The pros and cons of cross-media ownership by conglomerates

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These humongous-sized mammoths are able to use their size and ownership of a wide range of media to cross promote their films (and other media) across their wide media empires. The synergies of cross-promotion that can be created by these media organisations is mind-boggling. For 20th Century Fox's Avatar it resulted in the greatest 'word-of-mouth' ever generated for a big budget film and no doubt this helped the film become a blockbuster. (Fox with-holding the trailer from the summer and early Autumn also created an itch to see film and this also added to the 'word-of -mouth'.) Such are the benefits of cross-media ownership by these giant institutions.

To see examples of the range of institutional ownership click on Newscorp who own 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" as your starting point. How healthy is this trend for  audiences' choice of genres, access to news, using online media, etc.?
Click here for what the huge media conglomerates own

An Institutions and Audiences question

Consider why it is most sensible to begin at the end (with Exhibition - Audiences and Exchange) rather than with production and distribution, etc.

So that your answer is not too narrowly based be able to make comparisons with a US film institution and film for production, distribution and exhibition. This will give your British case study a wider context and you will be better placed to argue how film practices in the British Film Industry are directly affected by the giant US conglomerates based in Hollywood.