Media Industry Programming, Competition and Copyright Issues

The media industry plays a vital role in informing and entertaining the public. Media ownership and the availability of diverse programming have been a long-standing concern of Congress. Despite numerous programming choices in television and radio available to the public, some studies have reported that independently produced programming, that is, programming not affiliated with broadcast networks or cable operators, has decreased through the years. This book discusses the extent to which the sources of television programming have changed over the last decade; the factors industry stakeholders identified as affecting the availability of independent television programming; and the factors industry stakeholders identified as influencing decisions in radio.