CHAPTER 13
A Global View
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter students should be able to understand the following concepts:
National character: Note how electronic media reflect each nation’s character.
Political philosophies: Differentiate among authoritarian, libertarian, communist, social responsibility,
developmental, and democratic-participant philosophies that influence how electronic media is controlled.
Deregulation: Comprehend how deregulatory philosophies have influenced the telecommunications
world.
Legal foundations: Understand how international and domestic laws influence a nation’s electronic
media.
Access: Describe differences among political, citizen, and group access to electronic media and the
CHAPTER FOCUS
This chapter provides a global perspective of electronic media. Central to this chapter’s focus is how
many different ways foreign electronic media systems operate. As we have seen, American electronic
media reflect our national character. The same is true in other countries. Electronic media systems reflect
differences in political philosophies, economics, history, geography, and culture.
Six broadly defined political philosophies are presented—authoritarianism, libertarian, communist, social
responsibility, developmental, and democratic-participant—and examples of how these philosophies are
reflected in a country’s electronic media system are explored. Most effective electronic media systems
have features of two or more, a condition known as pluralism.
Regulation of broadcasting is complicated by its physical nature. Although Americans may not be as
concerned with or aware of issues of international broadcasting regulations, those who live in countries
with smaller geographical boundaries must be. Rules adopted by the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) have standardized terminology, technical standards, and frequency use. This includes
standardization to prevent interference, to maximize efficient use of the spectrum, and to maintain service
quality. Radio standards are similar, but this is not true with television. Fourteen monochrome and three
color technical standard systems are in operation throughout the world. Such differences in television
signals make it more complicated and expensive to share televised information.
Most countries do not follow the American policy of licensing stations to specific communities. Instead,
most use networks of repeater stations to carry identical national programs to everybody. Another major
difference among electronic media systems is how they are financed. Three main sources of broadcast
funding are (1) central government budgeting, (2) advertising, and (3) receiver license fees.
TERMS, CONCEPTS, AND EXERCISES
Controlling Philosophies
Terms: authoritarianism, libertarian, communist, social responsibility, developmental, democratic-
participant, permissiveness, laissez-faire
oThis would be a good time to review how the American electronic media reflect the political
culture of this country. Mention, among other things, the roles of states’ rights, the First
Amendment, marketplace economics, and deregulation.
oWhat is authoritarian philosophy? What system of government uses this philosophy to control the
electronic media? What are the different roles of government expressed by libertarian,
Pluralistic Trend
Terms: pluralism, competition, State Administration of Radio Film & Television (SARFT), China
National Radio, China Central Television, IMER, national hour, Independent Broadcasting Authority
(IBA), Independent Television (ITV), “comfortable duopoly,” Independent Television Commission
(ITC), Office of Communication (Ofcom), Radio Authority
oWhat advantages does pluralism have over other systems? How does describing pluralism as a
continuum help in classifying media systems in different countries? Provide examples of
countries at both end of the continuum? What are the differences and similarities between the
systems in The People’s Republic of China and Mexico?
Deregulation and Privatization
Terms: deregulation, privatization, European Union (EU), PTT (post, telegraph, telephone)
oHave students choose a country that has deregulated or otherwise liberalized electronic media.
What features offer something for that nation’s citizens as well as Americans to consider?
oIn what ways have other countries been influenced by U.S. deregulation? How does deregulation
of centralized PTT (post, telephone, and telegraph) monopolies affect electronic media?
International Cooperation
Terms: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), European Broadcasting Union, NTSC, PAL,
SECAM, DBS, HDTV
oDiscuss the functions of the International Telecommunication Union. Give hypothetical examples
to show the importance of an international regulatory agency. Why is there such interest in
developing world standards for DBS and HDTV? Why is there also an interest in not accepting
such standards?
Access
Terms: political access, C-SPAN, citizen access, FM ndr radio, apartheid, Internet access
oDiscuss access to electronic media and the Internet. Review regulations regarding political
candidates’ airtime. Would a system such as that used in Great Britain work in the United States?
Discuss the channels available in the United States for individuals or groups who want their
voices to be heard. Does everyone really have equal access to the airwaves, or only those who
Economics and Geography
Terms: audience size, set penetration, revenue sources, international syndication, co-production, signal
coverage, spillover
oDiscuss how the economic system for funding broadcasting in the United States differs from the
systems discussed in this section. Note differences in funding for commercial versus public
broadcasting in the United States. Why has the United States not relied on a receiver license fee,
as found in other industrialized countries, to fund public broadcasting?
Programs
Terms: program balance, international syndication, reruns, MIP-TV (International Film and Program
Market for Television), MIPCOM (International Market for Television, Video, Cable and Satellite films
and programs) National Association of Television Program Executives (NAPTE)
oIf possible, show programs from other countries to show differences in style, format, and
structure. News programs are especially interesting when compared with U.S. news programs.
Note how parochialism, chauvinism, and ideology affect the choice and treatment of news stories,
including stories in the U.S. media.
