by systemfailure

April 09, 2003

from IndyMedia Website

 


 

 

So you think we have a "free press" eh?

 

Check out who owns who, and who owns what you think.......
 

GENERAL ELECTRIC - donated 1.1 million to GW Bush for his 2000 election campaign
 

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%).

The "MS" in MSNBC means microsoft, the same Microsoft that donated 2.4 million to get GW Bush elected.

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.

 


WESTINGHOUSE / CBS INC.

 

Westinghouse Electric Company, part of the Nuclear Utilities Business Group of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL)


Who's #1 on the Board of Directors? None other than: Frank Carlucci (of The Carlyle Group)

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.



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.



DISNEY / ABC / CAP - donated 640 thousand to GW's 2000 campaign
 

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.



TIME-WARNER TBS - AOL - donated 1.6 million to GW's 2000 campaign
 

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.



NEWS CORPORATION LTD. / FOX NETWORKS - Rupert Murdoch - donations *

 

* Phillip Morris donated 2.9 million to George W Bush in 2000


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).