"Media Firms" presents studies applying the company level approach to media and communication firms. It explores differences among missions, strategies, organizational choices, and other business decisions. Reviewing economic factors and pressures on media and communications companies, this book seeks to improve understanding of how these elements affect market and company structures, operations, and performance of firms.
The chapters, written by leading scholars worldwide, were selected from papers on the theme of media firms presented at the 5th World Media Economics Conference hosted by the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration and "The Journal of Media Economics."
The collected studies provide:
*an overview of economic and related managerial issues affecting the structures of markets in which firms compete;
*the operations of media and communications firms; and
*their financial performance.
As a result, it expands the discussion of economic issues traditionally associated with the field due to narrowed focus of initial books in media economics. It is hoped that this book will induce additional avenues of inquiry regarding such issues.

At a time of growing interest in economic aspects of media, this edited volume presents a comprehensive and timely set of perspectives on key sectors of media and media infrastructures and related economic questions. Impressive in both scope and depth, this well-informed book guides readers through a compelling set of concepts and issues relevant to an increasingly internationalised contemporary media environment.' - Gillian Doyle, University of Glasgow, UK'This volume offers a comprehensive overview of modern approaches to media economics at a time of remarkable transition to new technologies and new business models.' - Bruce Owen, Stanford University, US Media industries and services present a complex set of challenges to economic analysis: challenges made more difficult by the technological changes that have been transforming the media sector. Research on the economics of media has made major advances in recent years and has contributed greatly to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of how media are shaped by economic forces, including those unleashed by new technologies. This Handbook examines the variety of contexts and infrastructures in which content is produced and distributed and how these influence the types of media products and services available, their pricing, their consumption and the public policies related to them. The original contributions provide a state-of-the-art guide to the most recent thinking and research findings on the broad range of media-related topics addressed by economics research. Written by leading scholars, this book should be informative and of practical value for advanced students, policy makers, industry professionals, economists, media economists, and other academics. Contributors: N. Adilov, P.J. Alexander, P. Barwise, B.J. Bates, T. Bjoerkroth, E. Castronova, B. Cunningham, A. Dukes, J.J. Gabszewicz, N. Geidner, L. George, M. Groenlund, S.W. Ji, C. Karlsson, H.J. Kind, I. Knowles, S.Y.Lee, J.D. Levy, A. Manduchi, J. Moen, R.G. Picard, J. Resende, T. Ross, P. Rouchy, N. Sonnac, R. Towse, D. Waterman, S. Wildman, Y.-X. Zhu

With digital media becoming ever more prevalent, it is essential to study policy and marketing strategies tailored to this new development. In this volume, contributors examine government policy for a range of media, including digital television, IPTV, mobile TV, and OTT TV. They also address marketing strategies that can harness the unique nature of digital media's innovation, production design, and accessibility. They draw on case studies in Asia, North America, and Europe to offer best practices for both policy and marketing strategies.

Media product portfolios are rapidly becoming the predominant shared characteristic of media companies worldwide. The phenomenon involves firms from all kinds of media--newspapers, magazines, television, radio, cinema--and is found in enterprises ranging from small, local firms to large, globalized companies. This volume is the result of a coordinated effort of scholars in the United States and Europe to explore the characteristics, processes, challenges, and implications of media product portfolios. This book breaks new ground by introducing the concepts of product portfolio management and applying them to media companies in a comprehensive manner. It draws from knowledge and methods of analyzing product portfolio management in other industries, applies that knowledge to media industries, and analyzes current practices in media firms. The process and issues of portfolio strategy, development, and management are complex and wide ranging. The book explores the development of media product portfolios from an interdisciplinary perspective, providing insight from business, economic, organizational, and communication approaches. The book explores why and how firms develop portfolios, how company strategy and organizational development relate to portfolios, the role of leaders in developing portfolio activities, economic and economic geography issues in portfolios, production issues, challenges in managing multiple products and operations, issues of marketing and branding issues in portfolios, personnel implications, and the unique challenges in the internationalization of media portfolio operations.

