This look into the transformation of the Swedish welfare state in the 20th century through changes in the structure and content of Swedish educational broadcasting provides new insights into how media education fostered political and social change and reflected the changes of government policies as well as the fundamental cultural transformation of the Swedish society. The political authorities formulated general ambitions for broadcast media's role in society as a public service system that could affect the views and construe the understanding of citizenship, equality, childcare, children's role in society, environmental issues, democracy, and everyday politics. This study explores how educational broadcasting was negotiated between parties with varying agendas to become both a voice for progressive change and for established interests.

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• CHAPTER 1 - Educational programmes as a forum for negotiation
  • Introduction
  • Research perspectives – negotiating educational broadcasting
• CHAPTER 2 - Educational radio, the state, and civil society
  • Introduction
  • The birth of school broadcasting – a government priority
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER 3 - Welfare policy and the people’s voice
  • Introduction
  • Objectivity and the voice of the people
  • The national project – its meaning, its transformation
  • Monopoly, plurality, and independence
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER 4 - Progress and change
  • Introduction
  • Inquiries and reforms
  • TRU as a forum for negotiation – popular education and adult education in a new guise
  • Adult education on radio and television
  • The preschool sector – new kids on the block
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER 5 - Same service, different vision
  • An ideological Meidner fund
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER 6 - Educational broadcasting heads for independence
  • TRU II – towards public service educational broadcasting
  • UR – a horse planned by a committee, or, renegotiating political alliances
  • A final bid to kill off UR: the Distance Learning Committee
  • Critical journalism and educational broadcasting
  • Conclusion
• CHAPTER 7 - Neither fish nor fowl, nor good red herring
• Notes
• Bibliography