Don’t Worry, Just Keep Changing - June 9, 2014
Control over information is an illusion if not folly. Those who view media through the prism of the pre-digital era are always frustrated, often angry. The best media has always been a little anarchy with great production techniques. Some people just don’t get it.

Nice Logo Fools Nobody - May 5, 2014
Sour economics of the last decade, digital transitions and political shifting have put the media sphere on the back foot. Uncertainty and insecurity are, in many places, part of the landscape. Change for the better seems illusive as strategic investment is just postponed, short-term benefit all that matters. Meanwhile the carousel keeps spinning.

Ambitious New Beginnings In Media Investment - January 9, 2014
Opportunity and cash are charting the ebb and flow of recent media transactions. With most developed markets, strategic investors are buyers and financial investors are sellers as valuations continue to rise. In developing markets, media asset values have plummeted to historic low levels, changing the equation. Speculators are having a field day.

Revealing The Precarious World Of Media - June 16, 2013
The media world is delightfully complex. There are broadcasters, public and private. There are publishers, shrill and thoughtful. There’s the web, dynamic and rude. All the parts somehow work together, willingly or not, until the bond is broken.

Hold The Public Broadcasting Revolution, Just Run Out The Clock - September 3, 2012
The biggest challenge for public broadcasters, say some, isn’t funding. Even the richest public broadcasters feel the heat, from commercial broadcasters, new media, publishers and, of course, the politicians. It’s existential. And the long debate sometimes runs out of time.

Media Survival Not Just In The Numbers - May 14, 2012
Broadcasters regularly complain about audience surveys, unless the numbers are really good. Economic stress has all managers on edge. Survival is success, say some. And now the “blades” are out, too.

Local Owners Criticized For Narrow Interests - May 1, 2012
Conventional wisdom holds that private sector media holds political influence at bay because of the profit motive. It’s very idealistic. Where local owners are investors with wide and varied interests, new to the media game as well, standards and practices are shaped by “short-term vision.” Add rampant corruption and the media sector is poisoned.

Also see in ftm Knowledge...

Media in Greece, Cyprus and Macedonia

The Greek media world has been turned upside down in recent years. Financial constraints coupled with political confusion seem endless while digital media promises a new future. Media in Cyprus, largely tied to Greece, shows certain signs of stress while media in neighboring Macedonia remains under stress. This ftm Knowledge file explores the bright spots and all the rest. Includes updated Resources. 82 pages PDF (June 2014)

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Europe's Radio - Southern Europe

Radio broadcasting in southern Europe ranges from highly developed to developing highly. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese radio is unique, creative and very popular. Radio in Croatia, Serbia and Greece has had ups and downs. The ftm Knowledge file includes Resources. 126 pages PDF (June 2015)

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