2. Cut, copy, and paste the site to a new window. Then backspace to this page.
3. Look up what these companies own:
- Viacom, inc.
- Time Warner Company
- The Walt Disney Company
- Comment on what other people say
- Ask a question
- Answer a question
- Come up with a new thought or idea that wasn't mentioned before
Create a discussion. Please just don't write what other people say because that wouldn't be a discussion.
Also, have I mentioned lately how rad you all are? Well, if I haven't, you are a good class and I enjoy being your teacher.
Posts
42 comments:
Wow!
That was a lot to take in! I was extremely astonished to think that just these three corporations own at least 100 smaller companies EACH! The companies went from yacht magazines to MTV, all owned by the same corporation.
I would say that these corporations are, in fact, monopolies. For example, Time Warner Company owns Time magazines, a magazine which a lot of people subscribe to for information. Plus, they own CNN, the main news source for many many people. This influences a lot, because if the news is coming from one source, it will probably have one perspective to it, so everyone will be influenced in think that that perspective is right, which it might not be.
These corporations are also a monopoly because the definition is: a corporation that has total control over the market. In these cases, I do believe that this is true for the most part. If the tv stations, magazines, radio stations, and so on are owned by some of the same corporations, then those corporations have complete control over the tv stations, magazines, radio stations, theme parks, and so on.
This site taught me how much influence every corporation has on my life, and the people and things I see around me.
Thanks Julia. That was a very insightful and well thought out comment. Not all corporations are monopolies and I can understand why you think that the three that are mentioned are in fact in control of the market. Again great job!
Students, please read other comments. This needs to become a discussion. Enjoy!
Johanna B
I found it surprising, as Julia said that one single company could own so much more than just their own individual company. I mean, when i looked at the Walt Disney Company, I was totally amazed by how much they owned. I thought they only owned Walt Disney lands, movies, channel and those things, but I had no idea they owned the Hollywood records and so many radio and especially tv stations. Now I understand that one company can own many others.
I think these companies are monopolies because each company owns other companies and things, which means they have total control over what they own. What I said I think made sense because a monopoly is when a single company owns almost all other markets in order to give a certain product. What these single companies are doing is almost the same. The own many other companies to cooperate and not compete against each other in order to give a specific product, and the single company has control over it (quantity produced, value, etc).
This is a better way for these companies (even the ones owned by the single companies) to produce massive production and make individuals consume more.
Ps. Julia I agree with you, these companies are monopolies!!
Johanna, Thanks for your well thought out response. Good work!
Class, would companies strive to make a better product and price if there were no other companies to compete with?
Again, don't forget to read other responses and comment on those. This needs to be a discussion, smiles!
fanta.t
i agree with julia and johanna.i was suprised when a company owned all these other companies like madtv and nickolodeon and walt disney owned a company like soap net. i was amazed to find out all these new things about these corparations. i also think that these companies are monopolies because a monopoly is when someone or something takes control of everything,well walt disney, viacom, and time warner are good examples of monopolies. so they are monopolies in my opinion.
ps, i enjoyed finding out all these new information.
Okay, good! We have established that these are monopolies.
Now, let's start having a discussion. A discussion has: questions, answers to others people's questions, new ideas/comments.
Start by answering my new question: would companies strive to make better products and at cheaper prices if there was no competition?
A monopoly doesn't have competition because they own everything in that market
Julia V.
If there is competition, then new ideas are produced, which companies can keep building upon to create more competition, and more new products. Competition is good, I think, so that the companies can build upon each-other's ideas. If there was only one shoe company, for example, the shoes would look the same, and would feel the same, because the shoe monopoly would only be one corporation making shoes! There would be no change in the market.
Companies would strive if there was only one market making the product, because then there would be no other choice, so people would have to buy from that one company, and all the money would go to that one corporation/monopoly.
Fanta, would you say that these corporations are monopolies because they fit to the definition? How else are they monopolies, in your oppinion?
Ms. Olson, this site that you gave us was really insightful and interesting! Thanks a lot! I wonder what corporation (or monopoly) owns the most comopanies!
Testing to see if my image pops up. Exuse me if this isn't the right place to do so.
I am very suprise to see that; for exampel: how much the Walt Desney company owned, me too like Johanna said I thought that they owned like Walt Desney movies and things like that, I didn't know a lot about this but when I saw that information I was just "Wow". I think that what the companies are doing is monopoly bacause they owned others companies and are doing a lot of corporation that has control over the market in certain area. But the thing what I can't understand is what about if Walt Desney owned soap net for exampel and maybe they owned more than that how are they going to ganerate that, are they going to do like Walt Desney owned soap net then soap net owned another company? I don't really get that point. How are they organizing? Waht do you think? (if my question is not good or not understanding, please let me know.
