This book explores how television in the global South is ‘future-proofing’ its continued relevance, addressing its commercial, social and political viability in a constantly changing information ecosystem. The chapter contributions in the book are drawn from countries in East, South and West Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, specially selected for their illustrative potential of the key issues addressed in the book.
Scholarly attention on television in the global South has largely been limited to studying evolving television formats with broader structural issues covered almost entirely by industry reports. Major gaps remain in terms of understanding how television in the global South is changing within the context of the significant technological developments and what this means for television’s future(s). The chapters reflect on these futures, not in the sense of predicting what these might be, but rather anticipating important areas of intellection. The contributors contend that much of the scholarship on the global South, by scholars from the South, is often stilted by a reluctance to anticipate. This failure leads to a largely reactionary scholarship, constantly oppositional, and unable to recentre conversations on the South. This volume finds intellectual incentive in this urgent need to anticipate, hence its particular focus on television futures. Taking television in the global South as an important cultural and political barometer, the book seeks to explore how television in the global South is adapting to the rampant technological changes and processes of globalisation.
Author(s): George Ogola
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 237
City: Cham
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
References
Part I: The Changing Television Market
Chapter 2: Original Local Productions, Streaming Services and the Future of Subscription TV in South Africa
Introduction
OTT Streaming in South Africa
South African Broadcasting
Regulatory Matters
“Local Content” and Streaming TV: Moving Targets
Original Local Content on Netflix
Original Local Content on Showmax
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3: Saudi Arabian Television: The Challenge of Connecting with Reality
Leadership Narratives Promoted via Popular Programming
Ambiguities and Contradictions in Bringing Television Production Back ‘Home’
The Not-So-New, the Long-Desired and the Yet-To-Be-Tested
Conclusion
References
Chapter 4: Surviving Digital Disruptions: The Future of Television in Kenya
Introduction
Kenya’s Media Landscape
Technology as a Catalyst for Change
The Disruptive Influence of Social Media and Other Digital Platforms
The Primacy of Content
Data and the Emerging TV Newsroom Practices
The Changing Audience
The Revenue Challenge
Conclusion
References
Chapter 5: Television’s Uncertain and Fragmented Future: Battling the Digital Revolution in Uganda
Introduction
Background and Context
Television and the Stalled Digital ‘Revolution’
The ‘Economic Question’ and Uganda’s TV Future
Conclusion
References
Part II: The ‘New Scramble’ for Africa
Chapter 6: The BBC in Africa: Western Influencer, Soft Power Purveyor, or African Broadcaster?
Introduction
A Future of Collaboration
Building Local Capacity and Audience Reach
Broadening the Editorial Agenda
Leveraging Technology
Threats and Prospects for the BBC in Africa
References
Chapter 7: China Global Television Network’s Debate Show, ‘Talk Africa’: Conflict, Economics, and Geopolitics
Introduction
Overview of Chinese Media in Africa
CGTN Africa in the CCTV and CGTN Structure
Focus on Talk Africa: Framing the Continent
The Conflict Frame
Armed Conflicts
Inter-Africa Conflict
Elections
The Economic Frame
Africa Rising
Industrialization
Environment and Climate Change
Infrastructure and Governance
COVID-19
Digital Economy
Arts and Culture
The Geopolitics Frame
Summitry
Globalization and Multilateralism
Public Diplomacy and Soft Power
High-Level Interviews
Continuing High-Level Interviews
Conclusion
References
Part III: Television Policy and Regulation in the Digital Age
Chapter 8: The Past and Future of Media Giants in Latin America: The Legacy of Clientelism in Brazil’s Broadcast Television Development
Introduction
Broadcast Media Development in Brazil
The Birth of Television in Brazil and Rise of Rede Globo
The Origins of the “Coronel Eletrônico”: Subnational Media and Politics
Political Dynasties and the Media Oligopolies
The Challenge to the Quality of Democracy
The Media Market in Brazil and Future Challenges
Conclusion
Appendix
References
Chapter 9: Off the Map: Mexican TV Navigates a Post-national, Post-broadcast World
Introduction
Background
From Telesistema to Televisa
The Duopoly Era
Shifts in TV-State Relations
A Decade of Challenges
A New Regulatory and Competitive Environment
A Third National Network
Ad Revenue Loss: A “Perfect Storm”
Futureproofed by History and by Circumstance
“Analog” De-convergence
Infrastructure Investments
Global Aspirations: Re-convergence as Global Spanish-Language Media
Conclusion
References
Chapter 10: The Politics of Broadcasting Regulation in Uganda
Introduction
The Essence of Broadcast Regulation
The Political Economy of Broadcast Regulation
Broadcasting in Uganda and the ‘Birth’ of UCC
UCC’s Mandate
UCC and Politics in Uganda
The Minimum Broadcasting Standards
UCC and the 2016 Elections: Key Incidents
The UCC as a State Apparatus
The State as ‘Regulator’
Conclusion
References
Chapter 11: When Stakeholder Interests Truncate Policy Intentions: The Case of Digital Television Migration in Nigeria
Introduction
The Context of Policy Legacies
The Recentralization of Television
Liberalization of the Television Industry
The Digital Transition
The Face of Government Policy
A Failed Transition? Challenges Facing the Implementation of the Digital Migration
Entry of New Industry Players
Transformation of State to Public Broadcasters
Public Awareness
Whither Reform of Legal Frameworks?
Funding
Looking to the Future
References
Index
