NationStates Jolt Archive

Sometimes it surprises me how centralized American business and media is, and how such a small number of companies can control so much. So, for all you anti-corporate paranoiacs out there, here's a handy list of a few of America's leading monopolies:

VIACOM controls:
CBS, UPN, MTV, VH1, Spike TV, TV Land, CMT, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks, Blockbuster Video, BET, Simon & Schuster Publishing, Comedy Central, Neopets, iFilm, Sega, Electronic Arts

TIME WARNER controls:
CNN, AOL, Compuserve, Mapquest, ICQ, Moviefone, HBO, Cinemax, TBS, TNT, The WB, Warner Bros. Pictures, Court TV, TIME Magazine, Life Magazine, People Magazine, Warner Books, DC Comics, New Line Cinemas, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, Popular Science, Sports Illustrated

DISNEY controls:
Walt Disney Pictures, The Disney Channel, Disneyworld, Disneyland, Eurodisney, Disney's California Adventure, the town of Celebration, Florida, ABC television networks, ESPN, A&E, Lifetime, E!, Pixar, Disney Radio Network, Disney Cruise Lines, Miramax Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Motion Pictures, Discover magazine, Us Weekly, Hyperion Books

GENERAL ELECTRIC controls:
NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Bravo, SciFi Channel, TiVo, Independent Film Channel (hah!), American Movie Classics, Telemundo, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios, Universal Theme Parks, Focus Features

NEWS CORPORATION controls:
Fox, Fox News, FX, SPEED Channel, Harper-Collins Publishers, The New York Post, TV Guide, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Zondervan Publishing, MySpace, IGN

PROCTOR & GAMBLE controls:
Bounty, Braun, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Febreze, Folgers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Iams, Olay, Pampers, Pantene, Pringles, Tide, Aussie, Bounce, Cascade, Cheer, CoverGirl, Eukanuba, Fixodent, Gain, Herbal Essences, Ivory Soap, Joy, Luvs, Max Factor, Metamucil, Mr. Clean, Noxzema, NyQuil, Olay, Old Spice, Pepto-Bismol, Pert, Physique, Prilosec OTC, Puffs, Scope, Secret, Sure, Swiffer, Tampax, Sunny Delight,Venus, Vicks, Vidal Sassoon, Wick, Zest

ALTRIA GROUP controls:
Phillip Morris cigarettes, Marlboro cigarettes, Miller Beer, Kraft Foods, Post Cereals, Nabisco, Maxwell House, Oscar Meyer

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY controls:
Geico, American Express, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom, Wesco Financial Corporation, The Buffalo News, Gillette

SONY controls:
Columbia TriStar, MGM, United Artists, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Plastation (1, 2, and 3), Sony PSP, Columbia Records, Games Show Network

Well some of them are simply self-evident, given that they are products of the corporations (like Sony PS or The Disney Channel? duh). I can't say it's anything of significance.

VIACOM controls:
Neopets


T4E E\/1L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't help but laugh, I really can't.

Well some of them are simply self-evident, given that they are products of the corporations (like Sony PS or The Disney Channel? duh). I can't say it's anything of significance.
I guess that's true. But some of these are non-intuitive. Viacom controls CBS? General Electric controls MSNBC? News Corporation controls MySpace? Geico and American Express are controlled by the same company? It's a bit surprising, if you ask me.

They rule. (theyrule.net)

I guess that's true. But some of these are non-intuitive. Viacom controls CBS? General Electric controls MSNBC? News Corporation controls MySpace? Geico and American Express are controlled by the same company? It's a bit surprising, if you ask me.
The result of corporate mergers, acquisitions, sell-offs etc. It seems surprising at first glance, but it's all business in the end. The number of brands out there is huge. The fact that these corporations have their own fair share of them is thus only natural.

I guess that's true. But some of these are non-intuitive. Viacom controls CBS? General Electric controls MSNBC? News Corporation controls MySpace? Geico and American Express are controlled by the same company? It's a bit surprising, if you ask me.
Not really.

Viacom is a news media firm that was originally spun off of CBS for various reasons. After a while, the services provided by Viacom became so popular that the company dwarfed CBS, and it was only natural for Viacom to absorb CBS.

GE has long been in the television business, it's fairly logical for such a large firm to be able to invest in such a media outlet. Diversification.

News Corp is a firm built around the media. All types of media. And what is Myspace (besides devilish and evil, of course) other than just another media sort. It offers great advertising space, and Newscorp is great at bringing in the advertising dollars.

Geico and American Express are also logical. Insurance is a business that needs finance. Credit card companies control an awful lot of cash and are capable of finance. It's a natural combination.

But then again, these companies can be split apart and sold off just as easily; conglomerates usually only stay conglomerates if that produces revenue and increases profits...if it doesn't, divisions will be spun off and new companies might even be taken public, like Mastercard for example.

But then again, these companies can be split apart and sold off just as easily; conglomerates usually only stay conglomerates if that produces revenue and increases profits...if it doesn't, divisions will be spun off and new companies might even be taken public, like Mastercard for example.
Yep. In addition, the fact that the world's leading corporations are classed as the Fortune 500 should give away the sheer number of firms out there. The 500 are just the top ones. Not all corporations.

At least 90% of Disney's holdings are Disney itself. :rolleyes:

At least 90% of Disney's holdings are Disney itself. :rolleyes:
Nearly the same for Sony. Like I said, the thread is kinda superfluous.

Ladies and gents... behold, zee new American flag:

http://homepage.mac.com/reillymorse/handsboroblue/C2042901151/E136605957/Media/16-flag.jpg

At least 90% of Disney's holdings are Disney itself. :rolleyes:

The wonders of monopolistic competition; a lot of buyers, a lot of sellers, and a hell of a lot of brand names...some of which exist within the same company.

NEWS CORPORATION controls:
Fox, Fox News, MySpace, IGN
Does anyone other than me realize just how absolutely hilarious this is?

Yes It's hilarious, but from many perspectives...

Its funny, its not who is at the head of these groupings or in fact the groupings they are in, or even the reasons why they became groups in the first place, it is what they are doing with these groups, that is what is funny, is it not....

They rule. (theyrule.net)
Somebody's got to run things.

They rule. (theyrule.net)
Yeah that's scary, This proves Disney is part of the War profitter group.

Somebody's got to run things.

And I suppose they're preferable to, say, Pat Robertson.

We're PWN'd by companies!!!! THIS SUCKS!!! :mad:

They rule. (theyrule.net)
This is a fun site (for "fun" read: "terrifying"). My favorite part is the 6-Degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon-type tool where you can connect major corporations by their shared board members. If you really want to know just how little competition there is this so-called free market, play with that.

run for the hills the big businesses will rape your children and steal your wife.

And I suppose they're preferable to, say, Pat Robertson.
Yes.