I need to write a short paper (5 pages) on any ONE of the largest
entertainment media companies in Uruguay (can be a TV network, Film
production, Magazine company, or another). Unfortunately, most of the
information I have found was in Spanish. The information has got to
be in English, so I can understand it =)
I'll need the following information:
I. Background of Company
(a) History of company
(b) Current status of Company
(c) Core competencies (strengths, industries)
(d) Any transnational activity?( What other countries are they
doing
business with)
II. Main Problems the Company is Facing
III. Future of the Company |
Clarification of Question by
mc720-ga
on
05 Nov 2002 07:49 PST
need to have the research by Saturday, Nov 9, before Sunday comes around.
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Request for Question Clarification by
saxifrage-ga
on
06 Nov 2002 13:22 PST
Hi --
I'm working on this for you, and I can read Spanish somewhat, so I'm
seeing what's out there.
Do you happen to know what any of the top four companies are? I've
found several media companies, but identifying which is the largest is
going more slowly.
Also, do you want specificaly Uruguay-based companies, or would
foreign media companies who have a large presence in Uruguay work?
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Clarification of Question by
mc720-ga
on
06 Nov 2002 14:42 PST
The company should be a Uruguay-based company, not a foreign company
based in Uruguay.
I really don't know what the names of the largest companies are. It
doesn't matter what type of company I write about, as long as it is a
large entertainment media company in Uruguay. I was going to write
about "Teledoce", which I think may be one of the largest television
stations in Uruguay.
A very helpful link has been:
www.scils.rutgers.edu/~waisbord/ENCYCLOP.html
However, this page did not give me enough specific information to
write about one company. Rather, it is a report of general media
industries in Uruguay.
Below, I cite two paragraphs from the above link. I am currently
trying to do research on the company names listed below. Maybe the
paragraphs below can help you to help me do the same.
"In Uruguay, three companies control the majority of cable
subscribers. Bahia Esmeralda, Tractoral SA, and Riselco SA, which are
owned by the main television companies, are the leading cable
providers in Montevideo, the largest market. They also control
substantial interests in the interior through ownership of stations,
and also feed programming to cable systems. Critics denounced
manipulation in the original bidding for cable signals on the grounds
that reinforced the power of existing television companies and
legitimized a cartel-like system that made it impossible for newcomers
to gain a foothold in the industry. The three companies have also been
criticized for using a nationalistic rhetoric to oppose an expanded
direct-to-home television and maintain a protected market. Among other
critics, newspaper La República , which unsuccessfully bid for cable
systems, has accused the three dominant television companies of acting
collectively to prevent the expansion of satellite television and
paying lip-service to nationalism to justify their position against
foreign providers.
The structure of Uruguayan media remains largely unchanged. Three
family-owned groups, Romay/Salvo, Scheck, and de Feo/Fontaina, which
had owned the main stations since the 1960s, continue to dominate the
television industry. They own the largest and more profitable
Montevideo stations and also separately and jointly own stations in
the Interior and cable systems. Their 1992 combined earnings were
estimated at $90 million, 60% of total advertising investments. They
also participate in RUTSA, a network created in 1981 that nationally
distributes programming produced by the three Montevideo stations. All
three groups are dominant in the cable television industry, but only
the Scheck group owns a newspaper, the leading daily El País."
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Clarification of Question by
mc720-ga
on
06 Nov 2002 14:44 PST
Sorry for the confusion. The company does NOT have to be the biggest
in its industry. I just want to write my report on a company that is
rather large - one of the biggest, not necessarily the biggest.
Again, it doesn't matter if it's a TV station, Magazine, Cable TV, or
any other type.
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Request for Question Clarification by
saxifrage-ga
on
06 Nov 2002 19:54 PST
Thanks for the further clarification. I just put my rather rusty
Spanish skills to the test and sent off some e-mail to see if I can
track down the information you need.
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Request for Question Clarification by
claudietta-ga
on
07 Nov 2002 18:14 PST
MC,
I've found very little information in various business databases on
Romay/Salvo, Scheck, de Feo/Fontaina, Bahia Esmeralda, Tractoral SA,
or Riselco SA.
I suggest you either change your focus or if you want to continue on,
list the links to the information in Spanish that you have found thus
far. I will let you know if there is a substantial amount of
information to write a 5 page paper. I myself quickly searched the
Uruguyan search engines for these, and have also found little
substantial company information.
Let me know how you want to proceed,
Claudietta
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Request for Question Clarification by
vercingatorix-ga
on
07 Nov 2002 18:25 PST
If I find a report on one of those companies that costs, say, $50,
would you cut the price of this question accordingly and accept the
location of the report as an answer?
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Clarification of Question by
mc720-ga
on
08 Nov 2002 14:55 PST
I'm not quite sure what you mean by cutting the price to accept the
location of the report as an answer.
