Modern Communications Law provides the most comprehensive and contemporary coverage of communications law available, a subject characterized by rapidly expanding and changing horizons. The book is thorough, informative, and accessible. It is divided into three main sections that respectively consider the media's nature and context, structural governance of the communications industry, and content issues. Lively provides an in-depth study of telephone communications--an area which affects virtually the entire citizenry--as well as print, broadcasting, cable, and other new media.

The book contains several structural innovations calculated to enhance the teaching and learning process. The selection and editing of cases and other primary materials reflect the author's experience with topics that facilitate animated discussion. Additionally, the text is extensively annotated with pinpoint citations which heighten the book's utility for research and reference purposes. A particularly notable feature is the introduction of case summaries preceding all major court opinions. The synopses are intended to familiarize readers with the basic arguments, issues and reasoning so that they derive more meaning from the cases themselves than ever before. The book is well-suited for law school courses and is appropriate for communications law courses in the graduate and undergraduate curricula. Legal practitioners, media industry professionals and government regulators and policy-makers will find Modern Communications Law an essential resource.