Television discourse has undergone significant changes at the end of the twentieth century. Technological, economic and political upheavals in the European media have had a direct effect on programme form and meaning. Worlds in Common? is an innovative examination of these newly emerging forms of communication. Detailed case studies taken from a wide range of television genres - such as 24-hours news broadcasting, culture channels (such as ARTE), shopping channels (QVC), talk shows (Sally Jesse Raphael, Jerry Springer), local television (Liverpool Live) and European news (EN) - are analysed and connected to current debates such as: * the importance of televisions mediations of space and time, such as live coverage across the planet of the OJ Simpson trial * questions of national, local and global identity * the prevalence of trash or quality in television's future developments * the impact of US talk shows within a European context * how the new satellite channels seek to build familiarity with their terrestrial audience. Worlds in Common? extends current debates about the future of a new multichannel media environment which is no longer confined within national boundaries, and how this affects the cultural lives of viewers. It is highly relevant for students and researchers of applied linguistics, media studies and communication studies.