Media product portfolios are rapidly becoming the predominant shared characteristic of media companies worldwide. The phenomenon involves firms from all kinds of media--newspapers, magazines, television, radio, cinema--and is found in enterprises ranging from small, local firms to large, globalized companies. This volume is the result of a coordinated effort of scholars in the United States and Europe to explore the characteristics, processes, challenges, and implications of media product portfolios. This book breaks new ground by introducing the concepts of product portfolio management and applying them to media companies in a comprehensive manner. It draws from knowledge and methods of analyzing product portfolio management in other industries, applies that knowledge to media industries, and analyzes current practices in media firms. The process and issues of portfolio strategy, development, and management are complex and wide ranging. The book explores the development of media product portfolios from an interdisciplinary perspective, providing insight from business, economic, organizational, and communication approaches. The book explores why and how firms develop portfolios, how company strategy and organizational development relate to portfolios, the role of leaders in developing portfolio activities, economic and economic geography issues in portfolios, production issues, challenges in managing multiple products and operations, issues of marketing and branding issues in portfolios, personnel implications, and the unique challenges in the internationalization of media portfolio operations.

Digital technology for the production, transmission, and reception of television is expected to replace analogue transmission throughout the world. The timetable for this transition is uncertain and different projections have been made for virtually every country in the world. This book gives the exhaustive details of the issues of this changeover in Europe and elsewhere. The details are placed within the context of the massive changes, which the television industry has been subjected to over the past 25 years. The rollout of digital terrestrial television (DTTV) in Europe is a significant issue for every country included in this survey. It is of such importance because DTTV is the centerpiece of many governments' policies toward making Europe the world leader in new information and communication technologies. These same governments are all wrestling with the issues of how to use the technology in ways that create both commercial and non-commercial value. European perspectives on the social, cultural, and political nature of broadcasting vary significantly from those in other parts of the world and require that the introduction of DTTV should be handled differently to its introduction elsewhere. There are enormous technical, political, and economic aspects to be considered and these vary from country to country in Europe. The two editors bring a perspective to this study as media economists who come to the European scene from other parts of the world. The book covers DTTV in depth, and it also includes discussions of cable, satellite, broadband, and Internet technology for comparison.

Media Firms presents studies applying the company level approach to media and communication firms. It explores differences among missions, strategies, organizational choices, and other business decisions. Reviewing economic factors and pressures on media and communications companies, this book seeks to improve understanding of how these elements affect market and company structures, operations, and performance of firms. The chapters, written by leading scholars worldwide, were selected from papers on the theme of media firms presented at the 5th World Media Economics Conference hosted by the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration and The Journal of Media Economics. The collected studies provide: *an overview of economic and related managerial issues affecting the structures of markets in which firms compete; *the operations of media and communications firms; and *their financial performance. As a result, it expands the discussion of economic issues traditionally associated with the field due to narrowed focus of initial books in media economics. It is hoped that this book will induce additional avenues of inquiry regarding such issues.

At a time of growing interest in economic aspects of media, this edited volume presents a comprehensive and timely set of perspectives on key sectors of media and media infrastructures and related economic questions. Impressive in both scope and depth, this well-informed book guides readers through a compelling set of concepts and issues relevant to an increasingly internationalised contemporary media environment.' - Gillian Doyle, University of Glasgow, UK'This volume offers a comprehensive overview of modern approaches to media economics at a time of remarkable transition to new technologies and new business models.' - Bruce Owen, Stanford University, US Media industries and services present a complex set of challenges to economic analysis: challenges made more difficult by the technological changes that have been transforming the media sector. Research on the economics of media has made major advances in recent years and has contributed greatly to an increasingly sophisticated understanding of how media are shaped by economic forces, including those unleashed by new technologies. This Handbook examines the variety of contexts and infrastructures in which content is produced and distributed and how these influence the types of media products and services available, their pricing, their consumption and the public policies related to them. The original contributions provide a state-of-the-art guide to the most recent thinking and research findings on the broad range of media-related topics addressed by economics research. Written by leading scholars, this book should be informative and of practical value for advanced students, policy makers, industry professionals, economists, media economists, and other academics. Contributors: N. Adilov, P.J. Alexander, P. Barwise, B.J. Bates, T. Bjoerkroth, E. Castronova, B. Cunningham, A. Dukes, J.J. Gabszewicz, N. Geidner, L. George, M. Groenlund, S.W. Ji, C. Karlsson, H.J. Kind, I. Knowles, S.Y.Lee, J.D. Levy, A. Manduchi, J. Moen, R.G. Picard, J. Resende, T. Ross, P. Rouchy, N. Sonnac, R. Towse, D. Waterman, S. Wildman, Y.-X. Zhu

