Comparing Policy Approaches

1
Comparing Policy Approaches
2
Relationship between channel and content

• audience access
• speaker access
• support diversity
• political independence

3
Techno-economic characteristics of medium

• what is scarce?
• what has natural monopoly characteristics?
• who gets paid to provide what to whom?
• Does electronic technology change that?

4
Respective roles for public and private sector

• Basic questions about communication policy (Pool
  p.9)
• Policy domain
• Resource availability
• Organization of access to resources
• Limits to the exercise of control
• Boundaries

5
Market vs. Regulation (GK table 1.3)
Paradigm Public role Private role
Public ownership Ownership and management of monopoly system Manufacturing only
Common carriage Heavy regulation of entry, exit, tariff and management Ownership and management of monopoly system
Open comm. Infrastructure Regulation focuses on maintenance of competition and spectrum allocation Ownership and management of competitive systems
Public trustee Light regulation of procedure, initial regulation of entry Ownership and management of quasi-competitive system
Laissez-faire Minimal regulation of business practice Ownership and management level of competition not determined