As long as the company report has all the information (in English)
that I have stated that I need to write my paper, I suppose I can use
it.
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<I have found information about a media news agency located in
Uruguay. Fortunately they are an English language news agency so their
website is in English.
Current status of Company.
Mercopress is an English language news agency that is based in
Montevideo. The location of the company in Montevideo has two
advantages. It is the headquarters for Mercosur and Monte Video is
also the major port with access to the South Atlantic.
History of company.
The company has been operating for ten years. It was formed as a
result of the collaboration of several independent journalist from the
region who were interested in the integration effort initiated with
the formation of Mercosur also known at the Common Market of the South
(Mercado Comun del Sur).
Mercosur, launched in 1991, is the economic integration of Argentina,
Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Other countries are expected to join
including Chile, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru and Venezuala. Mercosur was
formed to increase efficiency and competitiveness of member states.
These aims are intended to be achieved by increasing the pace of
economic development, promoting better use of resources, conserving
the environment, improving communications, co-ordinating macroeconomic
policies and the complementation of the different industries. The
program is sponsored by the United States whose aim is to make the
entire American continent a free trade area.
Core competencies
Mercopress specialises in reporting on Mercosur and the Falkland
Islands. It reports on the main events of the integration process of
Mercosur and the effects that this has on the region and the relations
with other states. It also covers news in the Falkland Islands.
Any transnational activity?
The news agency works in the Mercosur countries which comprise
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruaguay.
Main Problems the Company is Facing
Future of the Company.
The activities of Mercopress are likely to see an expansion into the
other countries that are likely to join Mercosur. Chile is currently
undergoing the process of becoming a member. Further expansion is
likely to include Bolivia and Venezuala .
For further information, E-mail: merco@mercopress.com>
<Additional links:>
<Mercopress>
< http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/index.asp>
<About Mercosur.>
<http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/about.asp?TEMA=mercosur&IDIOMA=Ingles>
<Mercosur Economic Research Unit.>
<http://www.redmercosur.org.uy/english/index.htm>
<uruguay media>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=ISO-8859-1&as_qdr=all&q=uruguay&as_q=media>
<Hope this helps.> |
Request for Answer Clarification by
mc720-ga
on
09 Nov 2002 18:09 PST
Belindalevez:
The information given on Mercopress is not enough. I need to be able
to write a minimum of 5 pages. The information provided will help me
write less than 1 page worth. Especially important, I need more
information on the current status of the company, its core
competencies, and also the problems the company is currently facing.
I should have about about 2 pages for each subtopic (2 pages on
Background, 2 pages on main problems, and 2 pages on future of
Mercopress).
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Clarification of Answer by
belindalevez-ga
on
10 Nov 2002 07:30 PST
<I have found an alternative media company La Juventud with
information available in English. I have also found a number of sites
about the media in Uruguay that are also in English. As you already
appreciate it is particularly difficult to find this information in
English. I have also compiled a report that is three pages long. With
the additional information that is available through the links it will
be a relatively simple task for you to expand my report to five pages.
I. Background
Uruguay has a diverse newspaper industry with many publications
produced by political organisations. The press in Uruguay began in the
latter half of the 19th century. Since its inception it has been
closely affiliated with political parties and the state. Many
newspapers have been founded by individuals in order to promote their
political ideas and ambitions. Uruguay’s two traditional political
parties were particularly adept at controlling the leading newspapers.
Political favours were often rewarded with sympathetic reporting.
Industrialisation in the late 19th century particularly the
introduction of meat packing plants created a working class, 90% of
whom live in Uruguay’s cities. This resulted in a strong progressive
movement and the growth of the left-wing Frente Amplio (FA) or Broad
Front.
Before the 1970’s the newspaper industry thrived in Uruguay. This was
as a result of several factors. Uruguay has a highly literate
population this was due to the introduction of compulsory schools in
the early 20th century. The country also enjoyed relative economic
prosperity and its citizens had an active interest in politics.
However during the 1970’s an economic decline, increased competition
from other media and increased costs forced the closure of many
newspapers.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s there were huge changes in the newspaper
industry. The lifting of official censorship resulted in watchdog
journalism. The press free from the constraints of government control
were able to report on official wrongdoing, corruption and human
rights abuses. Uruguay’s La República in particular has highlighted
many official abuses. However this was not entirely without danger as
two journalists were sentenced to two years in prison for publishing a
critical piece about Paraguay’s President Wasmosy.
(a) History of company
La Juventud which means youth is a 16 page, colour newspaper in the
Spanish language. It is produced in Monte video. It began publication
in 1984 as a weekly and became a daily in 1992. It is edited by
journalist Raul Sendic. The newspaper’s slogan is "Frente Amplio
People's Daily''. La Juventud is sponsored by the March 26 Movement
(M-26), a Marxist party which belongs to the FA. The FA is both a
political party and an electoral alliance of 18 parties ranging from
the centre to the revolutionary left. Many of the parties involved
with the FA publish their own magazines and newspapers.
