Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-140). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-140). Also available on the Internet.

Spanning the nearly two decades since the Time Warner merger and the arrival of Batman in theaters, this study explains how media conglomeration affects the development of key properties by providing an extensive understanding of a film franchise. Beginning with Batman in 1989 and ending with Batman Begins in 2005, I argue that examining the Batman film franchise is one way to understand contemporary Hollywood. Through an integration of archival research, critical discourse analysis, and textual analysis, this study presents a comprehensive view of the Batman films by focusing on the development of this groundbreaking franchise, its impact on Time Warner, and what it tells us about the state of the contemporary film industry as a whole. Key issues of authorship, branding, and genre are integral aspects of the production of franchise films, and are essential themes that I discuss in this study. The story of the Batman franchise is not only about a multi-mediated property, but also a conglomerate’s attempt to define itself within the increasingly competitive entertainment industry. By following the developments with the Batman franchise, Time Warner, and the film industry since 1989, this dissertation examines the conglomerate era and the place of the franchise film within it. Thus, I argue that the Batman franchise’s arc provides the framework for understanding the changes which have occurred in the industry, particularly in regard to media conglomeration. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The study is to explore China¡¦s entry strategies of the multinational satellite television channels, discussing how satellite television channels of some multinational media corporations entered the highly regulated China market. As an exploratory research in essence, the study is conducted through literature analysis, case studies, and in-depth interviews. Among them, satellite television channels of the two media giants , AOL Time Warner and News Corp., are the focus of the case studies : corporate characteristics of the two multinational media corporations are taken as independent variables, while China¡¦s entry strategies of the corporations¡¦ satellite television channels are taken as dependent variables. Through this logic, the study attempts to make some propositions about the strategies used by multinational satellite television channels when entering China. Six preliminary propositions about China¡¦s entry strategies are made in the following aspects : ¡§ difference of the entry channel positioning ¡¨, ¡§ entry timing, local commitment made by the channel, and performance of the entry channel ¡¨, ¡§ value chain integration of the satellite television channel industry and local partnership ¡¨, ¡§ human resources management of the entry channel ¡¨, and ¡§ entry/ investment fields other than the satellite television channel industry ¡¨. Based on the propositions, the study then concludes that for multinational media corporations, the more inclined the parent company is categorized as multinational company in MNC category, the clearer the parent company/top manager perceives China market, the stronger the top managers¡¦ strategic intent on China market, and the richer experience the parent company owns in foreign market entry, then the more local commitment the multinational satellite television channels would make, which benefits the channel performances as a result.

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