Don't be fooled . . .

Doctor Media's been adding some excellent posts over the past few days, while I've been taking a break and communing with nature (that's what I call it whenever I get in a tent). After all, August is here. While there's still lots going on, it seems that following a period over the summer where the stream of British news had been constant in USA media-land, things have died down a tad - at least for the moment, and at least in terms of the big news stories. We've stopped hearing so much about the London terrorist bombings. Gleneagles and Live8 are already distant, all-but-forgotten memories. No-one seems to be talking about Making Poverty History anymore. All is silent on the 2012 London Olympics front. America is consumed by the missing Aruba teenager and (maybe if they're looking for more serious news) Cindy Sheehan's anti-war protest and the Israeli evacuation of Gaza. Maybe this is as good a time as any to take a breather.

But hang on, not so fast! While the U.S. news world takes a break from blighty, the steady drumbeat UK's hidden and not-so-hidden influence on U.S. news and entertainment continues relentlessly, even during the dog days of summer. Just think of all the British institutions and people who are having an impact on the U.S. media landscape right now (many of whom we've aleady commented on in London Calling).

Of course we all know about the BBC, The Independent and The Guardian. But what about Granada International and Celador Productions? What about the WPP advertising agency? Pearson (owner of the FT)? Conde Nast? News International (the UK arm of News Corporation, and home of The Sun and BSkyB)? And don't forget Richard Branson's Virgin.

Then there's Tina Brown and her husband Harold Evans; Christopher Hitchens and Richard Curtis; Martin Walker; the defection of and any number of tabloid journos and serious journalists heading to the US for the big bucks; Ricky Gervais in the world of comedy.

Let's not forget Daniel Battsek (of Miramax) and Howard Stringer (of Sony); then there's dodgy Richard Desmond and OK! (see also here). And now there's James Goldston at ABC's Nightline. In hard news and TV entertainment, in magazine and book publishing, in the big city tabloids, the British influence is palpable and incessant. And yes, the list really does go on. (Btw, a few weeks ago I put up a list of UK media figures - culled from the Guardian's "Top 100 media figures in the UK"; there's a bunch of extra names in there to consider.)

So things aren't as quiet as they seem. All that's happened is that the temporary blip of Big British News Events has settled back down to the constant background noise - a drumbeat, even - of the UK's continuing (and expanding) media presence in the United States. So even if we hear less about London's war on terrorism or Blair's electoral capital or the London Olympics or Britain's EU Presidency or its war of African poverty, don't be fooled.

There's still a lot going on.