Information a $623-Billion Industry in ‘97, U.S. Says

The business of America is . . . information.

The information industry, including entertainment, employed more than 3 million people and generated $623 billion in business in 1997, the Census Bureau reports in a study to be released today.

Overall, there were 114,000 information service businesses in the U.S.

The largest group was in broadcasting and telecommunications with $346.3 billion in receipts.

Income for wired telecommunications carriers totaled $208.8 billion, still more than five times as much as the $37.9 billion generated by fast-growing wireless telecommunications carriers. Television broadcasting was $29.8 billion and radio broadcasting $10.6 billion.

The report includes the Census Bureau’s first results for cable networks, with $10.4 billion in receipts, and for cable and other program distributors, such as cable systems or direct-to-home satellite systems, with $34.9 billion in receipts. Satellite telecommunications operators, another new classification, recorded $5.1 billion in receipts.

Turning to publishing, receipts totaled $179 billion.

The largest publishing categories:

* Software publishers with $61.7 billion in receipts. Santa Clara County alone accounted for $5.8 billion.

* Newspapers, $41.6 billion.

* Magazine publishers, $29.8 billion.

* Book publishers, $22.6 billion;

* Database and directory publishers,$12.3 billion.

* Greeting card publishers, $5.3 billion.

Among motion picture and sound recording businesses, there were $55.9 billion in receipts. Of that, the largest groups:

* The motion picture and video production industry, $20.1 billion;

* Video distributors, $12.5 billion;

* Record production and distribution, $8.7 billion.

* Exhibitors, such as theaters, $7.6 billion. Regular theaters accounted for $7.5 billion and drive-ins just $110 million.

In the motion picture and video industries, California led all states. Los Angeles County accounted for $24 billion.

The nation’s sound recording industries produced $11 billion in receipts. New York led all states with $5 billion in receipts, with New York City generating $4.9 billion. California was second at $4.7 billion.

The report is one of a series of studies being released based on the 1997 economic census. These data are collected every five years. But due to changes in business categories, the 1997 results are not directly comparable with findings from 1992.