International Electronic Media |  |
Chapter Summary| The world market is very important to U.S. media producers in terms of profit, coproductions, and franchises. Those working in global media should know how systems around the world developed and are structured. One way to examine the basic structures is to look at developments in Brazil, Britain, and Russia.
Brazil's private system of broadcasting is similar to most in Latin America. Early radio was taken over by newspaper moguls, one of whom, Robert Marinho, went on to establish a very successful TV network, TV Globo. Brazil has always had commercials and entertainment-oriented programming. Television started in the early 1950s, with investments from U.S. media companies. In the 1960s, at the same time colonial countries were gaining independence, Brazil and other Latin American countries cast off the American companies. Brazil, along with Mexico, developed the telenovela into a form that was readily exported. As part of satellite development, TV Globo established the DBS service GloboSat. Privatization did not affect Brazil or other South American countries because their media systems were already private, but programming forms have changed as sassier programming services draw audiences away from TV Globo.
Britain, as a public system, led the rest of Europe in media development. BBC radio started in 1922 as a monopoly under a government charter. It was supported by license fees and had no advertisements. Programming was paternalistic. Beginning in the 1930s, Britain spread its public system to its colonies and developed its Empire Service. Unlike France, it believed in local participation in media. During World War II, BBC operated an external service to combat propaganda. After the war, Britain helped the other allies set up broadcasting systems in Germany and Japan. Television started in the 1930s in England but was interrupted by the war and was not really revived until 1953. In 1963, pirate ships began broadcasting rock music, and the BBC was forced to revamp its staid radio programming to include rock. Independent television started in England in 1954, earlier than in other European countries. To counter the independent services, the BBC established BBC II, and the independent services then countered with Channel 4. Advertisements were allowed on independent TV, much as they were on privatized services throughout Europe. People in Britain and the rest of Europe receive Astra satellite services. As privatization was occurring everywhere, the BBC charter came under review and independent television was reorganized, with a number of the companies losing their franchises.
Russia, especially when it was the Soviet Union, is an example of the authoritarian model. Lenin nationalized radio in 1917, and the communists kept a tight hold on program content through Gostelradio. No advertisements and very little entertainment programming were broadcast. As an ally in World War II, Russia further developed Radio Moscow, which had started in the 1920s. After the war, Russia extended its authoritarian form of broadcasting to East Germany and throughout the rest of Eastern Europe. Illegal videocassettes crept into Eastern Europe and were part of what led to the downfall of communism, along with access to satellite and broadcast services from the free world. Now Russia and the rest of the former Iron Curtain countries have media systems that include privatization. However, the government still lays a heavy hand on media, recently taking over the upstart NTV network.
World communication has developed at a rapid pace, which has created some problems. The tying together of countries through telecommunications, however, is bound to continue.
|
|
|
2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education