This impressive new volume uniquely focuses on the phenomenon of media clusters and is designed to inform policy makers, scholars, and media practitioners about the underlying challenges of media firm agglomerations, their potential, and their effects. Including an array of distinguished contributors, this book explores the rationale and purpose of media clusters, how they compare to clusters in other industries, and the significant differences in characteristics, development processes and drivers among various media clusters worldwide. It incorporates perspectives from economic geography and economics, public development and industrial policy, organizational studies, entrepreneurship, as well as cultural and media studies, to provide a comprehensive view that provides critical insight into these clusters. Contributors include: L. Achtenhagen, L. Barkho, T. Barnes, H. Bathelt, N. Coe, G. Cook, C. Davis, H. Dugmore, S. Eriksson, B. Goldsmith, E. Hitters, J. Johns, C. Karlsson, J. Mavhungu, T. O Regan, R.G. Picard, A.C. Pratt, S. Ward

With digital media becoming ever more prevalent, it is essential to study policy and marketing strategies tailored to this new development. In this volume, contributors examine government policy for a range of media, including digital television, IPTV, mobile TV, and OTT TV. They also address marketing strategies that can harness the unique nature of digital media's innovation, production design, and accessibility. They draw on case studies in Asia, North America, and Europe to offer best practices for both policy and marketing strategies.

In this updated and expanded edition of the acclaimed Economics and Financing of Media Companies, leading economist and media specialist Robert G. Picard employs business concepts and analyses to explore the operations and activities of media firms and the forces and issues affecting them.Picard has added new examples and new data, and he covers such emerging areas as the economics of digital media. Using contemporary examples from American and global media companies, the book contains a wealth of information, including useful charts and tables, important for both those who work in and study media industries. It goes beyond simplistic explanations to show how various internal and external forces direct and constrain decisions in media firms and the implications of the forces on the type of media and content offered today.

The vulnerability of journalists to kidnappings was starkly illustrated by the killing of James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic militants in 2014. Their murder underscored the risks taken by journalists and news organisations trying to cover developments in dangerous regions of the world and has forced news enterprises to more clearly prepare for and confront issues of safety. This book explores the complex organisational issues surrounding the capture or kidnapping of journalists in areas of conflict and risk. It explores how journalists 'becoming news' is covered and the implications of that coverage, how news organisations prepare for and respond to such events, and how kidnapping and ransom insurers, victim recovery firms, journalists' families, and governments influence the actions of news enterprises. It considers how and why journalists are kidnapped, how employers and journalists' organisations respond to kidnappings and why freelancers are particularly at risk as well as suggesting best practices for preventing and responding to kidnappings.

The Euro Crisis produced the most significant challenge to European integration in 60 years testing the structures and powers of the European Union and the Eurozone and threatening the common currency. This book explores how the financial and political crisis was portrayed in the European press and the implications of that coverage on public understanding of the developments, their causes, responsibilities for addressing the crisis, the roles and effectiveness of European institutions, and the implications for European integration and identity. It addresses factors that shaped news and analysis, the roles of European leaders, and the extent to which national and pan-European debates over the crisis occurred. In doing so, it provides a clear and readable explanation of what the portrayals tell us about Europe and European integration in the early twenty-first century."

