The article suggests that sociocultural evolution and the processes of variation and selective retention provide a theoretical perspective for understanding past and future changes in communication industries resulting from intrapopulation competition. Data from the history of communication industries are used to illustrate the processes of variation and selective retention. The operation of r-K (rate-capacity) selection is illustrated in motion picture theaters and the daily newspaper industry. The final section of the article offers speculation on future selection patterns based on contemporary trends in communication industries.
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