Mass Media Unleashed: How Washington Policymakers Shortchanged the American Public »

Carl Ramey, a long-time Washington communications lawyer who has observed the policymaking process for thirty years, shines a critical light on the transformation of government policy since 1980 that has lead to vast changes in electronic media: more consolidation, less public service, and everything ruled by the bottom line. In Mass Media Unleashed, he argues that Washington policymakers must scrap the old regulatory system and write a new policy script designed to guarantee a broadcast service that is free, local, and dedicated to serving Americans as citizens, not just as consumers.

Preface     ix
The Rise of American Mass Media     1
Government Regulation and the Business of Broadcasting     19
The Rising Tide of Deregulation     35
Today's Media Marketplace     65
Mass Media in Modern Society     109
Evaluating Mass Media Performance in a Deregulatory Era     131
The Making of Mass Media Policy     169
A Mass Media Policy for the Twenty-First Century     193
Afterword     259
Notes     267
Bibliography     313
Index     319
About the Author     327