forbade companies to own over 40 stations yet
CLEAR CHANNEL OWNS
1,200 STATIONS
In Minot, ND they own every station
**
$7 billion : billion