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ABSTRACTIn recent years there has been a marked revival of Marxism in the intellectual life of western societies. This has resulted not only in some impressive synoptic studies dealing with the structure of contemporary capitalist societies, but in a renewed concern with social change in these societies, and specifically with the role of the working class in the future transformation of capitalist society. This paper questions the importance attached to the proletariat as an actual or potential agent of revolutionary change. It asks: why did Marx and Engels see the proletariat in this role? What historical and theoretical considerations led them to this view? How plausible is it? The paper concludes that on the historical and sociological evidence Marx and Engels drew unwarranted inferences concerning the future role of the working class as an agency of the revolutionary transformation of capitalist society.

Whereas revolution has been a characteristic phenomenon of Third World societies in this century, in the industrial societies it has been conspicuous chiefly by its absence. The reasons for this have to do with the changed conditions and different historical context of action which confront any attempt at revolution in presentday industrial societies, making a recurrence of revolution on the classic European pattern of the past two centuries highly unlikely. On the other hand the `May events' of 1968 in France suggest the possibility of a new concept and a new practice of revolution more suited to the evolving needs and pressures of the advanced industrial societies.

Unlike most other broadcasting organizations, the BBC has managed to fend off identification both with the state and with commerce. The sources of this unusual degree of autonomy are traced back to the era of Lord Reith. But the balance is a precarious one, entailing various `strategies of survival' on the part of the BBC. One such strategy is seen in the careful selection and promotion of a small group of professional broadcasters-announcers, news-readers, presenters. The functional importance of this group has increased dramatically in the last decade as a result of the break-up of the political consensus and the politicization of issues previously regarded as safe.