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While a monopoly enjoys sole control of a particular industry, an "oligopoly involves only a few sellers of a standardized or differentiated product; so each firm is affected by the decisions of its rivals and must take those decisions into account in determining its own price and output." (McConnell-Brue, p. 414) An example of an oligopoly can be found in the mass media (radio, television, publishing houses, etc). An oligopolistic corporation with significant holdings in both the United States and the world is News Corporation.
News Corporation is the world's third largest media conglomeration. (Saucedo, ¶ 1) While the corporation has significant holdings in its media ownership through out the world, 75% of its revenue is derived from the U.S. market. (Hannaford, ¶ 1) News Corporation is able to attain oligopolistic control not only of a specific media industry (such as television), but of mass media as a whole. It does this through cross ownership of various combinations of media enterprises such as television networks, satellite cable, newspapers, etc. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently been deliberating on a proposal that could ban a company from "owning a newspaper and broadcast media in the same market." (Reuters ¶ 3) The cross-ownership of media and ownership and conglomeration of varied media businesses in one market allow News Corporation to maintain and control its position as a media oligopoly.
An oligopoly is comprised of a few organizations that control a market. One of the main ways that a company gains oligopolistic power in today's market is through the active pursuit of acquisitions and mergers of its competitors. According to McConnell-Brue ( ...