First Published in 1985. The changing face of Western European broadcasting provides a fascinating subject of study for the contemporary observer. In part this is because the structures of different national broadcasting systems have altered over the past few years with the growth of new radio stations and television channels. Of particular interest to political scientists is the fact that in many cases the contemporary debate on broadcasting, as it affects both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ media, is taking place in a different political/ideological environment as well as a changing technological one. So now is an opportune moment to provide an up-to-date survey of broadcasting and politics in Western Europe. This is the objective of this special issue of West European Politics, which consists of eight single country studies and one cross-national comparative article.