Challenges for International Broadcasting: Identity, Economics, Integration

M. Wayne Cunningham is the director, Academic and Career Programs at the
College of the Rockies/East Kootenay Community College in British
Columbia.

In 1994, the third Challenges for International Broadcasting conference
was held in Vancouver, B.C., and attended by representatives of more
than 60 organizations from some 30 countries. This volume comprises the
papers presented and transcripts of the discussions conducted at the
conference.

The volume is useful because it provides a global view of where
international broadcasters see themselves fitting into the world-wide
system of communications—for example, with satellite television,
digitalization, and the Internet. It also provides insight into the
concerns many countries have about international broadcast law,
broadcasting education and training, and program content. Of particular
benefit are the presentations on economics, audience analysis, and
program evaluations—all in readable language and supplemented with
easy-to-follow graphics and visuals. The presentations range in length
from a few sentences to several pages; some are in English and others
are in French.

Howard Aster writes in his introduction that “there is still a
relative paucity of interest in the academic community in the myriad
issues relating to international broadcasting.” This timely volume, if
it gets the public distribution it deserves, may remedy that situation.