The Economics and Financing of Media Companies employs business concepts and analyses to explore the operations and activities of media firms and the forces and issues affecting them. The book is a wide-ranging survey of the structures and operations of various media, including their business characteristics and business models, how they differ from other products and services, how they are structured and operated, why failure rates are so high and how media companies cope with that failure, how digitalization has helped and harmed media, the changing roles of audiences and advertisers, and how distribution systems affect company structures, costs, and operations. The book contains a wealth of information important for both those who work in and study media industries and companies. It goes beyond simplistic explanations to explain how various internal and external forces direct and constrain decisions in media firms and the implications of the forces on the type of media and content offered today.

"This book analyses issues of the internet and mass media in a rapidly changing environment. It covers a wide range of fundamentals which will be in effect for a longer time, and reflects the benefits of international and interdisciplinary collaboration." - Heinz-Werner Nienstedt, President, European Media Management Education Association "This excellent book will be of great use to researchers, teachers and students interested in the relationship between the Internet and the mass media and it offers an invaluable contribution to the literature. The overall picture that emerges from this book is one that is very balanced, stressing both the radical potential of the internet and the ways in which the various media sectors have experienced the impact differently." - Colin Sparks, University of Westminster What impact has the Internet really had on the media industries? What new regulatory policies and business models are driven by the Internet? And what are the effects of the Internet on how we produce, access and consume music, film, television and other media content? After an initial flurry of analysis and prediction of the future of the dot com boom, this is the first book to review the developments of the first Internet era and investigate its actual outcomes. Bringing together sophisticated analyses from leading scholars in the field, The Internet and the Mass Media explores the far-reaching implications of the Internet from economic, regulatory, strategic and organizational perspectives. This cross-disciplinary, international view is essential for a rich, nuanced understanding of the many technological, economic, and social changes the Internet has brought to the way we live and work.

This book is the first to address the problem of economic concentration and monolopoly in the newspaper industry. Some of the chapters are written from an economic standpoint and deal with the factors that bring about this occurence with the resulting effect that economic conditions have on newspapers' content. The volume also deals with public policy issues involving antitrust, joint operating agreements and other actions. This study provides pragmatic, reliable, independent information about the results of concentration and monopoly and considers their impact on concrete issues such as news diversity, employee relations, advertising rates, and concern for public service, among others.

"This book analyses issues of the internet and mass media in a rapidly changing environment. It covers a wide range of fundamentals which will be in effect for a longer time, and reflects the benefits of international and interdisciplinary collaboration." - Heinz-Werner Nienstedt, President, European Media Management Education Association "This excellent book will be of great use to researchers, teachers and students interested in the relationship between the Internet and the mass media and it offers an invaluable contribution to the literature. The overall picture that emerges from this book is one that is very balanced, stressing both the radical potential of the internet and the ways in which the various media sectors have experienced the impact differently." - Colin Sparks, University of Westminster What impact has the Internet really had on the media industries? What new regulatory policies and business models are driven by the Internet? And what are the effects of the Internet on how we produce, access and consume music, film, television and other media content? After an initial flurry of analysis and prediction of the future of the dot com boom, this is the first book to review the developments of the first Internet era and investigate its actual outcomes. Bringing together sophisticated analyses from leading scholars in the field, The Internet and the Mass Media explores the far-reaching implications of the Internet from economic, regulatory, strategic and organizational perspectives. This cross-disciplinary, international view is essential for a rich, nuanced understanding of the many technological, economic, and social changes the Internet has brought to the way we live and work.

This textbook focuses on how media and communications policy is made and what influences its design. It explores the structures and processes in which policymaking takes place worldwide, the factors that determine its forms, influence its elements, and affect its outcomes. It explores how to analyze policy proposals, evaluate policy, and use policy studies approaches to examine policy and policymaking. Truly international in scope, it lays out the variety of political, social, economic, and institutional influences on policy, the roles of industries and policy advocates in the processes, and issues and factors that complicate effective policymaking and skew policy outcomes. This textbook is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.