SEEK: Salford Environment for Expertise and Knowledge
Seamus Simpson
Prof Seamus Simpson
Key Memberships
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Member of Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Media & Social Sciences
From September 2010 to December 2009.
Member of School: School of Media, Music & Performance
From September 2010 to present.
Full Member of Research Centre: Communication, Cultural & Media Studies
From September 2010 to present.
Profile Summary

Seamus Simpson is Professor of Media Policy in the School of Media, Music and Performance at the University of Salford, UK. His research interests lie in European and global communications media policy. Specific focus has been on a range of Internet, telecommunication, and digital media convergence governance issues.

Some topics recently covered are:

  • the EU as an actor in global Internet governance;
  • critiques of the European Electronic Communications Regulatory Framework;
  • next generation communications media network policies at EU level;
  • policy issues around private interest/hybrid public-private regulatory bodies in UK communications media (e.g. the case of premium rate number service in TV regulation).

Work in these areas has recently appeared, or is forthcoming in, among others: West European Politics, the Journal of European Public Policy; Governance; Convergence; Information, Communication and Society; the Journal of Common Market Studies; the European Journal of Communication; and the Journal of Public Policy.

Seamus is also author of: Globalisation, Convergence and European Telecommunications Regulation (2005, Edward Elgar) (with Peter Humphreys, University of Manchester) and The New Electronic Marketplace: European Governance Strategies in a Globalising Economy (2007, Edward Elgar) (with George Christou, University of Warwick).

Seamus was Principal Investigator on the ESRC-funded European Regulation of Intrernet Commerce project and is a member of the ESRC's Peer Review College.

