Network Nations: A Transnational History of British and American Broadcasting

Network Nationsoffers a comparative history of British and American television. Though frequently painted as opposites #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; the British public service tradition contrasting with the American commercial system #xE2;#xAC;#x1C; in fact they represent two sides of the same coin. Neither could have developed without the constant presence of the other, in terms not only of industry and policy but of aesthetics, culture, and creativity, despite a long history of oppositional rhetoric. This book highlights key moments and issues in the deeply productive relationship between British and American television. As Michele Hilmes demonstrates in this book, British and American broadcasting together constitute a unified transnational system, a powerful influence that affected the ways that culture is practiced and understood far outside the boundaries of these two nations alone. This book explores the course of broadcasting history in both nations, and their dual role on the world stage, from the days of radio#xE2;#xAC;"s inception to the development of satellites and other globalizing technologies that led to broadcasting around the world. This book marks an essential new chapter in media history, providing unique insight into the development of the world#xE2;#xAC;"s two dominant television models and their relationship to the growth of contemporary global television. It is ideal for courses in both broadcasting history and global media.