In France, the digital switch-over for television proceeded in a relatively timely and uncontested fashion, with appropriate support for disadvantaged households and an effective public awareness campaign. Digital licensing has also proved largely responsive and adequate to the challenges of digitization. However, the new government faces a plethora of loose ends in digital media policy. It remains to be seen whether public subsidies aimed at regenerating good-quality journalism in both print and online sectors have been effective; there is a significant shortfall in the funding of public service media as a result of their reduced advertising quotas, and the European Commission's rejection of a planned levy on telecoms; political support for traditional media in their plight against online giants such as Google may backfire if the latter carries out its threat to exclude their content; and public trust in the media is unlikely to be restored so long as entrenched links between political and media elites are maintained.

Digital mapping techniques have altered profoundly the ways we measure and represent space. Combining the insights of designers, theorists, engineers and artists, this volume examines these and related issues, providing an examination of emerging cartographic practices (such as MRI and 3D scanning technology) in the digital age.

Public service media (PSM) have been the mainstay of Western European broadcasting for a number of decades. Yet despite a general political consensus in favour of PSM, recent technological, economic and political changes have led to a questioning of their value. This new collection of essays explores the history of PSM in selected European countries, from their early establishment as the main media in many countries to charting their transformation and evolution in recent years. The contributions consider the political, economic and market-integration issues that impact PSM, while also highlighting the importance of the ideology that originally accompanied PSM in its initial years, to see how relevant they are in the contemporary world. The book consists of two complementary parts: Part I: Theoretical Aspects and Global Influences on Public Service Media in Europe Part II: A Comparative Analysis of Public Service Media across Europe With contributions from leading experts, the first part offers a thorough examination of the current concepts and conditions that influence PSM in Europe. The second offers a comparative study of PSM in several European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Offering the most comprehensive study of the field to date, Public Service Media in Europe will be useful for students and researchers in public media, political communication, international and comparative media.

A fascinating survey of popular culture in Europe, from Celtic punk and British TV shows to Spanish fashion and Italian sports. From One Direction and Adele to Penelope Cruz and Alexander Skarsgard, many Europeans are becoming household names in the United States. This ready-reference guide covers international pop culture spanning music, literature, movies, television and radio, the Internet, sports, video games, and fashion, from the mid-20th century through the present day. The organization of the book—with entries arranged alphabetically within thematic chapters—allows readers to quickly find the topic they are seeking. Additionally, indexing allows for cross-cultural comparisons to be made between pop culture in Europe to that of the United States. An extensive chronology and lengthy introduction provide important contextual information, such as the United States' influence on movies, music, and the Internet; the effect of censorship on Internet and social media use; and the history of pop culture over the years. Topics feature key musicians, songs, books, actors and actresses, movies and television shows, popular websites, top athletes, games, clothing fads and designers, and much more.

As evidenced by the yellow vests protest movement that began in France in 2018, the state of the French nation inspires gloom among many of its citizens. Brigitte Granville views this malaise as a peculiarly French symptom of the difficulties experienced by many advanced industrial democracies in the face of globalization, technology, and mass immigration. Granville brings trenchant criticism to bear in this wide-ranging survey of the political economy of contemporary France, building her case for the prosecution on the self-reinforcing rigidity produced by a narrow Parisian oligarchy that is both entitled and intellectually hidebound. What Ails France? applies an economist's vision to the monetary and fiscal pathologies flowing from this ideologically motivated technocratic rule, reflected in Europe's flawed monetary union, runaway indebtedness, and chronically high structural unemployment. The author marshals academic research from a wide range of disciplines to fuel a provocative and at times contentious analysis, proposing various treatments for French ailments that would reinvigorate the republican value of liberté with a new local slant. A refreshing, ideologically freewheeling discussion, What Ails France? provides a positive take on the innovations of our digital age, exploring their potential to bring about a more representative democracy and a fairer society.