After three decades of total connectivity, here’s where we stand:
- Four movie studios still control Hollywood.
- Four subscription platforms account for two-thirds of home movie streaming.
- Three major record labels own most of the hit songs.
- Five publishers account for 80% of the US book market.
- Just one company controls 60% plus of the US audiobook business.
- Etc. etc.
It may not be a coincidence that I don’t watch recent movies either in theatres or online, don’t stream music or listen to radio, seldom read recent books, or listen to audiobooks. If Gioia’s schoolbus plunges off a cliff, it would be a net gain for civilization.1