Key Publications
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Authored Books
2007
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2007, The New Electronic Economy - European Governance Strategies in a Globalising Economy. , 1 edition, Edward Elgar., Cheltenham, UK.
2005
Jan
Humphreys, P & Simpson, S 2005, Humphreys, Peter and Seamus Simpson Globalisation, Convergence and European Telecommunications Regulation , Edward Elgar, Cheltenham and Northampton MA, UK.
Refereed Journal Articles
2011
Mar
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2011, 'Multilateralism, the EU and the Evolving Global Governance of the Internet ', Journal of European Public Policy, 18(2), pp.241-257.
2011
Jan
Simpson, S 2011, 'New Governance in European Union Policy Making ¿ Policy Innovation or Political Compromise in European Telecommunications?', West European Politics, 34(5), pp.1114-1133.
2010
Jan
Simpson, S 2010, 'Governing Information Infrastructures and Services: States, Markets and the Public Interest in Telecommunications , 62(1), 46-56.', Aslib Proceedings, 62(1), pp.46-56.
2010
Jan
Simpson, S 2010, 'Effective Communications Regulation in an Era of Convergence? The Case of Premium Rate Telephony and Television in the UK', Convergence, 16(2), pp.217-233.
2009
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2009, 'New Governance, the Internet and Country Code Top Level Domains in Europe ', Governance, 22(4), pp.599-624.
2009
Jan
Simpson, S 2009, 'Supranationalism and its Limits in European Telecommunications Governance - The European Electronic Communications Markets Authority Initiative¿ 12(8), 1224-41.', Information, Communication and Society, 12(8), pp.1224-1241.
2008
Jan
Humphreys, P & Simpson, S 2008, 'Globalization, the Competition State and the Rise of the Regulatory State in European Telecommunications 46(4), 849-74.', Journal of Common Market Studies, 46(4), pp.849-874.
2007
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2007, 'Gaining a Stake in Global Internet Governance: the EU, ICANN and Strategic Norm Manipulation¿, ', European Journal of Communication, 22(2), pp.147-164.
2006
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2006, 'The Internet and Public-Private Governance in the European Union ', Journal of Public Policy .
2004
Jan
Simpson, S 2004, 'Simpson, Seamus ¿Universal Service Issues in Converging Communications Environments: the Case of the UK ', Telecommunications Policy, 28, pp.233-248.
2004
Jan
Simpson, S 2004, 'Explaining the Commercialisation of the Internet: a neo-Gramscian Contribution', Information, Communication and Society, 7(1), pp.50-69.
2002
Jan
Simpson, S & Wilkinson, R 2002, 'Regulatory Change and Telecommunications governance: A Neo-Gramscian Analysis', Convergence, 8(2), pp.30-51.
2001
Jan
Halpin, E & Simpson, S 2001, '¿Between Self-Regulation and Intervention in the Networked Economy: the European Union and Internet Policy¿. Journal of Information Science, 28(4), 285-296.', Journal of Information Science, 28(4), pp.285-296.
2000
Jan
Simpson, S 2000, 'Intra-institutional Rivalry and Policy Entrepreneurship in the European Union: the Politics of Information and Communications Technology Convergence', New Media and Society, 2(4), pp.445-466.
1999
Jan
Simpson, S 1999, 'Regulating ICT Convergence', Javnost/The Public, 6(3), pp.49-66.
Book Sections
2008
Jan
Simpson, S 2008 'The Changing Totems of European Telecommunications Governance: Liberalisation, Market Forces and the Importance of the EU Regulatory Package', in: David Ward (ed.) The European Union & the Culture Industries: Regulation and the Public Interest, Ashgate, Aldershot, UK, pp.105-24.
2008
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2008 'International Policy Implementation Through Gate Keeping: the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers', in: Jutta Joachim, Bob Reinalda and Bertjan Verbeek (eds) Policy Implementation in International Organisations,, Routledge, London, UK, pp.75-87.
2008
Jan
Christou, G & Simpson, S 2008 'Limitations to Transnational Private Governance of the Internet: the dot eu Top Level Domain', in: Jean-Christophe Graz and Andreas Nolke (eds.) Transnational Private Governance in the Global Political Economy, Routledge, London, UK, pp.156-167.
2005
Jan
Simpson, S 2005 'Simpson, Seamus ¿Explaining Market Liberalisation and the Emergence of a European Union Regulatory Framework in Telecommunications: Structural Change, Globalisation and the Interplay Between National and European Levels¿ ', in: Bek, M & Kevin, D (eds.), The Communications Policies of Turkey and the EU., University of Ankara Press, Ankara, Turkey, pp.39-75.
2000
Jan
Cawood, J & Simpson, S 2000 'Cawood, John and Seamus Simpson, ¿Building the Information Society from the Bottom-Up? EU Public Policy and Community Informatics Initiatives in North West England¿', in: M., G (ed.), Community Informatics, , 1 edition, Idea Group, London, UK, pp.151-172.
1996
Jan
Humphreys, P & Simpson, S 1996, ' European Telecommunications and Globalisation ', in: Globalisation and Public Policy, ##Edward Elgar#Aldershot#UK, pp.105-124.
Key Presence
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Conference Presentations
2011
Feb
The Evolution of International Policy Agendas in the Regulation of Electronic Communication: the Internet and Telecommunications (European Consortium for Political Research/International Political studies Association Joint Conference, 'Whatever Happened to North-South?', University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, February 2011).
2011
Jan
(Re)-Conceptualising the Public Interest in an Era of Digital Media (Paper presented to the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association Conference, Salford Quays, 12-14 January, United Kingdom, January 2011).
2010
Oct
The Performance of the EU in the International Institutional Landscape of the Internet (Paper presented to the 'Europe in Global Governance: Performance, Reform, Power' conference (with George Christou, University of Warwick), Rapallo, Italy, October 2010).
2010
Sep
Mikko Sihvonen and Seamus Simpson 'Catering for Minority Interests in Public Service Media Environments: Finland and the UK' (Paper presented to the Reinterpretations of the Public Enterprise (RIPE) conference: Public Service Media After the Recession, London, United Kingdom, September 2010).
2010
Jun
'New Governance as Political Compromise in European Telecommunications: the Amended European Union Electronic Communications Regulatory Framework' (Paper presented to the International Telecommunications Society Conference, Tokyo, Japan, June 2010).
2010
May
George Christou and Seamus Simpson ¿The Influence of Global Internet Governance Institutions on EU Norms and Practices¿ (Paper presented to the workshop ¿The Influence of International Institutions on the EU¿,, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, May 2010).
2010
Apr
