Rebirth of the Tech Madman

Chapter 975 The era of media monopoly begins

“For example, who is there?” Tang Huan put down the cup and asked casually.

“The biggest backing is News Corporation…” Steve Case, who was obviously getting deeper and deeper with his position, paused for a moment, and then continued: “And Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group.”

The richest man pondered: “Then what’s your true thoughts in your heart?”

It seems that Steve Case, who has thought about it a long time ago, fluently replied: “Internet applications have indeed brought many new elements, so as to have an impact on the traditional application model. But I think that the former does not replace the latter. Reality; on the contrary, the two should be in a complementary relationship—the former opens up ideas and increases vitality for the latter; the latter helps the former to keep its feet on the ground and improve the ability to resist risks.”

“You are very calm and pragmatic.” Tang Huan complimented slightly unexpectedly.

It has to be said that since the beginning of the Internet era, some trendy players have become almost “you are the omnipotent god”, and venture capital has also indulged such arrogance.

However, the actual situation is that even at the stage where e-commerce became popular after more than a decade, it has not been able to completely replace physical stores, but will eventually lean towards the joint development of online and offline.

If the skin does not exist, Mao will be attached-after all, IT technology products such as the Internet, no matter how hot the hype is, are essentially tools that serve traditional industries.

The current Internet development in the United States is the first to get better, not because there is a corresponding material foundation to support it-there are a large number of companies with traditional models that value the new opportunities it brings, and then they are willing to pay.

Therefore, whenever he sees a business plan book that fudges Internet applications to the level of “perpetual motion machine”, the richest man will directly become vigilant.

did not expect. Steve Case, who has been regarded as a successful model of Internet entrepreneurship, can actually “sink” his heart down and sensibly locate the “new” of the Internet and the “old” of traditional industries.

Tang Huan asked musingly: “So, do you tend to have in-depth cooperation between AOL and traditional media?”

“I think this is the most suitable choice for AOL to really grow bigger.” Steve Case said with a smile: “It’s just that, compared with Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group, AOL is still relatively weak. ; And Time Group has merged Warner Media and Turner Broadcasting Company all the way, and its digestibility is amazing-I am afraid that by then, AOL will become another AOL.”

“Your concern is very reasonable.” Tang Huan nodded, “Let’s take the case of IBM’s acquisition of Lotus Software last year. In half a year, the original management of Lotus Software has already been fully deployed. Annihilated.”

Steve Case was so blunt as the big boss’s example, he smiled so witlessly, and for a while, he didn’t know how to answer the conversation.

Tang Huan continued, “Although I have some say in the Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group, I can’t guarantee that there will be no major changes in AOL’s management at that time.”

“However, the prediction we made was based on the comparison between AOL’s weakness and Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group’s strength.” The richest man looked at his own subordinates and laughed playfully: “And One of the characteristics of the Internet is to create miracles-who can be sure that in two years, AOL will not be better than Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group?”

After Steve Case thought for a moment, he suddenly said, “I understand.”

“Then you should also know how you did it.” Tang Huan smiled and waved his hand, “I won’t leave you any more-after the meeting with you, I have to go to Pacific Telecom and Datang Mobile Communications without stopping. s meeting.”

“I know what to do.” After Steve Case answered confidently, he stood up and said goodbye.

Looking at the back of the other person leaving, Tang Huan thoughtfully.

He was not surprised that he first saw the ultimate destination of AOL. Because of the union in the capital world, sometimes it is like meeting each other with children and relatives-after seeing each other right, they still have to talk together. .

Take AOL as an example, there are not too many marriage partners that can be worthy of it now, and forces like News Corp. which have always been grudges will definitely be eliminated first; coupled with the factor that close to the water is the first to get the month. The remaining choices are ready to come out.

Now that this trend is strengthening, the corresponding layout should also be considered-after all, with the richest stakeholder in Tang, it is better not to fail sadly!

However, as I said to Steve Case just now, Tang Huan has more important meetings waiting for him to attend.

Gein, not long ago, on February 8, US President Bill Clinton signed the new version of the Telecommunications Law passed by the 104th Congress of the United States on January 3 this year, announcing its formal implementation.

You know, the promulgation of the 1996 Telecommunications Law is not trivial—the first United States Telecommunications Law dates back to 1934. The famous Federal Communications Commission was born from this. This year’s New Telecommunications Law is the first US telecom-related ordinance to substantially amend the 1934 version of the Telecommunications Law in nearly 62 years, and its status can be regarded as the second milestone in this field.

In the shortest straightforward summary, the effect that the 1996 Telecommunications Law wants to achieve is to completely break the long-term monopoly in the three major areas of cable television, long-distance telephone, and local calls, and introduce a complete and sufficient competition mechanism.

Don’t look at this purpose as “pure”, but the doorway is not “serving the people.”

The competent authorities of the US telecommunications industry can be roughly divided into two groups-the Federal Communications Commission at the national level, which regulates, supervises and manages interstate and international communications in the United States, and has the authority to approve, construct, and modify tariffs. According to the law, the state level The Public Welfare Committee makes decisions on the communications business in their respective states.

Since the 1934 version of the Telecommunications Law was implemented, the US telecommunications industry has actually been in a state of monopoly under the control of the Federal Communications Commission; it was not until 1969 that the mci was established, and there were no signs of competition in the long-distance telephone field.

When AT&T was dismantled into “one big and seven small” in 1984, the pattern of long-distance telephony officially became the top three monopolies of the new AT&T company, mci and sprint accompany the prince to study.

The corresponding local telephone field is still a monopoly, and the seven former Bell local telephone companies, including Pacific Telecom, are divided among each other.

The cable TV field, which started a little later, had already formed in the early 1980s, where it was monopolized by large companies like tci under the control of John Malone.

