UK

This chapter provides an overview of the transformations of Mexican media culture in the last two decades and relates them to the radical changes in the country;s economy, from a protectionist import-substitution model to a market-driven, neoliberal one. It reviews the role of internal and external economic, technological, and political forces in (a) the consolidation of national audiovisual and telecommunication conglomerates; (b) the transnational dominance of Hollywood in the distribution, exhibition, and consumption of films; and (c) the adoption of mixed and diverse media consumption patterns by national audiences. The chapter concludes that the unique combination of transnational forces affecting the national media culture and the still relevant power of the state to hinder competition in some sectors, have made of Mexico one of the countries in the world with a high concentration of audiovisual media and telecommunications.