Oh my gosh!
When I look at the list of the smaller companies that i thought were independant that are actually owned by a larger company I was speechless. Not only are these companies, such as time warner, monopolies because they have total control over the market in one area but they also control companies in other areas. Time warner owns a kids entertainment company but also CNN, a serious news network. That scares me in a way because, what if the people who write the material are, for example, pro-mccain and they use their power over what kids AND adults watch to spread their views. It kind of makes me think about how much freedom of thought there actually is in this world!
To answer Ms Olson's question:
If one company owns alot of the smaller companies in the sae area then the quality of products would be low. The reason for this would be that if nobody was there to compete, why bother to make things better or cheaper. The people will still buy your products, there is nowhere else to go. If, microsoft owned Apple and sony, 2 competing companies, and forced both companies to produce the same product at the same price, then the copetition will dissapear and the people will buy the same thing no matter which place they go to. Either way the company makes money I can already see what the executive meetings would be like
"apple barely sold the RE4455(fictional), and sony barely sold the RE34445(fictional)maybe we should invest in a new type of phone?"said the new kid in the office
"nonsense, we are making millions when you look at the cobined profits, so why risk it?Its not like there are so many other places the consumers can get this stuff from."
Allow me to pose a serious question:
Do people have the right to brodcast their political,religious, or cultural views on news, if it was, for example CNN, or are they forced to appear neutral on the subject when they are on the air.
PS-that website is pretty cool
To answer moise's question
I agree with you man, the amount of power that these companies have must be very tedious to organize. I think they organize themselves by hiring experts in many fields and making sure they work as a good team. The essential thing is that, if a company owns two companies that used to compete seriously, they make sure that all those companies' forces work together as a team. I dont even wana imagine what would happen if the people started slaking off, in the words of that guy in spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility" I finally see the sense in that phrase.
So Omar, do you mean that the experts are trying to make a team work, so what about if those company don't want to work as a team or they don't need help, are they going to be chasse from those company?
Good job Omar and Moise for creating a discussion!
Senja R.
WOW!!!! When I saw the companies listed on the screen my sister and I screamed at how many there were, things were confusing because I had thought that Nickelodeon had belonged to Hollywood or something but when I saw that it was owned by Viacom,Inc. at first I never thought had even thought that it existed in the first place. Also I do think that all three of these corporations are very much monopolies becuase from the comparisons,I'd say that from the first time I looked at the incorporatrions that they owned everything from the way I look at it.
I do have to agree with Julia on that. Right now in the states, before I left to come here Publix had just opened and people were swarming in the store like crazy! Walmart and Target are there new competition because Walmart used to be very nice to the people and have very good products, but when time progressed,the products had stayed the same and the people had gotten so mean they didn't even know where half the stuff in the store was. Now that Publix has opened, they are now starting to turn back to where things had started, trying to go back in time and make changes. Target however, I think that they are going to get more competition from Walmart than from Publix because they have a very good reputation.
P.S. Thank you sooooo much for this blog, finally there is something going on here that you can express yourself on different topics!!! Hooray!
Senja R.
I almost forgot, here is a question, why would companies like Walmart or some other company just stop competing with other companies and then when they see that there is another company that has more customers in it, why is it that they finally act the way that they should be acting, because maybe just maybe if they are not careful because they moght run out of business, why can't they just keep on trying to improve and keep a look out for other competitions?
If you have any reply to my question, go ahead!
rodrigo.c
That was a scary experience! I just cant believe how a bunch of companies can have control over what we watch, hear and read. They even control what we think and our oppinions! And because theyre a monopoly they dont have any competition to argue if its wrong or wright!
I agree with julia, i was astonished and yeah, this has changed how I see things. And like Senja, i jumped from my chair!
But there is something i dont really understand. Do all these companies have any ethics? I mean, Walt Disney owns from kid's shows and movies to Touchstone and Miramax. Like the Scary Movies, they are Miramax, and theyre owned by disney!
In the Industrial Rev. they were thinking of progress, and inventing things like monopoly, but whats the price of it? Is the price for all of us to think the same? Are we robots obeying some people behind these companies?
Time Warner was just too much to take. I read Time magazine and watch Warner Brothers movies, who in Europe or America doesnt?
