Transmedia brand licensing prior to conglomeration: George Trendle and the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet brands, 1933-1966

In this dissertation, I argue for the need to examine the emergence of licensing and branding practices prior to media conglomeration. Through an in depth exploration of George Trendle’s licensing arrangements for the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet brands’, I trace how contemporary licensing practices took root while also arguing for the need to analyze licensors as cultural intermediaries with particular occupational identities, attitudes and values that shape their daily business practices. This project uses historical records archived at the Detroit Public Library and the American Heritage Center in Laramie Wyoming to re-write the history of trans-media relations between the years 1933-1966 through the lens of one of the most successful independent licensors of his era. Trendle not only shaped future licensing practices, but the degree of independent managerial authority he exercised over his brands also exceeded the norms of most intermediaries, leading to his eventual marginalization within the emerging media conglomerates of the late 1960s.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Radio-Television-Film

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Santo, Avi Dan

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Schatz, Thomas, 1948-
• Kackman, Michael

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/2152/3696

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/3696