ABSTRACT
A small but vibrant community media movement, exemplified by independent media coverage of corporate globalization and the accompanying social protests.
These seemingly contradictory trends-corporate oligopoly and a promising public interest sector-characterize direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television as well. DBS television is best known as the consumer electronics phenomenon that brings hundreds of program choices into the home via a small dish antenna. Although commercialism now dominates the media industries, the development of DBS was an act of social construction by viewers themselves; quite literally, they built a new telecommunications system on a foundation of crude homemade receiving dishes. This development spot-
DBS' AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST Ill
lights the potential of new telecommunications technologies for democracy, along with the social process through which public roles are defined.
