This section presents statistics on the various information and communications media: publishing, including newspapers, periodicals, books, and software; motion pictures, sound recordings, broadcasting, and telecommunications; and information services, such as libraries. Statistics on computer use and Internet access are also included. Data on the usage, finances, and operations of the Postal Service previously shown in this section are now presented in Section 23, Transportation.
Information industry-The U.S. Census Bureau’s Service Annual Survey, Information Services Sector, provides estimates of operating revenue of taxable firms and revenues and expenses of firms exempt from federal taxes for industries in the information sector of the economy. Similar estimates were previously issued in the Annual Survey of Communications Services. Data beginning 1998 are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the information sector is a newly created economic sector. It comprises establishments engaged in the following processes: (a) producing and distributing information and cultural products, (b) providing the means to transmit or distribute these products as well as data or communications, and (c) processing data. It includes establishments previously classified in the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) in manufacturing (publishing); transportation, communications, and utilities (telecommunications and broadcasting); and services (software publishing, motion picture production, data processing, online information services, and libraries).
This new sector is comprised of industries which existed previously, were revised from previous industry definitions, or are completely new industries. Among those which existed previously are newspaper publishers, motion picture and video production, and online information services.
Revised industries include book publishers and libraries and archives. Newly created industries include database and directory publishers, record production, music publishers, sound recording studios, cable networks, wired telecommunications carriers, paging, and satellite telecommunications. The following URL contains detailed information about NAICS and provides a comparison of the SIC and NAICS <http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html>. See also the text in Section 15, Business Enterprise.
Beginning 2001, the Service Annual Survey estimates reflect the introduction of the provisional North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) for the information sector. Data for prior years are not comparable. See <http://www.census.gov/eos/www/napcs/napcs.htm>.
The 1997 Economic Census was the first economic census to cover the new information sector of the economy. The census, conducted every 5-years, for the years ending ‘‘2’’ and ‘‘7,’’ provides information on the number of establishments, receipts, payroll, and paid employees for the United States and various geographic levels.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), established in 1934, regulates wire and radio communications. Only the largest carriers and holding companies file annual financial reports which are publically available. The FCC has jurisdiction over interstate and foreign communication services but not over intrastate or local services. The gross operating revenues of the telephone carriers reporting publically available data annually to the FCC, however, are estimated to cover about 90 percent of the revenues of all U.S. telephone companies. Data are not comparable with Census Bureau AnnualSurvey because of coverage and different accounting practices for those telephone companies which report to the FCC. Information and Communications
Reports filed by the broadcasting industry cover all radio and television stations operating in the United States. The private radio services represent the largest and most diverse group of licensees regulated by the FCC. These services provide voice, data communications, point-to-point, and point-to-multipoint radio communications for fixed and mobile communicators. Major users of these services are small businesses, the aviation industry, the maritime trades, the land transportation industry, the manufacturing industry, state and local public safety and governmental authorities, emergency medical service providers, amateur radio operators, and personal radio operations (CB and the General Mobile Radio Service). The FCC also licenses entities as private and common carriers. Private and common carriers provide fixed and land mobile communications service on a forprofit basis. Principal sources of wire, radio, and television data are the FCC’s Annual Report and its annual Statistics of Communications Common Carriers.
Statistics on publishing are available from the Census Bureau, as well as from various private agencies. Editor & Publisher Co., New York, NY, presents annual data on the number and circulation of daily and Sunday newspapers in its InternationalYear Book. Data on book production and prices are available from Information Today, Medford, NJ. The Book Industry Study Group, New York, NY, collects data on books sold and domestic consumer expenditures. Book purchasing data are from Ipsos, NPD, Inc., Rosemont, IL. Data on academic and public libraries are collected by the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics. Public library data are also gathered by Information Today, Medford, NJ, and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, Washington, DC.
Advertising-Data on advertising previously shown in this section are now presented in Section 27, Accommodation, Food Services, and Other Services.
Statistical reliability-For a discussion of statistical collection and estimation, sampling procedures, and measures of statistical reliability applicable to Census Bureau data, see Appendix III.