Gone are the days when cabinet expansion used to get total media attention. Now cricket is hogging the limelight and team selection is the most debatable issue inside television studios before every series. Gone are the days when political king makers, who played a major role in selecting the ministers, used to grab unprecedented attention; now it's the turn of national selectors. Gone are the days when, after every general election, media-persons used to spend sleepless nights talking about the likely allocation of the portfolios. 'Which batsman is going to play at what position' seems to be their major concern now. Gone are the days when psephologists used to be media's prize catch. Now former cricketers who can become good in-house guests are in demand. Gone are the days when people used to wait for general elections with bated breath. The World Cup is the most awaited event now. Prime Minister of the country is still a powerful man, but the captain of Indian cricket team can give him a run for his money as far as popularity and media attention is concerned. Nothing reflects this better than our television screen. From dawn to dusk, from womb to tomb cricket follows us. Some of my friends say that it's a metro trend, but I can say that it's catching up in far and remote areas of the country as well. Often people complain about why we have extreme reaction on Team India's performance. Swami Vivekananda, who taught his disciples to worship God like heroes, used to say: 'There must be no fear, no begging, but demanding-demanding the highest. The true devotees are as hard, as adamant and as fearless as lion'. In our generation, politicians failed us as they became synonymous with corruption. Bureaucrats failed us as they stood for delaying rather than getting the work done. Film stars gave us momentary feel of bravado, but then they were reel and not real-life heroes. In our search for heroes, we zeroed in on the cricketers. And this is the reason as to why we react extremely to team India's performance. Cricket is more than just a game, it's a matter of emotion for us. Cricketers are more than just players; they are heroes for us. We react extremely as we love them and are emotionally attached to them. If there is one place on earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest, when men began the dream of existence, it's India. In its infancy, cricket was very much an English sport but today it is the voice of India. The game has become so ingrained in our society that it's often said - 'If you want to know India, understand cricket'. To bring about social equality in our representative institutions and policy-making bodies, our political masters followed the policy of positive discrimination. On the contrary, the game of cricket has broken regional and other traditional barriers in the talent-based environment. From the game which was confined to Rajas and Maharajas, today it has percolated deep down to the grass-root level. Team India's dressing room is truly reflective of this transformation; it is equally, if not more, representative than the Indian parliament. Most of the members of the Indian dressing room come from non-cricketing backgrounds. The most charismatic batsman of present generation is the son of a teacher; his opening partner's father used to sell farm seeds (wheat and rice). The next all-rounder hope of the country is the son of a muezzim and the Adam Gilchrist prototype of team India is the son of a government employee who retired as a pump operator. Most of the members of the present- day Indian dressing room come from non-cricketing environs. If Munaf Patel is from a village called Ikhar in Gujarat, Kerala-born pacer Sreesanth is from Kochi. Most of the members of the present Indian dressing room had nothing in the name of sports facilities. And, yet, they managed to find a way

The best-selling handbook to world radio has been completely updated and provides, as always, the most comprehensive and up-to-date information for anyone seeking information about radio or television broadcasts anywhere in the world. Among the features of this guide are over 300 pages of radio listings; details of over 1000 English broadcasts; broadcaster web sites and e-mail addresses; worldwide television-station contacts and addresses; articles with detailed technical information, tuning tips, and recommended programs; and reviews of the latest and most exciting radio equipment.

The modern British Commonwealth, linking fifty countries around the world in voluntary association, cooperation, and consultation, is a unique body in world history. The area of its member countries covers a third of the globe and collectively their peoples represent a quarter of the world's total population. Though essentially different from the British Empire from which it originated, the Commonwealth shares many common historical ties with Britain. Patricia M. Larby and Harry Hannam have assembled an unrivaled body of literature to illustrate the growth of the Empire into the Commonwealth. This extensive bibliography identifies, lists, and annotates the most important publications on the development and growth of the Commonwealth; its present status and functions; and its role in education, literature, sport, and the arts and sciences. It includes its historical origins: its cooperation in economics, politics, and international issues such as the environment; and its many spheres of professional activity including medicine, law, and architecture. Strong emphasis is placed on the role of the English language in the Commonwealth and as a medium for creative literature in many disparate cultures worldwide. "The Commonwealth "appears at a time when this unique organization is on the threshold of a new era in its history. The proposals emerging from the 1991 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting include statements on democracy and human rights; environmental affairs; and global concerns such as international crime, drug abuse, and AIDS. No previous comprehensive bibliography of the Commonwealth exists, and this volume fills a long-standing gap in the bibliographical coverage. It will be an essential reference source for libraries and scholars involved in Commonwealth studies and will be of particular interest to historians, political scientists, economists, and educators.

A scholarly work examining the continuing evolution of the magazine—part of the popular Handbooks in Media and Communication series The Handbook of Magazine Studies is a wide-ranging study of the ways in which the political economy of magazines has dramatically shifted in recent years—and continues to do so at a rapid pace. Essays from emerging and established scholars explore the cultural function of magazine media in light of significant changes in content delivery, format, and audience. This volume integrates academic examination with pragmatic discussion to explore contemporary organizational practices, content, and cultural impact. Offering original research and fresh insights, thirty-six chapters provide a truly global perspective on the conceptual and historical foundations of magazines, their organizational cultures and narrative strategies, and their influences on society, identities, and lifestyle. The text addresses topics such as the role of advocacy in shaping and changing magazine identities, magazines and advertising in the digital age, gender and sexuality in magazines, and global magazine markets. Useful to scholars and educators alike, this book: Discusses media theory, academic research, and real-world organizational dynamics Presents essays from both emerging and established scholars in disciplines such as art, geography, and women’s studies Features in-depth case studies of magazines in international, national, and regional contexts Explores issues surrounding race, ethnicity, activism, and resistance Whether used as a reference, a supplementary text, or as a catalyst to spark new research, The Handbook of Magazine Studies is a valuable resource for students, educators, and scholars in fields of mass media, communication, and journalism.

South America, Central America and the Caribbean 2002has been thoroughly revised and updated by Europa's experienced editorial team. The information included is as invaluable to those who know little of the region as it is to the seasoned businessman or academic. It should be in the reference collections of public and academic libraries, international organizations, trade and industrial companies, diplomats, government and the media. Containing a wealth of up-to-date information on the 48 countries and territories of the region, this reference provides a unique perspective on the region with its exhaustive collection of facts, up-to-date statistics, extensive directory details and expert comment.

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Policy is the first thorough analysis of how policy frames the behavior of audiences, industries, and governments in the production and consumption of popular music. Covering a range of industrial and national contexts, this collection assesses how music policy has become an important arm of government, and a contentious arena of global debate across areas of cultural trade, intellectual property, and mediacultural content. It brings together a diverse range of researchers to reveal how histories of music policy development continue to inform contemporary policy and industry practice. The Handbook maps individual nation case studies with detailed assessment of music industry sectors. Drawing on international experts, the volume offers insight into global debates about popular music within broader social, economic, and geopolitical contexts.