Media independence is vital for democracies, and so is the independence of the regulatory bodies governing it. This book explores the complex relationship between media governance and independence of media regulatory authorities within Europe, which form part of the wider framework in which media's independence may flourish or fade.

Preface – Karol Jakubowicz Introduction: Structural interconnection of free media and independent regulators  Chapter 1: Approaches to independence – Wolfgang Schulz Part I: Assessing the independence of regulatory bodies within the audiovisual media sector Chapter 2: Delegation to independent regulatory authorities in the media sector: A paradigm shift through the lens of regulatory theory – Kristina Irion and Roxana Radu Chapter 3: Independent media regulators: Condition sine qua non for freedom of expression? – Peggy Valcke, Dirk Voorhoof and Eva Lievens Chapter 4: Media regulatory authorities in the EU context: Comparing sector-specific notions and requirements of independence – David Stevens Chapter 5: Locating a regulator in the governance structure: A theoretical framework for the operationalization of independence – Stephan Dreyer Chapter 6: Measuring independence: Approaches, limitations, and a new ranking tool – Kristina Irion and Michele Ledger Part II: Media systems and the culture of independence Chapter 7: Independence or balance of dependencies? Critical remarks on studying conditions of media regulators and public service media in Poland – Beata Klimkiewicz Chapter 8: The independence of media regulatory authorities and the impact of the socio-political context: A comparative analysis of Greece and Italy – Evangelia Psychogiopoulou, Federica Casarosa and Anna Kandyla Chapter 9: Does the complexity of institutional structures in federal states influence the independence of AVM regulatory authorities? A review of the cases of Germany and Belgium – Pierre-François Docquir, Sebastian Müller and Christoph Gusy Chapter 10: The independence of media regulatory authorities in Finland and the UK: An assessment – Rachael Craufurd Smith, Epp Lauk, Yolande Stolte and Heikki Kuutti Chapter 11: Independence through intervention? International intervention and the independence of the Communications Regulatory Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Tarik Jusić Chapter 12: Concluding chapter: Independence in context – Wolfgang Schulz