Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity: A Comparative Study of Policy and Regulation

Taking an historical approach, Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity argues that early policy and regulatory decisions regarding broadcasting continue to have a significant influence on current reforms. While policy and reform debates focus on ownership and control measures, this book argues that such measures cannot be considered in isolation from other regulatory instruments, and that a holistic regulatory approach is required. As such, content regulation and competition regulation are also considered. Underlying the study is the contention that much of the policy informing pluralism and diversity regulation, although making reference to the importance of the media's role in the democratic process, has been skewed by a futile focus on the different regulatory treatment of the press and broadcasting which is adversely influencing current policy debates. The book argues that a different approach, using the public sphere concept, needs to be adopted and used as a measure against which regulatory reform in the changing media environment can be assessed. Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity is the first book to study policy and regulatory measures relating to the promotion of media diversity in the jurisdictions of the UK, US, and Australia.