When Americans talk about the British invasion, they often mean the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
A new wave is on its way, but from Fleet Street. In the past month, several British news operations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Times, the Guardian and the Economist magazine said they would expand their distribution in the United States.
The Economist is aiming at certain cities where it will increase its marketing efforts, while The Times is printing an edition for New York area readers. The BBC is seeking deals with cable operators to run its 24-hour news network, while the Guardian declined to offer specific plans.
To be sure, the United States has no shortage of international media. Wire services such as Reuters and Agence France-Presse publish articles that run online, in US newspapers and are picked up by TV news channels.
But the strategy now is to offer international news to US audiences that they say home-grown media outlets are underplaying or not covering.
They also want to capture advertising dollars aimed at affluent, educated young US professionals with a cosmopolitan take on the world.
"I think there has been a bit of a retreat (in the United States) from covering serious global news," said Jeremy Hillman, editor of BBC World in London and former New York bureau chief.
Mr Hillman cited the aftermath of an earthquake that struck Pakistan in October 2005.
BBC, he said, covered the story for months, reporting over the winter on victims who were left with little shelter and medical aid in the mountains.
US television networks covered the quake, "but moved on very, very quickly even as the real crisis really kicked in," he said.
US media have also devoted little coverage to investigations into corruption in Kenya, he added.
However, the British media influx puzzles some media experts, who say the US market is inhospitable to newcomers.
Even the most established US newspapers and broadcasters, from the Washington Post to cable news channel CNN, have seen profits hurt by declining circulation and viewership, weak advertising and free news online.
US daily newspaper circulation averaged 45.4 million readers in the six months that ended March 31, down 2.6 per cent from a year ago, according to the Newspaper Association of America.
"The agenda is hard to figure. It's certainly not going to be any kind of big financial impact on anything," said Edward Atorino, an analyst at Benchmark Capital. "It's a little bit of an ego trip."
Another motive is stiff competition at home, said Robert Thomson, editor of The Times, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
With nearly a dozen daily papers and multiple foreign bureaus, London is one of the most competitive news markets in the world, he said.
"Once people in this market get wind of another paper doing something, then you have... a lot of copy-catting," he said.
British media outlets are aware of the risks. Their executives say they are catering to a small but relatively wealthy audience that could prove to be profitable.
"If you're selling even 15,000 or 20,000 copies... to a very desirable demographic in the States, that's a hell of a premium," Mr Thomson said.
The Times made its leap after seeing strong demand from US internet audiences. Its website gets more than three million unique visits a month from US internet users, about the same as it gets from Britain, Mr Thomson said.
The US print edition of the Times is available in New York City and New Jersey.
The paper joins Pearson's Financial Times and a weekly edition of the Guardian in chasing US readers.
The Times plans to solicit US advertising, but in its June 6 debut issue, all the ads were particularly British.
One promotion for custom tailor Asha's promises "bespoke suits for men and ladies" from £129 in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham. An ad from IrishFerries.com touts one-way fares to Ireland for £59.
The Times plans to solicit US advertising in the future, Mr Thomson said.
On the reporting side, most of the material will continue to be stories taken from the British edition.
It also could expand its distribution beyond New York and New Jersey based on how well it sells in those areas, a spokeswoman said.
The Times' premiere edition headlines a U stock market tumble, an anniversary exhibit of Picasso's work in Spain and a profile of America's World Cup soccer goalkeeper.
The top local story is on the latest sport to hit Manhattan: cricket.
The BBC plans to increase distribution of its 24-hour world news channel on US cable and satellite, and will launch a morning programme this month to compete in a market crowded with early news and talk shows on US networks NBC, ABC and CBS.
The Guardian will expand its US presence beyond a weekly edition, said spokesman Shaun Williams. One idea is to set up kiosks where customers can push a button and print a paper. He declined to provide further details.
The Economist hopes to double its US circulation to 1.2 million in five years by seeking new subscribers in local markets.
The magazine increased its subscriptions in the Baltimore area from 4,000 to 5,000 copies in a six-week promotion, said Global Marketing Director Susan Clark.
It launched a similar programme in Denver, and plans to try out three more cities by April 2007, she said. Among the possibilities are Boston and San Francisco.
"Ultimately this has to be about brand awareness - and driving traffic to the website," said Peter Kreisky, a British media consultant who has lived in the United States for 30 years.