The Regulation and Deregulation of Television - a British West European Comparison

This article compares and contrasts the systems of regulation and deregulation in the British and West European television industries. Although all television systems were affected by the information revolution and neo-liberal political economy in the 1980s, in many respects the British experience was unique. The evolution of a mixed public/private system over forty years and the unique position of the BBC as a source of skilled labour and as a cultural benchmark for the entire industry, placed it in a stronger position than other public service systems to meet the new challenges to its hegemony. The British television industry demonstrates the tenacity of well-established social structures and policy-making behaviour. This will be shown by reviewing the history of the recent Broadcasting Act. The European dimension of broadcasting policy and regulation is discussed in terms of the EC Directives and support for high definition television. This shows that the aim of protecting European industry and culture is not dissimilar from the ambitions of national regulation at an earlier stage.