Media Management and Economics 1998 Abstracts
Media Management and Economics Division
The Representation of Financial Institutions on the Boards of Directors of Publicly-Traded Newspaper Companies • Soontae An and Hyun Seung Jin, North Carolina-Chapel • This study examined the representation of financial institutions on the boards of directors of 17 publicly-held newspaper companies to find its relation with the company’s financial status. The ownership and financial data were collected using Compact Disclosure, and the data regarding boards of directors were gathered from Proxy and Annual Report. Standard & Poor’s Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives was used to cross-check the information about the directors and identify financial institutions.
Not the Same Story: Differences in Sexual Harassment of Women Who Work as Newspaper and Television Journalists • Lori Bergen, Kansas State University • In a replication of a national study of newspaper women, which examined sexual harassment, this survey of 103 women included journalists from newspaper and television newsrooms from one Midwestern state. Results showed that newspaper journalists were significantly more likely to report sexual harassment perpetrated by news sources than television journalists, who were more likely to report sexual harassment by their co-workers. Forty-four percent thought sexual harassment is at least somewhat a problem for women journalists, and more than one-quarter said it had been so for them personally.
Values and Alcohol Advertising: The Influence of Values on Radio Station Managers’ Clearance of Alcohol-related Advertisements • A. Joseph Borrell, Pennsylvania • This study finds that a general manager’s age, belief in professional values and college major predicted his or her willingness to accept advertisements for alcohol-related products and businesses. The most powerful variable in explaining the differences in clearance of these controversial advertisements was found to be the personal ethical values of the manager, including his or her concern for the audience.
Brand Management in Today’s Broadcast Television Market: An Exploratory Analysis • Sylvia M. Chan-Olmsted and Yungwook Kim, Florida • This study explored the perceptions and current practices of branding among the general managers of commercial television stations. The authors found that these TV broadcasters generally have a very high awareness of the branding concept, believe that branding plays an important long-term strategic role to the success of a station. Nevertheless, the managers perceived branding to be more associated with news and promotion rather than management and practiced branding mainly as tactical operations.
Creative Ownership Transition Strategies for Community Newspapers • Dane Claussen, Georgia • This paper first briefly reviews the latest economic, legal, and industry developments some of which are positive developments but most of which continue or create problems affecting the selling of community newspaper publishing companies. It then critiques the “patronage” sale concept as described and essentially advocated by Pilgrim (1994). Its contribution is to suggest and describe numerous alternative sale mechanisms, and then suggesting several management transition strategies in the absence of a sale.
Parent Company Influence on Local Market Competition in Cellular Telephone • Hugh S. Fullerton, Radford University • The duopoly market structure of the cellular telephone industry provides conditions under which competition can occur. However,. large telephone companies own multiple cellular systems. To determine the extent to which these companies influence competition on the local level, four indicators of competitive behavior were compared over a seven-year period in the first 30 markets. The study concludes that cellular affiliates owned by the same company tend to use similar competitive strategies. Different companies, however, utilize differing competitive strategies at the local level.
The Impact of Horizontal Mergers and Acquisitions on Corporate Concentration in the U.S. Book Publishing Industry: 1989-1994 • Albert N. Greco, Fordham University • Using data on market shares, revenues, and the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, I analyze the impact U.S. book industry horizontal mergers and acquisitions had on corporate concentration in this industry between 1989-1994. I define the book market and outline the principle arguments regarding the creation of a “media monopoly” in this industry. Data are analyzed using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (with C4 and C8 ratios) to ascertain whether Department of Justice antitrust guidelines were violated because of these mergers and acquisitions.
A New Entry in the Television Broadcasting Industry and Program Diversity: In the Case of the Emergence of SBS-TV in Korea • Myung-Hyun Kang, Michigan State University • This paper investigates the relationship between the program format diversity and network competition caused by an addition of the new network, using Herfindahl-Hirschman Index. Based on the oligopoly theory and its relevant research, this study hypothesizes that networks competition encourages their program diversity. Consistent with the oligopoly theory, the findings of this study supported the hypothesis. More specifically, this study first showed the existing networks maintained limited program formats until they observed the new rivalry.
Modeling Strategy for Mass Media: A Resource-Based Approach • Hugh J. Martin, Michigan State University • The resource-based view of strategy argues firms gain a competitive advantage by assembling bundles of valuable, difficult to imitate resources. This paper integrates the resource-based view with Industrial Organization research on advertiser-supported media. The paper argues media firms with a reputation for producing quality content can attract stable audiences and gain a competitive advantage. Factors that contribute to a reputation for quality are discussed, and propositions are developed to describe sources of competitive advantage.
The Impact of the Expansion in the Aftermarket on Network Prime Time Programs • Sora K. Park, Northwestern University • Utilizing the intertemporal intermedia flow model of television programs, this study explores how the growth in the syndication market has affected the network prime time programming decisions. The regression results show that as the market for syndication grows the initial budget for network primetime shows have also grown as well as the deficits. Other factors that contribute to a program’s “syndicatability” were also related to the size of initial budget and deficit level of network programs.
The Community and Physician Relations Department at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital: A Case Study in Media Management • Kenneth D. Plowman and Erika H. Powelson, San Jose State University • The purpose of this case study was to explain the current communications management in the Community and Physician Relations Department (CPRD) at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s hospital at Stanford (LPCH), California. The management style of the CPRD, led by Terry O’Grady, definitely leaned towards the participative theory, but resorted to the authoritative style on certain occasions. in a mixed motive manner. Two-way symmetrical and two-way asymmetrical communications also were in evidence.
The 90’s Experience: A Demand Approach to Measuring Diversity in Broadcast Television Program Options for African Americans • James A. Ramos, Michigan State University • Addressing the limitations of traditional supply side methods used to study the issue of diversity in broadcast television programming, this paper proposes a demand side approach employing television ratings. Testing this alternative methodology, it was hypothesized that diversity in programming choices for African American households increased on commercial broadcast television as competition in the industry increased through the growth of Fox and the arrival of new networks in the 1990’s.
Preprints Versus Display Advertising: Which is More Profitable for Nondaily Newspapers? • Ken Smith, Wyoming • This study examines the differences in the profitably to nondaily newspapers resulting from preprint and display advertising. Whether the measure is overall profits, profit per column inch, or a comparison of a full page of display advertising to an 8-page tabloid preprint, display advertising is more profitable. Differences in the profit margin between display ads and preprints are not nearly as great as the differences in other measures of profit.
Managing Single-Market Radio Clusters • Greg Stefaniak, Arkansas-Little Rock • This study indicated that managing a cluster of radio stations is very different from managing a single radio station. Cluster managers have a greater need and use of a wide variety of skills, attributes and information. The study suggested that this new and very different group of managers could be helped by the establishment of special workshops, seminars, literature, and organizational support systems.
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