ABSTRACT
The West-European media industry offers a paradigmatic case of dramatic change. Up until twenty years ago, this was one of the most regulated industries, being characterized by the overwhelming presence of public televisions and radio stations. The European Commission, with its initiatives for the deregulation of utilities, accompanied this process. Hence an incisive process of deregulation ensued. The regulation of media ownership has become a European issue. In addition, the expansion of media companies into adjacent communications markets raises problems of analysis and content. Problems of concentration and pluralism were hardly noticed by the Commission in the 1984 Green Paper on the liberalization of the broadcasting market. Under competition policy, the European Commission has direct authority to make decisions that are not subject to approval by the Council of Ministers or the European Parliament, only to review by the European Court of Justice.