I thought this is insane, but thanks for the chance to see all of this ms. olson.
And this is linked to History?
Yep, thanks to the Industrial Revolution.
J.u.L.i.A. v.
Rodrigo is right. This is linked to the Industrial Revolution. The Idustrial Rev. is where we first saw corporations and monopolies in action. These corporations used the strategies of previous corporations to make a monopoly!
Moise, I don't think that soap net, for example owns another company. I think that Disney owns soap net and owns a sub-company under soap net. They are related I guess? Anyways, that is a good question, but I don't know if i really can answer it.
Omar, people do have a right to express their opinion on certain subjects, i think, but if it is the news, like CNN for example, or a informative magazine, then they don't. If it is a movie or tv show with fictional characters, the actors' characters will have opinions and so on. However, you're right that media should not influence us on our own beliefs, religion, political opinion, and so on. Good question!
Senja, I'm not sure if i understand your question clearly. Sorry!!
Now for my question. Do you think it is possible for these big corporations that created monopolies can make a U-turn and go back the other way?? What i mean is do you think these big monopolies could ever shrink and become just a corporation again, owning just 1 or 2 companies?? What would the effect of this be if this happened?
Senja R.
Sorry Julia, but my question was some what similar to yours exept what I am asking is why won't some corporations just prepare themselves for greater competitions like instead of just slacking around and doing nothing about it. Like I was saying earlier, Walmart today is starting to get more organized and starting to see why they are losing there customers, they SLACK OFF!!! No offense of course...
but what I am trying to say is why can't comapnies be more prepared. The answer isn't always just laziness you know.
Lucasj
Yeah! Senja is so right the problem with places like walmart the workers slack off the the job is very poorly done.
I find it incredible that the disney company own every thing that has disney on it, ofcorce ot is there products like disney channel end disneyland but they own many other things like ESPN, only 80% of it but they own ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, that is a lot disney started off with a little mouse on a boat and is now one of the worlds biggest coorporations, it is defenly a monopoly wit all that as there stuff it is o mon0POLY.
p.ps. tHAT CRAZY HOW ONE COMPANY CAN OWN ALL THAT.
Stephan H.
Comment:
This is so interesting! By finding out that all these companies are owned by larger companies I found out that these three major companies (Viacom inc., Time Warner Company, and The Walt Disney Company) might be major nemeses to each other. Like nickelodeon and Disney Channel are arch nemeses which might mean that Disney & Viacom might be disgusted by each other.
I will have to agree with Julia I think it’s a monopoly because companies keep taking control of other companies.
Answer to Moise:
These companies like Disney own soap net and soap net owns others, but as soon as Walt Disney buys soap net they also get control of the companies they own.
Question:
What happens to the president of a company when he sells his will he lose his job or will he become vice president of the buyers company?
nicolas d
oh my gosh. i was flabbergasted and i almost fainted:D! who knew thaty walt disney would own more than their moies?! i completely agree with lucas. they started of with a mouse on a boat, and now they are a monopoly. I thought MTV was its own company but no! its owned by viacom,inc! i agree with everybodys comments, and i also think that rodrigos comments about time warner owns that much is true. i was also shocked.'
i have a question:
How does companies start a monopoly? dot they start of with buying small companies, and then get richer and richer and buy bif companies? please explain, i wan to know!!:D
i found it very interesting that all these companies own all these that i thought wer owned by other people or wer owned by themselves.
Ive thought about it, and these companies arent complete monopolies. I agree with julia about having controll over radio stations, etc. But I think Viacom or Time Warner are gigantic corporations, not monopolies.
If they actually were monopolies they would own ALL of the business theyre up to. Like the Compagnie Sucriere Senegalese, thats a monopoly in the sugar sector in Senegal. Because theyre the only ones they have control over the national sugar business in senegal.
Time Warner would really be a monopoly in the movies sector if they bought all other movie companies.
To give an answer to Senja's question, they dont want competition! They are GREEDY, and like Moise said they have A LOT of power. They dont wanna share it!
To answer Stephan's question, Im not an expert, but in the case you stated I think that he would loose his job! Then the vice president would become #1 and so on. Its a sad chain.
And for nicolas, I would say monopolies start with corporations growing larger with benefits, and buying other corporations, until everything is in the hands of some few people
Ill launch this question for anyone to answer.
ARE MONOPOLIES EVIL OR UNFAIR?
