Media Hegemonies

Media is a large part of society today. Whenever we go outside, we see millions of media all around us. They are in people's clothing and haircuts, billboards, newspapers and magazines, in television, movies, and music. There are certain media owners within our society that have a hegemony over the others, or a dominance in other words. NBC National is one of these media hegemonies.

NBC Universal is known throughout the world as one of the leading media and entertainment companies. They development, market and distribute news and information to the masses. NBC has been around for a while, but NBC Universal has only been around since May 2004 (all information taken from http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Company_Overview/). In May 2004, NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment joined forces, and created NBC Universal. With this cross-media ownership, NBC own 80% of the company, and Vivendi Universal Entertainment owns 20%. With this ownership, NBC Universal was able to expand and enter into many different types of entertainment. NBC Universal airs television dramas, comedies, reality TV shows, Late Night and Daytime television, and even shows geared towards children. For over 75 years, NBC has been involved in the deliverance of the news. With the combination with Vivendi, NBC Universal has been able to reach out to a larger audience and expand their television involvement. NBC National also shows many different sporting events each day, and even seasonal sports, like the Olympics.

There are also a few websites under the control of NBC Universal, like www.nbcni.com, www.nbc.com, and www.nbcsports.com. With the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, the world has had access to several different television, radio, and internet, and other entertainment sources that are under the jurisdiction of this company.

However, it is questionable as to whether or not the cross-ownership of this media is a good thing. There have been some disputes about this over the years. People wish to see a diversity in who owns what media within the world, as there are many companies, like NBC Universal, that own all three types of media outlets (television, radio, newspaper). With cross-media ownership, there are many companies that own all three forms of media, and this can jeopardize the diversity of the media in the world today.

Also, with cross-media ownership, it is possible for two main distributors of a media form could merge together to form one, which would create zero possibilities of difference, and take away any choice the person would have, as there would really only be one option.

This is what people are afraid of, and it is rightfully so. If companies keep merging to form one, there will be a large lack of choice in the media we have to chose. It looks as though there would be one company control each media outlet, and that would be your choice. I think cross-media ownership should be discouraged as it will completely take away all choice people will have in choosing their providers.