Satellite cultures in Europe

Abstract

Satellites operate in a transnational communication sphere, independent of conceptual frames of national public territories. As satellites become major global industries and advance technologically, providing a variety of services, including broadcasting, telecommunication, internet applications, meteorological data and military intelligence, they contribute, this article suggests, to structurally multilayered forms of satellite cultures within an emerging European public sphere. The advances in the technology of satellite communication has, the article argues, created a platform for new, interesting flows of trans-European communication. The article considers the evidence for a new trans-European television sphere, while examples from the realities of European broadcast culture demonstrate the limitations of conventional terminologies of national, regional and local `broadcasting'.