British television has always carried special international significance; in its early years it was regarded as the model of public service broadcasting. However with the advent of a Conservative government in 1979, and the rapid development of new technologies, broadcasting policy was subjected to a wide range of fundamental changes. Market liberalism, with Margaret Thatcher as its most visible personification, has since transformed the global landscape of broadcasting. This text examines the particular impact made by the Thatcher and Major administrations on the British television industry - one of only a handful that have had successful ambitions in challenging the dominance of US programming in the global marketplace. This authoritative study should be of value to scholars and students of international communications, TV and government policy. It is an accessible and concise account of changes in one of the world's most distinctive and highly regarded television industries.