WE ARE THE MEDIA
WHO ARE SAMURAI?
WHAT IS ARASAKA'S NEW TOY?
WHO'S READY FOR TOMORROW?
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KERRY EURODYNE
MILITECH INTERNAL STRUGGLES
But, who are the media really?
Diverse Media Systems was founded in 1998, in post-Collapse Los Angeles, by former Columbia Records executive James Haughton lI. Haughton was bored by what he thought was the evolution of the entertainment media into predictable, cliché-trodden pathways. Haughton recognized the entertainment potential in the emergence of new technologies and social structures, and wanted a corporation built from the ground up to capitalize on them.
Or, at least, that was the plan on paper. By the time DMS was getting started, Network 54 was already established as the new heavy on the block. When Net 54 execuWes looked at creative new media start-ups, the first thought that usually crossed their mind was "acquisition." This aggressive, hostile-takeover strategy was propelling Net 54 toward the stratosphere, but, in arrogantly predicting his own success, Haughton had foreseen the inevitability of Net 54 meddling and had prepared. When Net 54 made their first overtures in the boardroom and on Wall Street, Haughton politely informed them that he was not interested in being a subsidiary of Net 54. When they waved off Haughton's protestations and launched a full- scale hostile takeover bid, Haughton took the steps that would define the relationship between Net 54 and DMS for over twenty years. He sent an envelope to the Net 54 boardroom containing enough blackmail material to ruin four marriages, destroy three prominent political careers (including, rumor has it the Presidency), and result in at least six indictments for offenses ranging from theft to conspiracy to commit murder, and possible treason. Net 54 quietly quashed its takeover bid within twenty-four hours, and DMS bought back a substantial portion of its own stock at a greatly reduced price, doubling Haughton's personal fortune in the process. Haughton had been etched into Net 54's collective mind, however, and a feud was born that generates a substantial annual body count to this day. Many place the corporate rivalry between Net 54 and DMS as second only to that between Arasaka and Militech, in terms of its possible widespread implications.
Once DMS established its independence, it set about building the Media Corporation of the Future. Haughton invested heavily in the development of media technologies, including improvement of existing systems, such as cable television, and introduction of entirely new products, such as braindance and the Video Music Chip (VMC) format. Behind aggressive marketing and cooperation from hardware manufacturers eager to introduce new entertainment equipment, DMS rapidly became the most potent force in cutting-edge entertainment By 2008, under the visionary leadership of CEO Howard Wong, DMS had developed extensive holdings in concert promotion, recorded music and music video, movie and braindance production, and, of course, network television. In the decade since Howard Wong bulwarked DMS' place as a media empire, fortune has been kind to the once-upstart company. DMS has firmly cemented its position as the premiere media content-provider. Although it owns fewer stations than rival Net 54, DMS produces more successful television shows, movies, braindance titles, records, and multimedia products than any other company. They have maintained the cutting-edge image that propels sales to younger consumers. In other words, DMS is still "cool."
There have been some internal differences, however. Shortly after the death of Howard Wong, a power struggle erupted between DMS founder Jonathon Haughton II and his son, Jon III. Jon III was disturbed by what he saw as "executive complacency" in the wake of Howard Wong's tragic death. In a boardroom struggle, Jonny Haughton seized control from his father, Jonathon, who subsequently "retired" to Palm Springs, where he rarely speaks to the public. Jonny Haughton immediately put his own stamp on DMS, stepping up internal research on new media technologies, aggressively pursuing corporate espionage and black ops, and intensifying the conflict with Network 54. A year after the Howard Wong conflagration, the rivalry between Net 54 and DMS had cooled to boardroom and market-share jockeying. Jonny Houghton recognized the publicity and espionage values in open conflict, and rapidly escalated the conflict back into a shooting war. The relationship remains tense to this day.
Today DMS stands atop a pinnacle with Net 54 as one of the two major media corporations in the world. They maintain an aggressive. hostile attitude and are widely feared by smaller corporations. The rivalry between DMS and Net 54 has polarized the smaller media companies, with many of them seeking shelter in alliance with one of the big two. Truly independent, smaller media corporations are becoming rare. DMS position is not unassailable, however-Time marches forward, and aggressive, young companies are always nipping at the heels of the giants. For the time being, however, DMS has the image as the corporation to beat. Creative, deadly, and, for a corporation its size, dangerously agile.