51 Information

Industries in the Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries subsector group establishments involved in the production and distribution of motion pictures and sound recordings. While producers and distributors of motion pictures and sound recordings issue works for sale as traditional publishers do, the processes are sufficiently different to warrant placing establishments engaged in these activities in a separate subsector. Production is typically a complex process that involves several distinct types of establishments that are engaged in activities, such as contracting with performers, creating the film or sound content, and providing technical postproduction services. Film distribution is often to exhibitors, such as theaters and broadcasters, rather than through the wholesale and retail distribution chain. When the product is in a mass-produced form, NAICS treats production and distribution as the major economic activity as it does in the Publishing Industries subsector, rather than as a subsidiary activity to the manufacture of such products. This subsector does not include establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of video and sound recordings, such as compact discs and audio tapes; these establishments are included in the Wholesale Trade sector. Reproduction of video and sound recordings that is carried out separately from establishments engaged in production and distribution is treated in NAICS as a manufacturing activity. Establishments that primarily acquire the rights to distribute video and sound recordings to the public via television or radio broadcast or streaming distribution services are classified in Subsector 516, Broadcasting and Content Providers. Establishments using facilities and infrastructure that they operate to distribute cable and satellite television subscription programming are included in Subsector 517, Telecommunications.

Industries in the Publishing Industries subsector group establishments engaged in publishing newspapers, magazines, other periodicals, books, directories, and software. In general, establishments known as publishers issue copies of works for which they usually possess copyright. Works may be in one or more formats including print form, CD-ROM, proprietary electronic networks, or exclusively on the Internet. Publishers may publish works originally created by others for which they have obtained the rights and/or works that they have created in-house. Publishers may publish only and license rights to others to distribute their content, or they may publish and distribute content they create or own. Software publishing is included here because the activity, creation of a copyrighted product and bringing it to market, is equivalent to the creation process for other types of intellectual products. In NAICS, publishing--the reporting, writing, editing, and other processes that are required to create an edition of a newspaper, for example--is treated as a major economic activity in its own right, rather than as a subsidiary activity to a manufacturing activity, printing. Thus, publishing is classified in the Information sector; whereas, printing is in the Manufacturing sector. The Publishing Industries subsector excludes printed products, such as manifold business forms and appointment books, for which information is not the essential component. Establishments producing these items are included in Subsector 323, Printing and Related Support Activities. Reproduction of prepackaged software is treated in NAICS as a manufacturing activity, and custom design of software to client specifications is included in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector. These distinctions arise because of the different ways that software is created, reproduced, and distributed. Music publishers and establishments primarily engaged in the production, or production and distribution, of motion pictures and sound recordings are included in Subsector 512, Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries. Establishments not engaged in publishing and exclusively obtaining rights from publishers to broadcast and distribute content are included in Subsector 516, Broadcasting and Content Providers.

Industries in the Broadcasting and Content Providers subsector include establishments that create content or acquire the right to distribute content and subsequently broadcast or distribute that content. The industry groups (Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations and Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers) are based on differences in the methods of communication and the nature of services provided. The Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations industry group includes establishments that operate radio or television broadcasting stations for the programming and transmission of programs to the public. Programming may originate in their own studio, from an affiliated network, or from external sources. The Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers industry group includes establishments providing media streaming distribution services, operating social network sites, operating media broadcasting and cable television networks, and supplying information, such as news reports, articles, pictures, and features, to the news media. The establishments classified in this subsector are often engaged in the production and purchase of programs and other textual, audio, and/or video content, and they typically generate revenues from the sale of advertising space and air time, subscriptions, donations, subsidies, and/or the sale of programs. Establishments operating telecommunications facilities and infrastructure and distributing audio and video programming, including cable and satellite television subscription programming, are included in Subsector 517, Telecommunications. Establishments primarily engaged as independent contractors in the installation and maintenance of broadcasting systems are classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments primarily engaged in the production, or production and distribution, of motion pictures and sound recordings are included in Subsector 512, Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries.

Industries in the Telecommunications subsector group establishments that provide telecommunications and the services related to that activity (e.g., telephony, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP); cable and satellite television distribution services; Internet access; telecommunications reselling services). The Telecommunications subsector is primarily engaged in operating and/or providing access to facilities for the transmission of voice, data, text, sound, and video. Transmission facilities may be based on a single technology or a combination of technologies. Establishments primarily engaged as independent contractors in the installation and maintenance of telecommunications systems are classified in Sector 23, Construction.

The Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services subsector groups establishments that provide computing infrastructure, data processing services, Web hosting services (except software publishing), and related services, including streaming support services (except streaming distribution services).

Industries in the Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services subsector group establishments supplying information, storing and providing access to information, searching and retrieving information, and operating Web sites that use search engines to allow for searching information on the Internet. The main components of the subsector are libraries, archives, and Web search portals.