ABSTRACT
The evolution of South American media has been in constant dialogue with intellectual trends and policy debates in the wealthy West. The suitability of US and European models of media organization has concerned policymakers, media owners, intellectuals and others. The transplant of Western media models, however, was like fitting square pegs into round holes. Although US and European influences have left indelible traces in the historical development of broadcasting and the press, the resulting systems were not exact reproductions. Media systems combined various influences and were deeply shaped by a matrix of power relations that resulted from indigenous political and economic developments. Family resemblances were unmistakable, but differences were substantial.
