This book investigates the economic structures, regulatory frameworks, and competitive dynamics that have shaped the global television industry. Peter Dunnett, an economist specializing in industrial organization, utilizes a comparative approach to examine how different national markets evolved under varying degrees of state control and commercial influence. The text provides a rigorous framework for understanding the transition from public service broadcasting models to the increasingly deregulated, multi-channel environments of the late 20th century.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the industrial organization of global media markets during the late 20th century. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous attention to historical economic data.