Often the government demanded that certain subsidiaries be sold so that the new company would not monopolize a particular geographical market.

But the history of the garment business shows that few companies monopolize a good niche for long.

Mr. Wilson and Mr. Bryan's plan would, if successful, merely mean permitting four such companies, absolutely uncontrolled, to monopolize every big industry in the country.

Finally, he said, the F.C.C. wanted to strike a balance that would allow media deal-making "while ensuring that no company can monopolize the medium."

But owning the Yankees would doubtlessly provide Cablevision's detractors with more ammunition for their charges that the company is monopolizing New York sports.

The company that can establish its system as the standard could monopolize the market.

"The big companies monopolize athletic shoes, shirts and shorts," he said.

"We don't want one company to monopolize the software market," said Chen Chong, a deputy minister of information industries who oversees the computer industry in China.

November 10: Five medical companies monopolize the Algerian medical import business, which amounts to $2 billion annually.

For years, companies, particularly those outside cities, monopolized employees' eating breaks by offering subsidized food in on-site cafeterias.