This presentation is focused on media companies and media markets. While there are standard definitions of these terms, it is evident that technology is making a difference in the way we define different sectors of the media. The aim is to understand the way technology is key in media growth, and reaching a wider audience by forming partnerships with other companies outside the media industry.

1. SCC 301 WEEK 1
How Media Firms and Markets
Operate.

3. Media Company definition
 A media company is a company that is
specialised in production and delivery of media in
the form of digital, audio, video, print and events.
 Media companies are designed to connect and
strengthen the relationship between the medium's
audience and the sponsor of the medium.
 The media has long been referred to as the
Fourth Estate. A societal or political force or
institution whose influence is not consistently or
officially recognized.

4. What is a Media Company
today?
 1) Tolman Geffs, Managing Director, The
Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.: "Media companies
bring content to audiences. That's what Google
does, with the content comprising unique
aggregated search results. Aggregation may
seem like a new form of content, but directories
have been around forever. Yes, Google is also a
navigation tool. So is the telephone, but that does
not mean that yellow pages directories are not

5. What is a Media Company
today?
 2) A former journalist turned technologist at a
major media company: "I define a media
company as an organization whose core
competency is the CREATION of information
content which is sold as a 'product' and
disseminated to information consumers via one or
more publishing technologies, including print
publishing, radio & TV broadcasting, and internet
publishing. ... I feel that CREATION is the key to
defining a media company, as CREATORS and
their content really define a media company's
position in the marketplace and their corporate
culture."

6. What is a Media Company
today?
 3)David M. Scott, Freshspot Marketing LLC: "A
media company should be defined not by
technology, nor business model (advertising-
supported vs. paid), but rather by the audience.
Any property that successfully aggregates an
audience through content is a media company.

7.  Based on this definition, I believe that
Amazon.com is a highly successful media
company because it aggregates an audience by
successfully delivering content from book
publishers and product manufacturers (in the
form of product definitions and specifications) as
well as reviews of books and other products
contributed by consumers." - David M. Scott

8. Media Markets
 A media market is a region where the population
can receive the same (or similar) television and
radio station offerings, and may also include other
types of media including newspapers and Internet
content.
 Media markets can coincide or overlap with 1 or
more metropolitan areas, though rural regions
with few significant population centers can also
be designated as markets.
 Conversely, very large metropolitan areas can
sometimes be subdivided into multiple segments.
Market regions may overlap, meaning that people
residing on the edge of one media market may be

9. Media Market & Audience
 Media markets are widely used in audience
measurements, which are compiled in the United
States by Nielsen Media Research (television)
and Arbitron (radio).

10.  Markets are identified by the largest city, which
are usually located in the center of the market
region.
 Geography and the fact that some metropolitan
areas have large cities separated by some
distance can make markets have unusual shapes
and result in two, three, or more names being
used to identify a single region (such as Langata-
Kibera, Nairobi;).
 In North America, radio markets are generally a
bit smaller than their television counterparts, as
broadcast power restrictions are stricter for radio
than TV, and TV reaches further via cable.
 This information is used by advertisers to
determine how to reach a specific audience.

11.  AM band and FM band radio ratings are
sometimes separated, as are broadcast and
cable television.
 Market researchers also subdivide ratings
demographically between different age
groups, genders, and ethnic backgrounds; as well
as psychographically (study of
personality, values, attitudes, interests, and
lifestyles) between income levels and other non-
physical factors.
 In countries such as the United Kingdom, a
government body defines the media markets. In
the United States, media regions are defined by a
privately held institution, without government

12. Changing Media Markets
 According to Robert G. Picard, (academic expert
on media economics) there is a shift of media
market definitions from traditional platform-based
definitions to functional definitions.
 Media product platform definitions are losing their
specificity and uniqueness due to digitalization
and cross-platform distribution developments.
 Newspapers are becoming news
providers, delivering news and information via
print, online, mobile, and other platforms;
broadcasters are moving off the radio
spectrum, exploiting not only other streaming and
video-on-demand opportunities, but also text-
based communication on web and mobile

14. Technology and Media Markets
 Seth Norton (Prof. Business) believes the media
market is more competitive than ever and new
forms of media are expanding the market, which
will affect everyone in the media business.
 “For people in the existing media it may cause
some problems. It will affect your life, too. I view it
favorably, and most people view it favorably as
consumers.”
 Consumers have more options than ever to get
news, a market is no longer defined by just a
town's newspaper.

15.  Viewership of TV stations and use of the Internet
are also shaping the market.
 “It gets tricky as to what constitutes a market, I
don't know the exact answer to that.” As people
are seeking different media sources, like the
Internet, media monopolies are weakened.
 Media conglomerates like The New York Times
and Chicago Tribune, companies that own
newspapers, radio and television stations, aren't
true conglomerates because they aren't
expanding into other industries.
 Media conglomerates tend to be narrower than
traditional conglomerates in other industries, but
they are getting broader by going into movie
production and the Internet.

17. James Bond & Sony

18. Relevance of the phone?
 April 13, 2011 – Sony Pictures Entertainment will
remain in the James Bond business after
reaching an agreement with MGM to co-finance
and theatrically market and distribute Bond 23
worldwide, it was announced today by MGM Co-
Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers Gary
Barber and Roger Birnbaum and Sony Pictures
Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton and Co-
Chairman Amy Pascal.
 Sony will release the next film (Skyfall) in this
iconic franchise on November 9, 2012 throughout
the world except for select International
territories, where MGM will directly oversee
distribution.

20. Reflection Paper
 Consider the classroom analysis of the James
Bond film, „Skyfall‟ and the Sony Xperia mobile
phone. Search online for an article that details
„Nokia and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Announce Mobile Content Agreement‟

21. Details of your Reflection Paper
1. The films „Skyfall‟ and „Man of Steel‟ have both
signed content distribution deals with mobile
phone companies. What is the link between the
Superman „Man of Steel‟ film and the Nokia
Lumia phone? Do you notice any differences
between the two deals?
2. Would you be interested in watching media
content on your mobile phone? Why is this so?
3. Are such deals only relevant to developed
nations or can they work in a country such as
Kenya? Why do you think so?