Rebirth of the Tech Madman

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

The biggest source is the News Corporation... Steve Case, who was obviously getting deeper and deeper with his position and weight, paused for a while before continuing: And Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group.

The richest man pondered: Then what is your real thought in your heart?

Steve Case, who seemed to have thought about it for a long time, replied fluently: Internet applications have indeed brought a lot of new elements, so that they have caused an impact on traditional application models. But I think it is not necessary for the former to replace the latter. reality; on the contrary, the two should be complementary to each other—the former develops ideas and increases vitality for the latter; the latter helps the former get down-to-earth and improve the ability to resist risks.”

You are very calm and pragmatic. Tang Huan praised with a little surprise.

It has to be said that since the beginning of the Internet age, some trendsetters have been so high-spirited that they are almost the Almighty God, and venture capital is also indulging in such arrogance.

But the actual situation is that even if e-commerce became popular more than ten years later, it could not completely replace physical stores, but eventually tended to the joint development of online and offline.

If there is no skin, there will be no hair. In the final analysis, IT technology products such as the Internet, no matter how hot the hype is, are essentially tools for traditional industries.

The reason why the current Internet development is getting better in the United States first is not because there is a corresponding material foundation to support it - there are a lot of companies with traditional models, who value the new opportunities it brings, and are willing to pay for it.

Therefore, whenever he sees a business plan that confuses Internet applications to the level of perpetual motion machines, the richest man will immediately feel vigilant.

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

Tang Huan pondered and asked: So, you are inclined to in-depth cooperation between AOL and traditional media?

I think this is the most suitable choice for AOL to really grow big. Steve Case tentatively 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 digestion ability is amazing-I am afraid that by then, AOL will become another AOL.”

Your worry is very reasonable. Tang Huan nodded, Take the acquisition of Lotus Software by IBM last year, that is, in half a year, the original management of Lotus Software has been Overwhelmed.

Steve Case smiled awkwardly at such a straightforward example of the big boss, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer the conversation.

Tang Huan continued, Although I have some right to speak in the Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group, I can't guarantee that there will be no major changes in AOL's management by then.

However, the prediction we made is based on the comparison between the weakness of America Online and the strength of Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting Group. The richest man looked at the subordinates he had trained with his own hands, and said with a playful smile: And One of the hallmarks of the Internet is that it works miracles—who's sure that in two years, AOL won't be better than Time Warner Turner Broadcasting Group?

After thinking for a moment, Steve Case suddenly said, I see.

Then you should know how to do it yourself. Tang Huan smiled and waved his hands, I won't keep you any longer - after the meeting with you, I will go to Pacific Telecom and Datang Mobile Communications again non-stop. company meeting.

I know what to do. After Steve Case answered confidently, he got up and left.

Looking at the back of the other party leaving, Tang Huan was thoughtful.

He is not surprised at the ultimate destination of America Online, because of the vertical and horizontal alliances in the capital world,

Sometimes it's like a good family and a family - after you see each other right, you still have to talk about it.

Take America Online as an example, there will not be too many marriage partners who are worthy of it, and a force like News Corporation, which has a long history of grudges, will definitely be excluded first; The rest of the options are on the horizon.

Now that this trend is strengthening, the corresponding layout should also start to be considered - after all, it is better not to fail sadly with the stakeholders of Tang's richest man!

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

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

You know, the introduction of the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Act is no small matter - the first telecommunications law in the United States dates back to 1934. The famous Federal Communications Commission was born from this. This year's new telecommunications law is the first US telecommunications-related law to substantially amend the 1934 edition of the telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, and its status can be called the second milestone in this field.

To put it in the shortest and straightforward way, the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law wants to achieve the effect of completely breaking the long-term monopoly in the three major areas of cable television, long-distance telephones, and local calls, and introducing a complete and sufficient competition mechanism.

Although this purpose is very pure, the way of doing it is not serving the people.

The competent departments of the US telecommunications industry are roughly divided into two factions - the Federal Communications Commission at the national level, which regulates, supervises and manages interstate and international communications in the United States, and has many powers such as approval, construction, and modification of tariffs; and according to the law, the state level public interest committees that make decisions on communications operations within their respective states.

Since the implementation of the 1934 version of the Telecommunications Act, the US telecommunications industry has been in a state of monopoly under the control of the Federal Communications Commission; it was not until 1969, when MCI was established, that there was no sign of competition in the long-distance telephone field.

When AT\u0026T was dismantled into one big and seven small in 1984, the pattern of the long-distance telephone field officially became a three-power monopoly situation in which the new AT\u0026T ranked first, and MCI and Sprint accompanied the prince to study.