IF THEY ARE, HOW COULD THEY BE STOPPED FOR EQUAL BENEFITS OF SEVERAL COMPANIES?
sorry test to see if I still now my password. escuse me
I am suprised how much the time warner company ones, all the CNN channels, all the warner bross companies studios... I agree with Nicolas and Lucas about the warner bross studios they one every disney thing in the whole world
WOW!!!
these three companies are defenitly monopolies. They all one a lot of smaller companies and TV channels.
p.ps: Sorry Nicolas I can't awnser your question I hope ms.Olson will be able to awnser the question, because I had the same question in mind.
So Julia, thank you for your answer. But you said that you don't think that soap net owns another company but it's the Walt Desney who owns a sub-company under soap net. So is Walt Desney owns all companies under soap net, does Desney has all the control over those companies, is that not hard for them to organize it, because they need to work as a team like Omar said, if one company owns two companies they need to compete seriously!
Taylor
Well it is very interesting how all the big companies own a lot of little companies. I really think these corporations are monopolies because they own all the companies. The corporation has control over the companies.
To answer some peoples question:
I think these companies start out by launching one company then when they get money they start another company. Like a chain.
My question:
When the shows, magazines etc. are shown, published do they put a label or the name of the corporation on the product?
for example on MTV do the write Viacom at the end in the end in the credits.
I totaly agree with what Nikki and Taylor said i think it is so strange , i mean i would never think of that would you guys?
So now lets think of how rich those companies must be and how many people might work there.
I think it is just incredible how 1 company can monopolize so many tv shows and channels?
Don't you guys agree?
The bosses of those companies must be so rich , when i mean rich i really mean SUPER DUPER SUPER rich
Anyways ,
Bye Bye
Wow, thats cool! Think of all the information that these corporations pump into our minds through smaller companies.
To answer Taylors question: Most of these shows like MTV programs do show these corporations, but only with small pictures of the logos. The last thing of the program is usually a big logo of for example "MTV". So they show it,b ut you never really pay attention to it.
And to answer other questions, I dont think that the bosses loses there jobs, becaúse the boss of the corporation that owns the company cant organize 100 companies at one time. Hes is being helped by the bosses of the companies, but in the end, it is the highest boss who have the power.
But does really corporations have info about for example how good Obama is, and how much McCain suck? Do they really have the power to do that?
Senja R.
I'd like to try to give an educated guess for Rodrigo's question... I think that some monopolies are unfair more than evil but something tells me that some of these corporations are using child labor just like in the industrial revolution so it is kind of in between. The way I think that they could stop is petitions to get a certain amount of people to sign for their rights, sometimes strikes as long as it doesn't start a riot, try to convince the boss in a easy mannered way to have a better community.
I have to disagree with rodrigo about the two companies not being a monopoly. The reason I think this is because from all the different corporations that were listed, they had to come from somewhere, and I do agree with Wilson in a way because I also think that in order for the people to own the companies, they must have a lot of MONEY!
For my question: If monopolies have total power over corporations, what happens if a corporation has a great idea to raise profits for the monopoly. Will they turn it down or what?
If you have an answer to my question give it a shot!
I think that the monopoly that shocked me the most was the time warner. I aggree that they are a monopoly and it scares me that all these monopolies walt disney, viacom and time warner owns all these companies. They control what we are being exposed to. The news especially, what if time warner was biased? We would never know, we would believe the news becuase before miss olson showed us this website i thought the news was pretty candid about what goes on. I also agree with johanna on the point that I thought walt disney only owened what they put their name on. disney channel, disney land, the disney movies ect....
I think it would be better if there were more induvidual companies. If there was more competition between induvidual companies without monopolies then maybe there would be more new ideas.
To express my opinion on omars question, I have mixed feelings that personal views should be expressed on CNN. I noticed that if they are brodcasting somthing on mccain, what if they dont support him? or they do?It would be interesting for people to express their veiws, which also stimulates the sharing of new ideas. But it also might not work out. What if the difference of opinions creats hostility between people? or one person thinks their veiws are right or better than others?
To answer rodrigos question,
im not really sure if monopolies are EVIL persay, that might be a little strong. i do think that a monopoly with ALL THAT POWER isnt good. usually the case with alot of power is that these monopolies might want more and more.
Its also interesting to think of where all this power is coming from. it makes me more aware of if I am buying somthing, to think if it was made in China by the use of child labour. monopolies arent evil but they are unfair and they should have less power, or it should be distributed equally. i think if everyone knew where this power was coming from things would be different. when i looked at that website,another thing that scared me was, why dont i know this? i was wondering why these monopolies that owned all these companies, why isnt this common knowledge?
