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Currently, the realm of television in its entirety is controlled by 6-7 mega-corporations in the U.S. and strongly dominated by three worldwide. When only a few players run the most powerful medium of our time with the same agenda, the small fry (read: you and I) are shut out of the culture-making process.

In the face of increasing homogenization, we incite you to join the Two Minute Media Revolution - a collective demand that broadcasters set aside two minutes of airtime every hour for citizen-produced advocacy messages.

Find out who's big and what they own

  • GENERAL ELECTRIC
  • WESTINGHOUSE / CBS
  • VIACOM INTERNATIONAL
  • DISNEY
  • TIME-WARNER
  • NEWS CORPORATION / FOX NETWORKS


    General Electric

    GENERAL ELECTRIC

    Television Holdings:

  • NBC: includes 13 stations, 28% of US households.
  • NBC Network News: The Today Show, Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Meet the Press, Dateline NBC, NBC News at Sunrise.
  • CNBC business television; MSNBC 24-hour cable and Internet news service (co-owned by NBC and Microsoft); Court TV (co-owned with Time Warner), Bravo (50%), A&E (25%), History Channel (25%).

    Other Holdings:

  • GE Consumer Electronics.
  • GE Power Systems: produces turbines for nuclear reactors and power plants.
  • GE Plastics: produces military hardware and nuclear power equipment.
  • GE Transportation Systems: runs diesel and electric trains.

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    Westinghouse Westinghouse

    WESTINGHOUSE / CBS INC.

    Television Holdings:

  • CBS: includes 14 stations and over 200 affiliates in the US.
  • CBS Network News: 60 minutes, 48 hours, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CBS Morning News, Up to the Minute.
  • Country Music Television, The Nashville Network, 2 regional sports networks.
  • Group W Satellite Communications.

    Other Holdings:

  • Westinghouse Electric Company: provides services to the nuclear power industry.
  • Westinghouse Government Environmental Services Company: disposes of nuclear and hazardous wastes. Also operates 4 government-owned nuclear power plants in the US.
  • Energy Systems: provides nuclear power plant design and maintenance.

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    Viacom

    VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.

    Television Holdings:

  • Paramount Television, Spelling Television, MTV, VH-1, Showtime, The Movie Channel, UPN (joint owner), Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Sundance Channel (joint owner), Flix.
  • 20 major market US stations.

    Media Holdings:

  • Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Video, Blockbuster Video, Famous Players Theatres, Paramount Parks.
  • Simon & Schuster Publishing.

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    Disney

    DISNEY / ABC / CAP

    Television Holdings:

  • ABC: includes 10 stations, 24% of US households.
  • ABC Network News: Prime Time Live, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America.
  • ESPN, Lifetime Television (50%), as well as minority holdings in A&E, History Channel and E!
  • Disney Channel/Disney Television, Touchtone Television.

    Media Holdings:

  • Miramax, Touchtone Pictures.
  • Magazines: Jane, Los Angeles Magazine, W, Discover.
  • 3 music labels, 11 major local newspapers.
  • Hyperion book publishers.
  • Infoseek Internet search engine (43%).

    Other Holdings:

  • Sid R. Bass (major shares) crude oil and gas.
  • All Disney Theme Parks, Walt Disney Cruise Lines.

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    Time Warner

    TIME-WARNER TBS - AOL

    America Online (AOL) acquired Time Warner–the largest merger in corporate history.

    Television Holdings:

  • CNN, HBO, Cinemax, TBS Superstation, Turner Network Television, Turner Classic Movies, Warner Brothers Television, Cartoon Network, Sega Channel, TNT, Comedy Central (50%), E! (49%), Court TV (50%).
  • Largest owner of cable systems in the US with an estimated 13 million subscribers.

    Media Holdings:

  • HBO Independent Productions, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera.
  • Music: Atlantic, Elektra, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. Records, EMI, WEA, Sub Pop (distribution) = the world’s largest music company.
  • 33 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated, People, In Style, Fortune, Book of the Month Club, Entertainment Weekly, Life, DC Comics (50%), and MAD Magazine.

    Other Holdings:

  • Sports: The Atlanta Braves, The Atlanta Hawks, World Championship Wrestling.

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    Viacom

    NEWS CORPORATION LTD. / FOX NETWORKS (Rupert Murdoch)

    Television Holdings:

  • Fox Television: includes 22 stations, 50% of US households.
  • Fox International: extensive worldwide cable and satellite networks include British Sky Broadcasting (40%); VOX, Germany (49.9%); Canal Fox, Latin America; FOXTEL, Australia (50%); STAR TV, Asia; IskyB, India; Bahasa Programming Ltd., Indonesia (50%); and News Broadcasting, Japan (80%).
  • The Golf Channel (33%).

    MEDIA HOLDINGS:

  • Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight.
  • 132 newspapers (113 in Australia alone) including the New York Post, the London Times and The Australian.
  • 25 magazines including TV Guide and The Weekly Standard.
  • HarperCollins books.

    OTHER HOLDINGS:

  • Sports: LA Dodgers, LA Kings, LA Lakers, National Rugby League.
  • Ansett Australia airlines, Ansett New Zealand airlines.
  • Rupert Murdoch: Board of Directors, Philip Morris (USA).

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