New communication technologies and the opening up of global markets are transforming the world's media and cultural industries. Colonizing the imagination of consumers worldwide, the virtual empires of the electronic age have a profound effect on national media systems and cultural sovereignty This book centers on current debates on globalization, the public sphere, and the potential of the Internet for empowerment. Written by a group of internationaLLy renowned contributors, it looks at the effects of large transnational media corporations on national and regional media.