In the face of globalization and new media technologies, can policy makers and regulators withstand deregulatory pressures on the 'cultural policy toolkit' for television? This comparative study provides an interdisciplinary investigation of trends in audiovisual regulation, with the focus on television and new media. It considers pressures for deregulation and for policy in this field to prioritise market development and economic goals rather than traditional cultural and democratic objectives, notably public service content, the promotion of national and local culture, media pluralism and diversity. The book explores regulatory policy in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. The book focuses on a range of instruments designed for promoting pluralism and cultural diversity, particularly the role of public service broadcasting and the range of measures available for promoting cultural policy goals, such as subsidies, scheduling and investment quotas, as well as (particularly national) media ownership rules. The book draws on findings of two research projects funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and is written in an accessible style by leading scholars of media law and policy, who bring to bear insights from their respective disciplines of law and political science.

In the face of globalization and new media technologies, can policy makers and regulators withstand deregulatory pressures on the 'cultural policy toolkit' for television? This comparative study provides an interdisciplinary investigation of trends in audiovisual regulation, with the focus on television and new media. It considers pressures for deregulation and for policy in this field to prioritise market development and economic goals rather than traditional cultural and democratic objectives, notably public service content, the promotion of national and local culture, media pluralism and diversity. The book explores regulatory policy in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. The book focuses on a range of instruments designed for promoting pluralism and cultural diversity, particularly the role of public service broadcasting and the range of measures available for promoting cultural policy goals, such as subsidies, scheduling and investment quotas, as well as (particularly national) media ownership rules. The book draws on findings of two research projects funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and is written in an accessible style by leading scholars of media law and policy, who bring to bear insights from their respective disciplines of law and political science.

In recent years, the changing nature of audiovisual services has had a significant impact on regulatory policy and practice. The adoption of digital technology means that broadcasting, cable, satellite, the Internet and mobile telephony are converging, enabling each of them to deliver the same kinds of content and allowing users to exercise much greater choice over the kind of material that they receive and when they receive it. The essays examine the implications for regulatory design, asking whether there is still a role for traditional-style state controls, or whether other techniques, such as competition in the market and self-regulation, are more appropriate. They also explore how, in the digital era, structural issues of media ownership and control become problems of access and interconnection between services and how content regulation focuses more on problems raised by the interactions between providers and users, the relationship between freedom of information and technologies to control it and the international reach of the new media.

The Library of Essays in Media Law collects the most significant articles and papers in key aspects of media law in four volumes. The first volume covers the freedom of the press, systems of voluntary regulation, and the laws of libel and privacy. The second volume covers contempt of court and related restrictions on reporting legal proceedings, access of cameras into proceedings, and the journalists' privilege to protect their sources. The third volume focuses on regulating audiovisual content and the fourth volume on regulating the audiovisual industry, including the Internet and new media. Taken together these four volumes offer an invaluable resource to students and scholars interested in all aspects of media law.

In recent years, the changing nature of audiovisual services has had a significant impact on regulatory policy and practice. The adoption of digital technology means that broadcasting, cable, satellite, the Internet and mobile telephony are converging, enabling each of them to deliver the same kinds of content and allowing users to exercise much greater choice over the kind of material that they receive and when they receive it. The essays examine the implications for regulatory design, asking whether there is still a role for traditional-style state controls, or whether other techniques, such as competition in the market and self-regulation, are more appropriate. They also explore how, in the digital era, structural issues of media ownership and control become problems of access and interconnection between services and how content regulation focuses more on problems raised by the interactions between providers and users, the relationship between freedom of information and technologies to control it and the international reach of the new media.