Three essays on the diversity of audiovisual imports

International trade of cultural goods is characterized by a remarkable concentration of export flows from a small set of countries. As a consequence, trade in cultural goods is considered by many countries as a potential threat to cultural diversity. Against this background, a majority of countries resorts to restrictions on audiovisual imports and cultural protectionism has become the rule rather than the exception. Although a lot has been said on the role of firms' characteristics to explain the concentration of audiovisual trade flows, very little is known on the other determinants of cultural trade patterns. Yet, the definition of effective cultural policies in promoting diversity requires a good understanding of the determinants of the concentration of cultural consumption and trade. This thesis contributes to filling this gap