"International broadcasters are driven by several distinct, yet often overlapping, goals. They can aim to: provide international perspectives in areas without a wealth of local media, such as former colonies (i.e. France, UK, Germany); remain connected to diaspora populations (Poland); to preserve, protect, and promote local languages (Netherlands/Flanders); to counter Western media hegemony and political narratives (Russia, Turkey); and to proffer a positive image of a country, including its value and culture (China, US). Competition in global media has increased substantially in the last two decades. At the beginning of the 2000s, for example, there were only three foreign television stations in English. Ten years later, more than 30 stations from various countries were already courting an international audience, and the number has grown steadily since. These countries go far beyond the Anglo-American sphere; it is usually resurgent powers like Russia and China that use the English language to reach countries and target groups that are regarded as politically and economically important. Foreign media today are far more than just mediators of a national perspective or ambassadors for understanding and solidarity. They see themselves as actors in a global dialogue of values and competitors in a quest for international interpretative sovereignty." (Introduction)