The media in the United States has gone through several changes throughout history. Early on, the press was seen as important for public discourse and debate. However, over time media became big business, with large companies owning most newspapers and radio/TV stations. Deregulation in the 1980s and 1990s led to even more media consolidation, with just a few huge corporations now controlling around 90% of the market. This raises questions about whether the needs of the public are still being served over pure profit.