Conglomeration with TV and Movie Industry

How has conglomeration changed the movie and television industry? For starters a lot of the media we see and hear today has trended towards conglomeration. In many ways conglomeration can be a positive change for the television and movie industry because it increases their profit when they own more than one company. However, like any decision people make there are negatives that push people away from joining companies. Creativity is one loss; some people feel that if you put all these television and movie companies together, it will be harder to see diversity. With independent companies, it clearly shows what makes them different from any other station or producer.

An example of conglomeration posted on "www.uwlax.edu" states, "that is why American broadcast networks have been so keen to create or to acquire sister cable channels on which they can repackage their content. Such channels helped News Corporation, for instance, to draw bigger audiences to “24”, a cleverly crafted drama series set in a counter-terrorism unit. Made by Fox television and aired on the Fox network, the series is repeated throughout the week on FX, Fox's cable channel. The principle also applies internationally. MTV, for instance, owned by Viacom, has already attracted its best-ever American audiences to “The Osbournes”, an oddly compelling reality-TV show depicting the baffling antics of a former heavy-metal singer and his family. MTV now plans to show the hit series on its channels around the world."This ultimately enables more viewers across the world, and can essentially help the television make more money.

Although it helps companies make more of a profit, it continues to lack originality for various companies. Many individuals fear that all television and movie companies will be too much to handle if they all turn to conglomeration. It poses the question- although profitable, is MTV really "music television" anymore?

-Taylor Johnson