It’d be tight if media conglomeration was illegal as fuck
You can thank the Telecommunications Act of 1996 for deregulating media ownership. It had overwhelming Democrat support and only 18 voted against it in the Senate (all Democrats), one of them surprisingly being Joe Leiberman, doing the right thing for once.
Joe Biden voted for it, for example, and it was signed into law by Bill Clinton. It was still pushed by majority Republican interests and votes but it’s notable how strongly in favor most Democrats were for it.
Critics at the time rightly called that it would end up limiting choice in the telephony market as well as media market through mass corporate consolidation. Those critics have been proven right in every single critism of this law.
I have hated that damn law for 25 years from when I first started working in television and saw how it was helping hollow out the industry and heavily contributed to the loss of real independent voices in the modern media landscape.
It’s been so disheartening to see all this happen as someone who wanted to get into video work as a teenager.
That law got Trump elected.
I figured it was something like that, I knew something happened in the 90s but I was a wee one during that time. Doesn’t surprise me at all either, the dems are always going to go for what makes them money. They always say one thing and then vote against our interests
I have hated that damn law for 25 years from when I first started working in television and saw how it was helping hollow out the industry and heavily contributed to the loss of real independent voices in the modern media landscape.
*wistleWIIIIIIIIIIISTLLLLLLLE - Yellow card violation for leaving out pandemic years when reminiscing. 1996 is 29 years past meaning you missed by the same amount of years as the length of the pandemic (2019-2023). Take a sip!🍻
for 25 years from when I first started working in television
I didn’t start working in TV until the summer of 2000. Learn to read, ref.
Ehhhhhhhhh that is not a clear statement without context of the year 2000. Just cuz you know the year you started doesnt mean your audience does and rhe entire context of the comment is based on the year 1996. Ill wave the penalty for your clarification but I stand by my original card!
/s
But this way, you won’t have to subscribe to more than one service!
Everyone is bitching about too many streaming platforms!
Fast forward 4 months:
Rich McRichman just completed the acquisition of every single source of media that exists. In related news the price of a standard subscription has increased 2900%
Honestly, while I hate this whole media consolidation - if anyone hadto buy Warner Bros, I’d like it to be Apple. They are realistically the only company with sufficient cash-on-hand to make such a purchase, who aren’t already balls-deep in the industry.
They did a pretty decent working together on that Brad Pitt F1 movie, and I (at least currently) trust them enough to be hands-off in terms of production oversight. Hell, we might one day actually get a chance to see that Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME movie!
AppleTV is already the least compatible of all streaming apps. If it gets more relevant Apple would likely make it completely exclusive to apple devices.
Welp, luckily pirate bay is compatible with any device
You might be right, I’m already in the ecosystem so I didn’t even consider this.
I was thinking through an anti-consolidation lens, more than anything. Amazon picked up MGM a few years ago, so the competition will be heating up.
wouldn’t change it anymore than amazon buying mgm