Christou, George and Seamus Simpson ¿Shaping the Global Communications Milieu: The EU¿s Influence on Internet and Telecommunications Governance"¿ (Paper presented to the GARNET (Global Governance, Regionalisation and Regulation: The Role of the EU ) conference, , Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, April 2010).
2009
Nov
¿New Approaches to the Development of Telecommunications Infrastructures in Europe? The Evolution of European Union Policy for Next Generation Networks¿ ( Paper presented to the 2009 ECREA Communication Law and Policy Section conference ¿New Directions for Communication Policy Research¿, Zurich, Switzerland, November 2009).
2009
Sep
Christou, George and Seamus Simpson ¿Multilateralism, the EU and the Evolving Global Governance of the Internet¿ (Paper presented to the European Consortium for Political Research General Conference,, Potsdam, Germany, September 2009).
2009
May
George Christou and Seamus Simpson ¿The Governance of Country Code Top Level Domains in Europe¿, (Presentation delivered to the 2009 Global Internet Governance Academic Network annual symposium, Free University of Brussels, Belgium, May 2009).
2008
Nov
¿Effective Communications Regulation in an Era of Convergence? The Case of Premium Rate Telephony and Television Phone-ins in the UK ' (Paper presented to the European Communication Research and Education Association Conference, Barcelona, Spain, November 2008).
2008
Jun
¿Review of the EU¿s Electronic Communications Regulatory Framework ¿ the Significance of a Possible Electronic Communications Markets Authority¿ (Paper presented to the 17th Biennial International Telecommunications Society Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 2008).
2008
Jun
¿Pervasiveness and Efficacy in Regulatory Governance ¿ Neo-Liberalism as Ideology and Practice in European Telecommunications Reorganisation¿ (Paper presented to the European Consortium for Political Research standing group on Regulatory Governance conference, Utrecht, Netherlands, June 2008).
2007
Sep
Christou, George and Seamus Simpson, ¿New Modes of Regulatory Governance for the Internet? Country Code Top Level Domains in Europe¿. Paper presented to the New Modes of Regulatory Governance Panel Italy, 6-8 September.. (European Consortium for Political Research General Conference, Pisa,, Available at: http://regulation.upf.edu/index.php?id=pisa_2007#PN386, Italy, September 2007).
2007
May
Humphreys, Peter and Seamus Simpson ¿Globalization, the ¿Competition¿ State and the Rise of the ¿Regulatory¿ State in European Telecommunications¿. (International Communication Association Conference, , San Francisco, United States, May 2007).
2005
Apr
Christou George and Seamus Simpson ¿Transnational Private Governance of the Internet in the European Union: the Case of the dot eu Top Level Domain¿. (European Consortium for Political Research Joint Sessions, Workshop 23: ¿Transnational Private Governance in the Global Political Economy¿, , Granada, Spain, April 2005).
2004
Sep
Christou, George and Seamus Simpson ¿Emerging Patterns of E-Commerce Governance in Europe - the European Union¿s Directive on E-Commerce. (32nd Telecommunications Policy Research Conference: Communication, Information and Internet Policy. , Arlington, Virginia, United States, September 2004).
2004
Apr
Christou, George and Seamus Simpson Internet Policy Implementation and the Interplay between Global and Regional Levels ¿ The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the European Union (EU) (European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Joint Sessions, Workshop 1: ¿International Organisations and Policy Implementation¿, , Uppsala, Sweden, April 2004).
2003
Dec
Simpson Seamus and Rorden Wilkinson (2003), "First-Mover Preferences, Structural Power and Path Dependency: the World Trade Organisation and E-Commerce". (International Research Foundation for Development, World Forum on the Information Society, Geneva, Switzerland, December 2003).
2003
Sep
Simpson, Seamus and Rorden Wilkinson (2003) "Governing E- Commerce: Prospects and Problems". (31st Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, ¿Communication, Information and Internet Policy¿, , Arlington, Virginia, United States, September 2003).
2002
Oct
Simpson, Seamus ¿Harmony, Hegemony and the Internet: a Neo-Gramscian Perspective¿. (Proceedings of the Fifth Annual International Business and Economics (IBEC) Conference, , Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, October 2002).
2001
Nov
Halpin, Edward F. and Seamus Simpson ¿Between Self-Regulation and Intervention in the Networked Economy: the European Union and Internet Policy¿. (the European Network on Industrial Policy (EUNIP) Conference,, Vienna, Austria, November 2001).
2001
Sep
Simpson, Seamus and Rorden Wilkinson ¿Conceptualising Regulatory Change: Explaining Shifts in Telecommunications Governance¿. (29th Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, ¿Communication, Information and Internet Policy¿,, Alexandria, Virginia, United States, September 2001).
2000
Sep
Cawood John and Seamus Simpson ¿Theories of Technology and the Making of Public Policy - Taking Local Action in a Global Information Society" (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Symposium on Technology and Society, ¿University as a Bridge From Technology to Society,, Rome, Italy, September 2000).
2000
May
Cawood, John and Seamus Simpson ¿Can Public Policy Widen Participation in Cyberspace? Networks, Interests and Initiatives in North West England¿ (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Conference, ¿Shaping the Network Society¿, , Seattle, Washington, United States, May 2000).
1999
Mar
Simpson Seamus, ¿Convergence of Information and Communications Technologies: Devising an Effective Policy for the European Union.¿ (European Consortium for Political Research workshop, ¿Regulating Communications in the Multimedia Age¿. , Mannheim, Germany, March 1999).
Invited Papers and Lectures
2011
Mar
Dan Schiller and How to Think About Information (Institute of Humanities and Social Science Research Seminars in Globalisation, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, March 2011).
2010
Feb
'The EU as an International Actor in Internet Governance¿ (The Information Society Network Seminar Series , Department of Politics, University of Exeter , United Kingdom, February 2010).
Memberships of External Bodies
2010
May
Full Member of ESRC Peer Review College (United Kingdom, May 2010).
2010
Jan
Full Member of Political Studies Association (January 2010).
2008
Jan
Full Member of International Telecommunications Society (January 2008).
2008
Jan
Full Member of European Communication Research and Education Association (January 2008).
2007
Jan
Full Member of European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on Regulatory Governance (January 2007).
2005
Jan
Full Member of International Communication Association (January 2005).