Overview

This succinct overview explains conglomeration and regulation in the film and television industries, covering its history as well as the contemporary scene. Former producer William M. Kunz shows how the current structure of these industries has evolved and how this structure impacts the production and distribution of cultural products. Providing a critical view without taking a political stance, Kunz focuses on film and TV in order to give an in-depth portrait of these industries and their dynamic relationship to each other. Ideal as a supplement for a variety of media courses_such as media and society, policy, economics, and criticism_this student-friendly text includes synopses of key media regulations and policies, discussion questions, a glossary, and interesting sidebars.

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9780742540651

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Reviews

Kunz's book is a marvelous addition to the large body of literature on the media industries from a political economy perspective. He asks some fundamental questions about the high degree of concentration in film and television industries and its relationship to the failure of corporate media to create an informed citizenry. Equally important, Kunz demonstrates how the U.S. government and the dominant corporations have worked hand in hand since Ronald Reagan's presidency to create this situation in the United States. The book is well researched, well argued, and lucidly written. This is not 'abstract' empiricism but solid political-economic research that will be useful for researching and teaching for years to come.--Manjunath Pendakur

Culture Conglomerates: Consolidation in the Motion Picture and Television Industries...offers a new analysis of the growing consolidation in the visual media-film and television. Communication Booknotes Quarterly, December 2008 Kunz's book is a marvelous addition to the large body of literature on the media industries from a political economy perspective. He asks some fundamental questions about the high degree of concentration in film and television industries and its relationship to the failure of corporate media to create an informed citizenry. Equally important, Kunz demonstrates how the U.S. government and the dominant corporations have worked hand in hand since Ronald Reagan's presidency to create this situation in the United States. The book is well researched, well argued, and lucidly written. This is not 'abstract' empiricism but solid political-economic research that will be useful for researching and teaching for years to come. -- Manjunath Pendakur, Southern Illinois University

Culture Conglomerates: Consolidation in the Motion Picture and Television Industries...offers a new analysis of the growing consolidation in the visual media-film and television. * Communication Booknotes Quarterly, December 2008 * Kunz's book is a marvelous addition to the large body of literature on the media industries from a political economy perspective. He asks some fundamental questions about the high degree of concentration in film and television industries and its relationship to the failure of corporate media to create an informed citizenry. Equally important, Kunz demonstrates how the U.S. government and the dominant corporations have worked hand in hand since Ronald Reagan's presidency to create this situation in the United States. The book is well researched, well argued, and lucidly written. This is not 'abstract' empiricism but solid political-economic research that will be useful for researching and teaching for years to come. -- Manjunath Pendakur, Southern Illinois University

Author Information

William M. Kunz is assistant professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington at Tacoma. He has also worked as a vice president and senior producer at Turner Broadcasting and as a producer with ABC Sports and NBC Sports.

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