As for the youngest mobile cellular phone field, there is full competition. After more than ten years of money-burning wars, Datang Mobile Communications and AT&T, which acquired McCaw Cellular Phones, are basically under the joint control of the two powerhouses, but In view of the communication technology update trend of “sitting on 2g and looking forward to 3g”, the competition has its own special fierceness.

At this stage, the pattern of the communications field in the United States is roughly the same.

It is entirely conceivable that the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law, which tried to break the rules and regulations of the sharing of interests, was not motivated by those political elites who govern the country. Seeing that the people at the bottom are suffering from industry monopolies, they have to start a new one. The top-level design, in the final analysis, is that capital wants to shuffle the cards and change to another way of playing.

Take AT&T, the leader in the field of long-distance telephones, according to the rules drawn by the Federal Communications Commission, it could only operate long-distance telephone services before; from the date of implementation of the 1996 Telecommunications Law, it can also enter the local telephone field. .

By analogy, the former Bell Regional Telephone Company, which was restricted to the local telephone area like Pacific Telecom, can also extend its operating tentacles into the long-distance telephone area.

To put it more bluntly, as long as enough capital and resources are sufficient, it is not unimaginable that a new type of giant that spans the entire field of long-distance calls, local calls, mobile cellular phones, and cable TV will be created.

Furthermore, the influence of the 1996 Telecommunications Law is not limited to the communications field, but will also change the landscape of the media field.

After all, media such as the three major television networks are specialized in providing content. Just like Hollywood film production companies, profit is not guaranteed by droughts and floods—the National Broadcasting Corporation is not just being bought, split, and sold by General Electric.

Naturally, communication companies that have licenses, cables, and other resources, in the name of breaking the monopoly under the 1996 Telecommunications Law, have a natural incentive to “get close” to those downstream media companies.

Of course, this type of operation can be controlled directly through capital.

Still referring to the results of the original time and space, since 2005, the American media has been monopolized by the six giants of General Electric, News Corporation, Disney Group, Viacom, Time Warner, and cbs. Among them, the 1996 Telecommunications Law and the Internet Objectively speaking, it is absolutely indispensable.

What is the current pattern of the American media industry?

In 1983 during the Reagan era, there were nearly 50 large-scale media outlets in the United States. It would be a hassle to coordinate an industry conference; but this year, the number of large-scale media outlets in the United States has been reduced to 10—when they meet again, their names will be straightforward. Executives who can remember everything, call each other and notify them. I don’t know how much easier it is.

Think about it, in 1996 and 2005, there were 10 and 6 companies. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are one step away.

However, thanks to the secret gift of Tang Huan, it is not yet known whether the six major controls on the US media will eventually form.

First of all, News Corporation’s expansion in Hollywood and American cable television in the mid-1980s was sniped by Rupert Murdoch’s opponent, Ted Turner; with the support of the richest man, its plan to make old enemies. All fell through; invisibly, when Turner Broadcasting Company and Time Warner merged, the strength of the new group was greatly enhanced.

Secondly, Disney seems to have started to go astray under Tycoon Tang’s quiet suppression. Not only did it fail to reduce its dependence on its theme park business, but it relied more heavily on it, so that its interest in real estate became more and more intense. The richest man was active in the Hollywood Walk of Fame renovation plan led by the Los Angeles earthquake.

In addition, Universal Pictures, which was hated by Tang Tycoon, was dying even if it hugged Panasonic’s thigh, Sony Entertainment, which acquired Columbia Pictures, was still struggling, and Paramount fell into the former CEO Barry Diller. Hand, Lei Shidong was cleaned up and drew Le Haha to go to the theater… There are too many variables like this.

But one thing should not change, that is, the current top 10 media industry, under the influence of the 1996 Telecommunications Law and the Internet, further monopolizes the trend of concentration.

Even though the computing power is far beyond ordinary human brains, comparable to a super server equipped with hundreds of CPUs, Tang Huan is still a little dizzy by these complicated relationships.

He rubbed his eyebrows, and focused his attention entirely on the meeting currently in progress—a beautiful blonde executive who was talking about it according to the slides.

“The 1996 Telecommunications Law will launch full-scale competition in the three major markets of cable television, long-distance calls and local calls. The specific impact caused by this is: The Bell Regional Telephone Company, which has basically monopolized local calls, will face long-distance The competition initiated by telephone companies and cable TV operators; and operators who originally monopolized cable TV will first face the challenge of local telephone companies.”

The blonde beauty executive noted on a series of numbers: “The original main business area that Pacific Telecom first paid attention to-the local telephone field. In addition to the 7 Bell local telephone companies, it is expected that nearly 1,400 small telephone companies will be influx to participate in the competition; The long-distance telephone market that Pacific Telecom is looking forward to, in addition to the three existing monopolies of AT&T, mci, and sprint, is expected to usher in more than 300 large and small competitors.”

If you don’t think about winning, think about losing first.

Pacific Telecom, while attacking the long-awaited long-distance telephone market, must consider clearly how to maintain the original local telephone business under such a severe competitive situation.

You know, the full competition promoted by the 1996 Telecommunications Law has detailed regulations.

For example, in terms of “interconnection”, it has specific requirements: leading telecommunications companies must provide competitors with access to any point, break down costs and tariffs in detail, and provide competitors with equal and reasonable unbundled prices; local telephone exchanges must do To meet the “competitive list”; the number can be portable; allow competitors to use their own facilities or equipment, including wire boxes.

I love to hear and hear someone else’s job, and I feel sad when someone else steals my job.

Since then, in front of the big boss, everyone began to express their opinions, and there were many insidious tricks that could not be put on the stage. The expressionless richest man occasionally smiled faintly.