142 Reading: Who Owns the Media?
Introduction
Massive corporations dominate the U.S. media landscape. Through a history of mergers and acquisitions, these companies have concentrated their control over what we see, hear and read. In many cases, these companies control everything from initial production to final distribution. In the interactive charts below we reveal who owns what.
TV and Radio
Broadcasters make billions in profits while using the public airwaves for free. In return, they are supposed to provide programming that fulfills community needs. Instead, lobbyists have successfully fought to make it easier for broadcast companies to gobble up even more free airspace while doing less to serve the public.
Take Action to end the big broadcast swindle.
Bain Capital/Thomas H. Lee Partners (Clear Channel)
- 2011 Revenue: $6.2 billion
- Company Overview: These private equity firms own Clear Channel, the largest radio station owner in the country. Approximately half of the company’s revenue is generated from radio broadcasting. The remaining half comes from advertising companies and other investments.
- Radio: 866 radio stations and Premiere Radio Networks (a national radio network that produces, distributes or represents approximately 90 syndicated radio programs, serves nearly 5,800 radio station affiliates and has over 213 million weekly listeners. Programs include the Rush Limbaugh Show, Glenn Beck and the Sean Hannity Show); Fox Sports Radio; Fox News Radio; Australian Radio Network
- Other: Katz Media (radio advertising broker); American Outdoor Advertising
CBS Corporation
- 2011 Revenue: $14.2 billion
- Company Overview: CBS Corporation “has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and the CW — a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime Networks, Smithsonian Networks and CBS Sports Network), local television (CBS television stations), television production and syndication (CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), motion pictures (CBS Films) and socially responsible media (EcoMedia).”
- TV: Twenty-nine television stations and CBS Television Studios; CBS Entertainment; CBS News; CBS Sports; CBS television stations; CBS Television Studios; CBS Studios International; CBS Television Distribution; the CW; Showtime; CBS College Sports Network; CBS Television Network; Smithsonian Networks
- Radio: CBS Radio and 130 radio stations
- Online Holdings: CBS Interactive; CNET
- Print: Simon & Schuster; Watch! Magazine; Pocket Books; Scribner; Free Press (publishing house)
- Entertainment: CBS Films
- Other: CBS Outdoor; CBS Connections; EcoMedia
Comcast Cor