Global Media
Terms: cultural imperialism, program-import restrictions, free flow versus balanced flow, MTV,
Television Without Frontiers Directive (TWFD), UNESCO, New World Information and Communication
Order (NWICO)
oIs the United States guilty of “cultural imperialism”? What does the term mean? Which countries
oWho supports and who opposes the free flow of information across national borders? Why do
various countries take such different positions?
oWhat is the origin of the New World Information and Communication Order? Why has it aroused
so much controversy?
Transborder Communication
Terms: transborder communication, BBC World Service, BBC World Service Television (WSTV),
Voice of Russia, Voice of America (VOA), USIA (United States Information Agency), surrogate
services, Radio Liberty (RL), Radio Free Europe (RFE), Radio/TV Marti, Radio Free Asia (RFA),
religious broadcasters, pirate broadcasting
International Distribution Technology
Terms: International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO), Comsat, NASA, Arianespace,
AUSTAR, ASTRA, BSkyB, StarTV, Arab Digital Distribution (ADD), DIRECTV, radio by satellite,
Worldspace, Sirius XM, cable, VCR tapes, DVDs, DVD Copy Control Association, videotex, teletext,
Minitel, Internet, YouTube
oHow have satellites contributed to various nations’ electronic media development? Have Third
World countries been able to bypass more traditional wired networks for satellite signal
distribution?
oWhy are direct broadcast satellites more promising elsewhere than in the United States?
oHow are radio services sent via satellite? Who uses them? Discuss their adoption in the United
States.
oHow does cable penetration in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere compare to that in the United
States? Why the differences?
oHow did political philosophies lead to the development and use of VCRs, teletext, and videotex?
PEARSON MYCOMMUNICATIONKIT RESOURCES
Each chapter of the MyCommKit for Head’s Broadcasting in America, 10th Edition includes chapter
learning objectives, practice quizzes, key terms flash card, and select media.
Media available for this chapter:
WATCH: News Feature: ABC’s Nightline: Pope John Paul II and the Media (2005)
WATCH: News Feature: ABC’s Nightline: Differences of Press Coverage in Great Britain and the
U.S. (2005)
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OUTSIDE AUDIO/VISUAL RESOURCES
The Theories of the Press (VHS, 25 min., 1991)
Communication specialists divide press systems into five categories: authoritarian, libertarian, totalitarian,
Media Convergence (VHS, 28 min., 1998)
This program examines the growing convergence of phones, TVs, and computers in cyberspace and the
radical impact on businesses, homes, and schools in this “many-to-many” communications model.
Distributor: Films for the Humanities and Sciences.
Global Media (VHS, 28 min., 1998)
Sixties’ media philosopher Marshall McLuhan predicted the coming of a global village in which
telecommunications technology would figuratively shrink the world. Satellites, the Internet, multinational
communications giants, and the ubiquity of televisions and computers have more than helped realize his
Mass Communication, Part 2: Toward a Global Village (VHS, 32 min., 1998)
With the advent of affordable television sets, the influence of the media on American life mushroomed,
all too frequently blurring the line between advertising and information, fiction and fact. This ABC News
The Effect of TV on Culture in India (VHS, 29 min., 1998)
This program focuses on the cultural effects of television broadcasting in India. It examines the rapid rise
of satellite TV and cable channels and discusses their role in altering Indian perceptions about caste, class,
and gender. Interviews with Indian academics and representatives from TV and film are combined with
specific information on TV viewing habits in urban and rural locations in India. Distributor: Films for the
Humanities and Sciences.
Lifeline: The History of International Radio (VHS, 50 min., 1998)
In March of 1927, short-wave radio broadcasts from the Netherlands were received in Indonesia. This
watershed event, preceding the BBC and Moscow Radio, marked the beginning of international
broadcasting. This documentary traces the seventy-year history of world broadcasting and its importance
Big Business and the Web (VHS, 30 min., 1999)
In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee turned his vision into reality; through HTML, he made the world of
information available to anyone who has access to a computer and a modem, through what is today
The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: U.S. TV in the Caribbean (VHS, 60 min., 1992)
How does American television influence other societies? This video visits St. Lucia, Cuba, and Miami to
show how American television programming has affected Caribbean cultures. Distributor: Insight Media.
What Is Multimedia? (VHS, 20 min., 1995)
Multimedia brings together graphics, animation, audio, video, and text and turns passive viewers into
involved participants. This program examines hardware, software, scripting, interactivity, and robotics
plus interviews with industry experts. Distributor: First Light Video.
Design Effective Desktop Video Graphics (VHS, 14 min., 1995)
Graphics created on your computer can look terrific or terrible when transferred to video. “Designing
Effective Desktop Video Graphics” explores the use of text, line, color, backgrounds, and graphic design
Global Media (VHS, 30 min., 1997)
This video examines global satellite technology and television programming. It explores the media’s
effects on global economic and cultural patterns and considers the issue of cultural domination.
Distributor: Insight Media.
No Sex, No Violence, No News (VHS, 52 min., 1995)
This video goes behind the scenes of the battle for control of China’s airwaves to explore the agendas of