ABSTRACT
The debate over the future of public broadcasting in the United States and elsewhere is complicated by the questionable legitimacy of the term "public." Identifying the will of the public and how it will be represented has always been a central challenge for societies aspiring or claiming to be democratic. In order to decide broadcasting practices in a multicultural democratic society, coming to grips with what we mean by the public is absolutely essential because at heart of the controversy is a disagreement over what the public is, what it wants, and how media technology should be used. Although not all of the chapters here directly address these questions, most recognize the background of analytical difficulty and political controversy surrounding any definition of the public.