The corresponding local telephone field is still in a monopoly state, divided among the seven former Bell local telephone companies including Pacific Telecom.

In the early 1980s, the field of cable television, which started a little later, had already been monopolized by large companies like tci under the control of John Malone.

As for the youngest field of mobile cellular phones, there is plenty of competition. After more than ten years of money-burning wars, it is basically controlled by Datang Mobile Communications and AT\u0026T, which acquired McCall Cellular. In view of the communication technology update situation 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 promulgation of the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law, which tried to break the rules and regulations of these interests, was not motivated by those political elites who governed the country. Seeing that the people at the bottom are suffering from industry monopoly, they want 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\u0026T, the leader in the field of long-distance calls, as an example. According to the regulations drawn by the Federal Communications Commission, it could only operate long-distance calls before; but from the date of implementation of the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law, it can also enter the field of local calls. up.

By analogy, the original Bell Local Telephone Company, like Pacific Telecom, which was limited to the field of local calls, can also extend its operating tentacles into the field of long-distance calls.

To put it more bluntly, as long as there is enough capital and resources, it is not unimaginable to create a new giant that spans the entire field of long-distance calls, local calls, mobile cellular phones, and cable TV.

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

After all, media such as the three major TV networks specialize in providing content, just like Hollywood film production companies, their profits are not guaranteed in both droughts and floods—whether NBC was acquired, split, and sold by General Electric at will!

Naturally, communication companies that hold licenses, cables, and other resources, in the name of breaking the monopoly with the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law, are naturally motivated to close to those downstream media companies.

Of course, such operations do not need to be sold directly, but can only be controlled by capital behind.

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 version of the Telecommunications Act and Objectively speaking, the Internet definitely deserves credit.

So what is the current structure of the American media industry?

In 1983 during the Reagan era, there were nearly 50 large-scale media in the United States. It would be a hassle to coordinate an industry conference; but this year, the number of large-scale media in the United States has been reduced to 10. Executives who can memorize everything can just make a phone call and notify each other. I don’t know how many times easier.

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

However, thanks to Tang Huan's secret gift, it is still unknown whether the pattern of the six major parties controlling the American media will finally take shape.

First of all, News Corporation’s expansion in Hollywood and American cable television in the mid-1980s was attacked by Rupert Murdoch’s opponent, Ted Turner; The plan fell through; invisibly, when Tyner Broadcasting Corporation and Time Warner merged, the strength of the new group was greatly enhanced.

Secondly, under Tang Daheng's quiet suppression, Disney seems to have begun to go astray-not only has it failed to reduce its dependence on its theme park business, but it has become more dependent on it, so that its interest in real estate has become stronger and stronger. It was active in the refurbishment plan of the Hollywood Walk of Fame led by Mr. Richest after the Los Angeles Earthquake.

In addition, Universal Pictures, which was hated by Tang Daheng, was still dying even if it hugged Panasonic's thigh, Sony Entertainment, which acquired Columbia Pictures, was still struggling, and Paramount fell into the hands of former CEO Barry Diller. Hands and Lei Shidong were cleaned up and recruited happily to engage in theaters... There are too many variables like this.

But one thing should not change, that is, the current top 10 media companies, under the influence of the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law and the Internet, will further monopolize the general trend of concentration.

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

He rubbed the space between his brows, and focused entirely on the ongoing meeting - a blonde executive was giving a presentation based on the slides.

The 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law will launch comprehensive competition in the three major markets of cable television, long-distance telephone and local telephone. The competition launched by the company; and the operators who originally monopolized cable TV will first face the challenge of the local telephone company.”

The director of the blond beauty marked a series of numbers: The original main business scope that Pacific Telecom focused on first-the local telephone field, in addition to the seven Bell local telephone companies, it is expected that nearly 1,400 small telephone companies will enter the competition. The long-distance telephone market expected by Pacific Telecom is expected to welcome more than 300 large and small competitors in addition to AT\u0026T, MCI, and Sprint, which have already monopolized the three companies.

Don't think about victory, think about defeat first.

While attacking the long-awaited long-distance telephone market, Pacific Telecom has to think clearly about how to keep its old place—the local telephone business—under such a severe competitive situation.

You should know that the comprehensive competition promoted by the 1996 version of the Telecommunications Law has detailed regulations.

For example, in terms of interconnection, it has specific requirements: leading telecom companies must provide competitors with access services at 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; number portability; allowing competitors to use their own facilities or equipment including wire boxes.

Stealing other people's jobs is a joy to hear; being robbed of others' jobs is gloomy.

Ever since, in front of the big boss, everyone began to express their opinions, some of which were shady tricks that could not be put on the table, and the richest man, who had no expression on his face, occasionally smiled knowingly.