Senja R.
I have to disagree with Jonatan because the boss can get fired. Maybe they were doing something that most people didn't see and they ended up losing their jobs. Or they could lose their jobs if they are overthrown somehow, just because the boss is powerful doesn't mean that the other companies can't over rule him that fast you know.
here is another question: Suppose there is a monopoly that has a very good business with its corporations, can it be possible that another monopoly and their corporations join up to make a better profit? Yes or No? Explain why or why not.
Senja R.
To answer Semhar's question, I think that the reason some of us havent't seen it is because we don't really par attention to it like Jonatan said, some of them are never mentioned and others are are but never are paid attention to so I hope that answers your question.
OK
I was surprised to know that Viacom
owned all of my favorite TV shows. I thought that they were owned by different companies.
I also think that Viacom, Time Warner,and Disney are monoplies.
They are a monoply because they own alot of companies.
Ya it is surprising i didn't know that one company could own sooo many companies:) Like for example the times Warner company like julia said it owns alot and what it owns is important like the CNN channel.
To answer peoples question:
well to answer stephans question i don't really think that the president will sell one of his companies because his companies make him rich and there would be no reason to sell a company unless he wants to buy a bigger one.
To answer taylors question well i think they do put viacom when they present something on MTV because they want the world to know that thats what viacom owns!
My question:
Why do corporations need so many companies aren't they rich enough???
thats soooooooo treu medina well i have a question how much money could they get out of all this?
Senja R.
To answer Medina's question: yes I do think that they need these corporations not only for the money but to help satisfy their customers, but one thing is for sure it kind of is important that they need to keep their corporation because what if they lose their money, no one is there to help, so what I am simply saying is that it is important that they do have money Medina but it is also important that they have their corporations. I hope that answers your question.
For Leila's question: I would say they would get up to maybe $500,000 to about $1,000,000 dollars a year.
What my question is what do you think that the extra money is used for besides better products?
OMG!. This was sooo cool!!
Viacom Inc. own a lot of companies. I know what most of them are such as MTV, VH1, BEBT, Spike TV, Comedy Central, Nuckelodean Movies, Paramount Pictures, etc....
Anyways.... Time Warner Company owns a lot of companies such as CNN, Warner Bros. Studios, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, etc. What I was surprised about the Time Warner Company was that they own cable, film and tv production, magazines, online services, film production such as New Line Cinema (MY FAVORITE!!!), etc. As Semhar said, the Time Warner Company shocked me the most. I thought that they only owned Warner Bros. and some cartoons and movies, but they own waaaay more than that! The Walt Disney Corporation also shocked me because of what they own. Such as, ESPN, ABC Family, a lot of radio stations in many cities of the US, ESPN Magazine, Pixar, etc.
Anyways....
I think that these companies are monopolies because they have total control over all these little/big companies which belong to them.
AND....
Guess what people! A German company owns all of Adidas and Reebok. They also use child labor and a lot of other stuff!!
Just go to...
http://www.misfortune500.org/company/Show.aspx?companyid=24
THIS WILL SHOCK YOU!
My answer to Medina: They want to own a lot of companies so they could get more RICH! It's pretty obvious..
My answer to Sinja: They would make waaaaay more money than $500,000 to $1,000,000!!! Their little/big companies that they own are all over the world. They would probably make about a billion dollars a month....
This definately will answer your question guys!!
Me AGAIN..
It's really scary to know that my favorite shoe brand (Adidas) uses child labor. Even though I like them a lot, I guesss I've got to sday that that's really wrong. Right guys??!! I think that the more the corporation owns, the more well-known these shoe brands, magazines, and tv shows will be. These companies don't care about how their things are affecting the people because all they want is the BLING, MONEY!
Answewr to Marcus: Marcus, just because the corporations own a lot of commpanies, doesn't mean that they are monopolies.
PS Ms. Olson: This blog thing rocks!!
Thank you Ms. Olson! We are a cool class! =]
My anwer to Nicolas: I think that is how monopolies start. You can't have a corporation that owns 1 company! That would be so weird!!
:)
Senja R.
I have a question for you Yonas if you say that the monopolies get paid like a billion dollars a month world wide, how much money do they get (corporatopns) themselves and what do they do with the extras?
The second part of the question was what do they do with the leftovers, that one was for anyone that could answer.
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