Syndicate

A syndicate is a group of persons or companies. The formation of a syndicate known as syndication.

Origin of the name

The term comes from the French word syndicat syndicate, which has meant "administrator", especially in affairs of a given geographical area. This in turn originates from the Latin word Syndic, which in turn is derived from the Greek word σύνδικος ( syndikos, " administrator of a matter ").

The term initially referred to an existing from the Middle Ages to the modern era government office, for example in the German Hanseatic cities, for example, compare Syndic of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

Trade union syndicates

The from the early French trade union movement ( cf. Charter of Amiens ) guarantees given term syndicate (French: syndicat, Swedish: syndicate ) plays a major role in the trade union movement of syndicalism. He referred to a local, industry-wide alliance of workers. The German term " union " is the idea of the syndicates only partially, because the syndicats in syndicalism should not only represents the interests of workers, but the nucleus of the structure of the whole society.

Corporate cartel with a common sales organization

The cartel theory meant by a syndicate a sophisticated cartel with a common sales or (more rarely) procurement organization (eg: Rhine-Westphalia coal syndicate, Steel Works Association ). Given the general ban on cartels in business world there are hardly any such concentrations since about the 1970s.

Bank consortium

In the financial world, the term syndicate is often equated with the term consortium. This is a grouping of several banks for joint credit ( syndicated credit ) or acquisition and distribution of a specific new issue.

Share syndicate

In an investment bank, there are so-called syndicate departments that have the main coordination particularly in securities issues and the order book in which virtually the "Orders" are collected for newly issued shares leads. The Syndicate in investment banks also maintains close contact with the large investment companies and keeps track of the individual market participation, financial flows and market movements.

Conspiracy

Welfare caused by the criminalization of cartels and syndicates of the economy, the term syndicate is since about the 1980s also common for criminals associations par excellence (eg: drug syndicate = drug cartel ). This usage was popularized by relevant films, novels and non-fiction, so you now understand colloquially among syndicate more of a criminal organization, as an industrial sales cartel.

Broadcasting Syndicate

See also: content syndication

In a radio syndicate is meant an organizational merger of several, mostly economically independent television or radio stations with limited regional terrestrial broadcasting area. The term was originally coined in the United States, where media syndicates play a significant role. TV syndicates differ from the nationwide transmitting broadcasting corporations ( the so-called Networks) such as NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox by its strong regional focus and its economic- entrepreneurial independence.

The cooperation of the individual sender, focusing primarily on the joint production of costly television broadcasts, and the joint program acquisition, so the procurement of goods license. While television syndicates jointly produce or purchase movies and series, magazines and shows, the joint activities of radio stations are limited mainly to news broadcasts, various word posts or genre shows ( music programs with renowned presenters ).

Many independent U.S. broadcaster also take programs of public broadcasting networks (Public Networks) like NPR or PBS or buy together newscasts of specialized content providers such as CNN. In the U.S. syndicated regional channels are extremely successful, especially since they combine regional expertise with mass appeal programs and special interest programs. Many TV shows (series) first pass in syndicated channels and be taken over later by national networks or are not infrequently continued or repeated after their deposition in the National Networks of syndicated regional stations with considerable success.

As already mentioned syndicates are in principle independent of the major television networks. Of them differ strictly speaking the so-called Affiliates (partner station ), although daytime organize their own programs and are economically independent, but assume at least the main evening program with the daily highlights at the same time of the Networks. The Owned -and -operated stations, however, are wholly owned by the major networks.

During the day, however, the Affiliates usually resort to syndicate material, why have recently found many mixed forms in the United States. Through the establishment of smaller networks like the WB and UPN ( which have now merged to The CW Network ) and the growing success of pure cable channels has intensified the competition at all levels.

Even public funded through private donations U.S. stations are syndicated in the rule and provide the economic foundation of renowned non- commercial providers such as NPR or PBS. There are also international syndications, which are supplied by well-known broadcasters such as the BBC or Deutsche Welle. In the English-, Spanish-and Portuguese -speaking syndicates are frequently encountered across national and continental boundaries (for example, from transmitters in the UK, Australia and / or New Zealand or between broadcasters Latin American countries ).

In the German area radio syndicates are particularly common in "private" radio programs (BLR or Radio NRW). On television, you can find them at the most being established commercial broadcasters with limited regional coverage area (eg, metropolitan - TV). In Switzerland, however, you are already on. For some years there is the Tele News Combi; a syndicate of the largest (at the moment still in) Swiss German regional television channels.