The aim of La Juventud is to integrate social and political reporting
with popular features such as weather, entertainment, TV guide and
sports. Soccer is a national passion in Uruguay, and it is not
uncommon for football news to compete with political events for the
headlines on the front page.
(b) Current status of Company
The company is based in an old factory in New York Street which houses
a printing press (bought second hand in Germany), darkrooms and,layout
and editorial rooms. Other left-wing papers and FA publicity materials
are printed there as well. It aims to service the broader left
movement.
The company has a policy of employing young graduate journalists who
are not politically affiliated to the newspaper. According to Sendic,
this has helped to keep the paper broad, brisk and accessible.
The paper has a style charter which forbids sexist and racist
articles, advertising and images.
La Juventud also operates a series of minimal cost social services
which include five dental clinics, child-care centres, a cultural
house, farms and restaurants.
The newspaper is also available on line via its website at
http://www.chasque.apc.org/juventud/
(c) Core competencies (strengths, industries)
The core competencies encompass publishing and social services. The
newspapers philosophy is that the left should provide practical
examples of its organising ability among the poor and working class.
By actively working in the sphere of social service, the newspaper is
in direct contact with its readership.
(d) Any transnational activity?( What other countries are they
doing business with)
No transnational activity.
II. Main Problems the Company is Facing
The company has problems with distributing the newspaper. It cannot be
sold by independent distributors on the streets. This is due to
regulations which allow only members of the kiosks workers’ union to
sell newspapers on the streets. The low price of the newspaper also
puts it at a disadvantage. The kiosk workers make bigger commissions
from more expensive newspapers and journals. This results in these
publications receiving more promotion from the sellers.
The paper also suffers from weak sales in January as this is the time
of the summer break when traditionally people head for the beaches.
They are also affected by high unemployment rates which mean that many
people cannot afford to buy newspapers on a regular basis.
Government restrictions which hamper news gathering by journalists are
also a problem. Many government departments, including Education,
Public Health and Social Welfare, have warned employees that giving
information to the press is a "serious offense" punishable with fines.
This was recently highlighted by the case of television reporter César
Casavieja who was arrested, held in custody and ordered by Judge Jorge
Imaz to disclose information concerning an investigation into
corruption reported on Channel 4 TV.
The Uruguayan Press Association expressed its "repudiation of the
interrogation of journalists with the aim of making them disclose
their news sources, as in the case of Judge Imaz' action, which is
damaging to the professional secrecy inherent in the practice of
journalism." An appeal court ruling ordered court prosecutors to stop
withholding information to the press.
Although there is an increase in watchdog journalism, it can have
severe penalties for journalists. Two journalists were sentenced to
two years in prison for publishing a critical piece about Paraguay’s
President Wasmosy.
III. Future of the Company
The way that media is handled in the future in Uruguay will have a
huge impact on the company. Media reform has not been a priority for
politicians in Uruguay. Faced with so many other problems, those
surrounding the media have failed to be tackled. Political parties are
often more interested in how they can use the media to promote their
interests instead of introducing legislation which gives the media
independence. Mercosur has also failed to tackle media issues.
One of the main challenges in the future will be that of increases
competition from other countries in Latin America. Mercosur, launched
in 1991, is the economic integration of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
and Uruguay. Other countries are expected to join including Chile,
Bolivia, Columbia, Peru and Venezuala. Mercosur was formed to increase
efficiency and competitiveness of member states. These aims are
intended to be achieved by increasing the pace of economic
development, promoting better use of resources, conserving the
environment, improving communications, co-ordinating macroeconomic
policies and the complementation of the different industries. The
program is sponsored by the United States whose aim is to make the
entire American continent a free trade area.
The commonality of language with other countries in the region and the
breakdown of trade barriers that has been initiated by Mercosur will
most likely result in other media organisations expanding their
operations into Uruguay. Argentina in particular has a one of the
largest media markets in the region. Its larger population, gross
national product and advertising investments has allowed it to develop
a successful media industry.
The company’s policy towards advertising is likely to have an adverse
affect on its ability to compete with other newspapers. In particular
its stance on sexist advertising will mean that it will not be able to
attract advertising revenue from major companies many of who use
sexist advertising to promote their products. >
<Additional links:>
<Status of the Media in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.>
<http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~waisbord/ENCYCLOP.html>
<Journalism in Uruguay.>
<http://216.147.196.167/pulications/mid_infuruguay2002.cfm>
<Lively alternative media in Uruguay.>
<http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/42/051.html>
La Juventud
<http://www.chasque.apc.org/juventud/>
<Hope this helps.>
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