Online Services and "Transactional Space": Conceptualising the policy issues.
by
Peter B. White
Director
Online Media Program
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia



Structural changes in the media are leading to the development of media
systems where limited the limited channel capacity of broadcast systems is
giving way to information, entertainment and channel abundance. In future
media environments control over "channel space", and to a lesser extent
control over "program content" will lose their strategic importance. It
will be argued that another aspect of the new media environment, described
as "transactional space", will become the strategic resource of the future.
According to this analysis, the creation of transactional spaces and the
control over the transactions which occur in these electronic space will
lead to a radical reworking of the political economy of media and
communication systems. "Transactional space" will become the battleground
for the control of future online media and communications systems.

The paper will draw on two examples Caller ID and the development of
financial service networks by international wire services and consider ways
in which the public policy issues raised by online media and communications
services can be conceptualised.

(I can supply a working draft.)



Contact details:

email: pbwhite@latrobe.edu.au
fax +61 3 9817 5875
phone +61 3 9817 2483

mail address:
Department of Media Studies
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Victoria 3083
Australia