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Synopsis The three parts of this unusual work present a survey of the origin and growth of the mass media in India, as part of the country’s political economy, before and after independence; a critical assessment of the present media scene including the findings of the first-ever country-wide survey of the social effects of the media, specially TV, conducted by the Centre for Media Studies during 1994-95; and a recommended future that includes in the case of Akashvani and Doordarshan, now government owned and departmentally run, a radical re-structuring and redifinition of role. The blueprint for the electronic media goes beyond, without negating, the Prasar Bharati envisioned by the B.G. Verghese working group in the last decade. It takes into account the globalisation of TV through satellite channels brought to the drawing room by cable operators, and the imperative of competition for keeping programmers on their toes. As a glance at the table of contents will show, the book packs into its pages a wealth of information and insights. It has been made possible by the background of experience of the two authors.