Media and Communications: Introduction
Segments
Cable and Other Program Distribution
Companies broadcast television programs for free to the public and for cable subscribers. Broadcasts and programming, production, and post-production services are major sources of revenue.
Cellular and Other Wireless Telecommunications
Companies in this segment operate and maintain switching and transmission facilities in order to provide telecommunications services via airwaves.
Movies and Television Production
Companies in this industry primarily produce, or produce and distribute, television programs, television commercials, or videos.
Music
Companies in this industry produce, sell, and license musical recordings; they may also own and license musical copyrights.
Printed Media
Companies in this industry publish newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, books, directories, and mailing lists, as well as items such as calendars, greeting cards, and maps.
Satellite Telecommunications
Communications satellites are used to relay and amplify radio telecommunications signals via a transponder to create a communication channel.
Telecommunications Reseller
Companies in this segment purchase network access and capacity from telecommunications carriers and resell wired and wireless telecommunications services to businesses and households.
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
In this segment, companies provide services including local and long-distance calling, Internet access, and TV program distribution over fixed-line telecommunications networks.
The Media and Communications industry is Highly Concentrated. The production in this industry is dominated by a small amount of large firms that are able to shape the industry’s direction and price levels.
Primary Demand Drivers
- Purchases from businesses, telephone companies, cable companies, data communications providers, and TV and radio broadcasters
Profitability Drivers
- Technological innovation
- Ability to secure high-volume contracts from large customers
From the Blog 
Have you ever tried streaming a show, watching a YouTube video, or downloading an album, only to discover that the media is unavailable due to your location? This common occurrence in the media and communications industry is known as geo-blocking. Platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, and YouTube are entertainment services in which geo-blocking frequently occurs, due to the companies’ negotiations with studios. As media piracy has increased in recent years, studios are becoming more particular about which regions have access to on-demand streaming. Such precautions have been made in certain countries to increase incentive for purchase and to decrease illegal production of copyrighted material.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission, a corporate regulator based in South Korea, declared that it would fine mobile chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. a hefty $853 million over the company’s purported abuse of antitrust laws. The announcement comes at the end of the Commission's three-year investigation of Qualcomm and constitutes the highest such fine charged to an individual United States-based company. The Commission concluded that Qualcomm broke antitrust laws by refusing patent access to competing chipmakers and by withholding necessary phone chips in order to pressure mobile manufacturers into strict licensing agreements. In addition, the Commission claimed that Qualcomm used patents from other chipmakers without fair compensation. Qualcomm has stated they will appeal this decision to the Seoul High Court, professing that their licensing practices follow decades-old industry standards.
Sources
- Hoovers (Date Accessed: 6/1/2017)