89982 - Media Management (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to investigate the organizational structure, business models and strategies of media companies. At the end of the course, students will: - have a diachronic view of the evolution of business models in the media sector and of the related processes of adaptation to the environment; - know the models and some strategies of positioning of media companies; - know how to place these models and strategies in a historical perspective; - are able to understand future developments of the media landscape.

Course contents

The course is designed to equip students with the skills required to evaluate the main aspects of audio-visual companies (cinema, television, over-the-top,...). It seeks to introduce students to the forms these companies take, the business models they practice, the organizational structures they adopt, and the strategies (editorial, commercial, communicative,…) their pursue in response to market challenges.

The historical perspective is also critical and relevant: what characterises the audio-visual sector more than any other is the incessant dynamism of technologies, production processes, forms of supply and consumption and therefore of the way of doing business. Students will, thus, be guided through the analysis of the diachronic evolution of business models and the related processes of adaptation to the environment.

Furthermore, much space will be given to the analysis of present models, marked by the pervasiveness of digital technology, as well as to the foreshadowing of what might happen in the near future.

Below is an indicative list of topics:

1. The audio-visual industry

Course presentation and practical information

The perimeter: the digital and converging market and the 'big chain' of audio-visuals

The large integrated groups: history and current profile; development strategies.

2. Studio SystemS

The film industry: fundamentals of the classical, post-classical and contemporary model.

Monographic focus on the history (industrial, political, socio-cultural, ...) of American cinema in Italy.

3. Rights management

Texts and contexts (socio-cultural, technological, regulatory, market...)

The 'long chain': subjects and business practices (theatres, home-entertainment, free and pay TV, VOD, ancillary exploitation)

Digitalization, convergence, globalization

4. The genius of broadcasting

The classic network model: radio and television

Retransmission and the role of distributors/aggregators (cable/satellite)

5. "The news of my death..."

Digital video and the future of TV. The Total Video Audience

Over-the-top: dis-intermediation and re-intermediation

6. Love and Audience

The film and television industry in Italy

7. Data, metadata and algorithms

The new digital ecosystem and 'big data' logics

Content description and Content Intelligence Recommendation / Personalization

8. Small professional orientation

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students should supplement their course notes and materials published online (on Virtuale) with these texts:

- Gli anni delle piattaforme. Mediamorfosi 3, numero speciale di “LINK. Idee per la televisione”, Milano, 2023;

- F. di Chio, Il cinema americano in Italia. Industria, società, immaginari. Dalle origini alla Seconda guerra mondiale, Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2021.

The course is compulsory: students are required to attend at least 5 of the 7 four-hour modules.

Non attending students are required to study the following four sources:

- Gli anni delle piattaforme. Mediamorfosi 3, numero speciale di “LINK. Idee per la televisione”, Milano, 2023;

- F. di Chio, Il cinema americano in Italia. Industria, società, immaginari. Dalle origini alla Seconda guerra mondiale, Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2021;

- F. di Chio, American Storytelling. Le forme del racconto nel cinema e nelle serie tv, Roma, Carocci, 2016;

- M. Scaglioni, A. Sfardini La televisione. Modelli teorici e percorsi di analisi, Roma, Carocci, 2017.

Teaching methods

The course will be divided into seven classes of four hours each, plus a final meeting of two hours dedicated to career guidance. All the meetings will be held in Saletta Seminari at the DamsLab (p.tta Pasolini, 5/b).

The classes will deal with the theoretical and conceptual principles of business strategy in the media & entertainment audio-visual sector. Specifically, the operational aspects will be addressed, with the illustration of case histories developed by the lecturer. Guided discussions will be added to the frontal lesson.

The course is compulsory: you are required to attend at least 5 of the 7 four-hour modules (otherwise you shall do the exam as a "non attending student").

For information and doubts on the course and on the exam, as well as requests of thesis tutoring, students are asked to contact Dr. Emiliano Rossi (emiliano.rossi5@unibo.it) (course tutor).

Assessment methods

Students' learning will be assessed both during the course and at the end of the course by means of a WRITTEN TEST.

Active and constructive participation and critical capacity will be considered during the meetings.

The written test will focus on the contents of the lectures and the bibliography. Students who successfully complete this module should be able to demonstrate: the knowledge of the industrial sectors of cinema, television and on-line video, also considering their most recent developments; the ability to critically analyse the strategic behaviours examined; the expositive ability.

Teaching tools

During the meetings, the lecturer will present illustrative materials which will be made available on his webpage. Additional materials supplementing the content of the lectures will also be made available online.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Di Chio