Broadcasting Policy in a New Cultural Regime the Case of Australian Television

Abstract

The idea that Western industrial capitalist societies are in transition from the crisis period of the 1970s and 1980s to a phase of restructuring and transformation has become a commonplace of both political economy and cultural studies. This article looks at the extent to which this restructuring will critically shape the emerging cultural and social terrain, and in particular its relevance to broadcasting policy. It considers the major current theoretical approaches to new technologies, and the implications of developments such as globalisation, post-fordism, and the emergence of cultural industries and cultural policy. Particular consideration is given to theories relating to postmodernism and the dilemmas of media culture.