Democracia e regulação da radiodifusão: dimensão normativa e análise das trajetórias dos EUA, Reino Unido, Argentina e Brasil

Abstract

The thesis discusses broadcasting democratic regulations, addressing their normative dimension and historical trajectory. In the first case, it collates various formulations of democratic theory, highlighting the express consent required to define the political order, the importance of the expression of different alternatives in the political process and the need to define mechanisms to ensure the correction of inequalities for the benefit of disadvantaged sectors, assessing their implications in the broadcasting system regulations. Then, it analyzes the trajectories of the United Kingdom and the United States, taken as paradigms of two different regulatory approaches, respectively dealing broadcasting as a public service, and alternatively, as a public utility. Finally, it addresses the trajectories of Argentina and Brazil, countries where was erected oligopoly media systems, despite the recent changes. The analysis of such paths is performed considering four major periods on a global scale in the broadcasting development in the 20th century and at the beginning of the current century: a) Formation and definition (1910-1945); b) Expansion, consolidation and accentuation of public regulation (1946-1973); c) Advent and strengthening of neoliberalism and the push for deregulation (until the end of the 1990s); d) Regulatory challenges of news media: a new period in progress? (2000…). We considered as analytical variables the international context, the development of communication technologies, the participation of private companies in the communication sector and the characteristics of the political system, in order to explain the definition processes of the institutional settings in the existing regulation in the targeted countries. This thesis maintains that the democratic regulation of the media, especially broadcasting, is a fundamental requirement for the communication rights, and condition to strengthen interactions between citizens able to enhance their mutual trust and in institutions, supporting and giving effectiveness to the democratic order.