why media consolidation is NOT a good thing

[Sean Smyth]

Dan writes:
> But the networks make decisions that effect a greater number 
> of viewers than any station group.
> 
> ABC deciding what everyone is every market should watch is 
> fine but Sinclair deciding what people shouldn't watch in 
> some markets is not?  I don't get it.

I take no stand on the issue. I was trying to clarify what I believed
Donna's point might have been, especially when she was speaking of media
consolidation. Garrett questioned how her post related to the subject
header, and I tried to connect the dots.

In the Sinclair station, the likelihood is that there is no other station in
the market that will pick up Nightline for this one night. Most viewers,
even those with dishes and cable, will not be able to watch it because these
companies carry just the local feed. (I could be wrong on the dish
companies, maybe they have a full streaming national feed as well? I don't
recall that being the case when my ex-roommates and I had Dish Network a few
years back.) The choice is being made for these viewers by suits in Hunt
Valley.

There is one difference between owning the stations and the network
programming: there are, generally, at least four networks on in a given
market. All four of the major networks are operated independently, even if a
given party owns say the market's ABC and FOX affiliate. If someone does not
like network fare, there is always cable.