Any book focused on as fast-moving a subject as media regulation inevitably risks being rapidly overtaken by events. Since the first edition of this work appeared in 1999, trends in technological development and convergence and media conglomeration have continued apace and have in particular continued to offer threats to traditional public service values in broadcasting. In an attempt to address such developments, regulatory regimes have been substantially reformed, at both the national and European levels.

This greatly revised and expanded second edition seeks to review the implications of such changes, but, in the spirit of the original work, focuses predominantly on broad underlying themes rather than fine detail. These themes have remained almost entirely unchanged and their relevance has remained as great as ever, or perhaps, in light of developments discussed, they may have acquired even greater significance. Certainly, it was interesting for us to note the extent to which the Puttnam Committee's scrutiny of the UK's Draft Communications Bill emphasised the relationship between media regulation and citizenship around which this book revolves.

Though retaining their original structure and thematic focus, Chapters 1 to 3 have been updated by both authors to reflect recent and ongoing developments. Chapter 4, though retaining coverage of the position prior to 2003 by way of important historical context, now has a substantial body of new material, written by Mike Feintuck, dealing with the position under the Communications Act of that year.