30 Brooten, McElhone and Venkiteswaran McElhone and Lisa Brooten’s chapter on media development in this volume. Many actors, musicians and performers responded to the cyclone by carrying out fundraising initiatives. In August 2008 the Burmese band Iron Cross performed in a concert at the Thuwanah Sports Stadium in Rangoon to raise money for the victims. The audience of fifty thousand was said to be the largest ever in the history of Burma (The Irrawaddy 2008). The junta allowed certain artist associations to organize concerts and shows to raise funds, but other groups were banned, such as the Moustache Brothers, a comedy troupe from Mandalay known to be supportive of the pro-democracy movement and whose members had served time in jail for their stinging critiques of the military (Cho 2008; Menendez and Hodgson 2013). A well-known a-nyeint comedy troupe, Thee Lay Thee and Say Yaung Zon, toured several countries telling jokes and performing skits that mocked the junta. The junta banned a recording of their performances that became a huge hit after being circulated outside of the country as well as clandestinely inside it on VCD (The Irrawaddy 2008). This overview provides some indication of the historical events and patterns that shaped the country before the quasi-civilian Thein Sein administration began its legislative changes in 2010 and 2011. Contemporary events cannot be fully understood without some knowledge of how this history and its legacies have created both opportunities and challenges for those working to develop, diversify and democratize Myanmar media. The Media Landscape Today: 2010–Present When the current period of reform began, the media sector was vibrant but significantly restricted. There were about two hundred weekly and monthly journals and magazines in the private print market, covering news, sports and lifestyle. Many privately owned publications were associated directly or indirectly with high-ranking members of the army, including some individuals who also held cabinet positions (Nwe Nwe Aye 2012). Even then, few were spared the pre-publication censorship rules, and in this environment it was difficult to find truly independent publications. The government, military and a few select 01 ch1-MyanmarMediaIT-5P.indd 30 8/4/19 10:29 am