Globalization Or glocalization Liesbet van Zoonen Professor of
Globalization? Or glocalization? Liesbet van Zoonen Professor of Media and Popular Culture University of Amsterdam
Cultural imperialism • Tunstall (1977) The Media are American: – – Hollywood Television experts: finished and formats News agencies Dominance of social and political elites • Mc. Bride report (1980). Many voices, one world – Unesco policy – Free flow of information instead of cultural imperialism – US problems • First class discussion: does this cover the current situation? 9/25/2020 2
2000: historical moment? • Millionaire, Survivor, Big Brother – Convergence – Unscripted entertainment – European formats • Audience participation – Internet streams – Audience discussions – SMS voting 9/25/2020 3
Big Brother • • • 1999: Netherlands, Endemol Media blitz Interventions 2005: 43 countries Average: – 3 series per country – ca. 13. 500 hours of raw material – Some 1000 contestants, some million applicants • Millions of tv and internet viewers • Intense everyday and public debate • Multiplatform 9/25/2020 4
Watching Big Brother… • Ratings – Top ten status in all countries – E. g. UK • Audience bias – Young, under 30 (target 14 -34) – Female – Lifestyle: hedonistic, postmodern, adaptive • Pleasures – Authenticity versus artificiality – Everyday conversation – Multimedia experience 9/25/2020 5
…and other uses • • Voting, betting Live streams on internet and pay-tv Mobile and sms service Mobile and online games Music Contestants’ products Merchandise & memoribilia Magazines, books, video 9/25/2020 6
Books, magazines, video 9/25/2020 7
Second class discussion • • • Dutch format Global export Local appeal How is BB localized? What made it particularly Norwegian (if anything) 9/25/2020 8
Third class discussion • Who makes money from Big Brother? • Who pays or loses money from BB • Remember: multiplatform 9/25/2020 9
International political economy • Flows to – Endemol (format fee; rights; production fee) – Channel (ratings, advertising, sponsoring) – ISP (site visits, advertising, sponsoring) – Telecom (traffic) – License holders (sales) • Flows from: – Advertisers – License holders – Audiences 9/25/2020 10
BB Germany: Partners • Telecom, TV, Internet – – – RTL 2 (terrestrial) Tele 5 (satellite) Premiere (pay) Webfact (site developer) Manitu (webhost) “Handy & Co” (mobile) – – – Work (6) Leisure (11) Domestic appliances (6) Clothing and shoes (1) Interiors (25) • Sponsors village • Advertisers ……. 9/25/2020 11
How much…. ? • Endemol ► Telefonica – 5. 5 billion euro, + 27 % bonus • • Secundary channels ► Primary players ISP in business (early runs) Mobile test ground Contestants: 50. 000 – 1. 000 euro From: Tony Johnson-Woods, 2002 9/25/2020 12
BB impact • Television culture – Genre hybridity – Event and experience based – Audience participation, Web 2. 0 • Reality – What is real? – Who is real? • Globalization – Political economy – Access and diversity 9/25/2020 13
Television culture • Genre – Game doc; reality (game) show; performative reality; factual entertainment; event-TV – For audiences: soap + talkshow – Unscripted entertainment • Event and experience TV – Experience because of convergence – Event because of tv-talk 9/25/2020 14
Reality • Audience pleasure – Authenticity vs performance • What is real? • Target group reality – Reflection – Attraction • Performative reality 9/25/2020 15
Globalization • Political economy – Glocalized ≠ Cultural imperialism – Europe ≠ Americanization – Diversification ≠ Power Block – ‘Ordinary’people ≠ Social elite • Access, diversity and real life – Audience access limited (costs, skills, culture) – Diversity is limited (target groups) – ‘Real’ within reality conventions – Web 2. 0 9/25/2020 16
THANK YOU… …for your attention 9/25/2020 17
AFRICA 03 -1 NETHERLANDS 99 -5 ARGENTINA 01 -3 NIGERIA * AUSTRALIA 01 -6 NORWAY 01 -3 BELGIUM 00 -5 PACIFIC 05 -1 BRAZIL 02 -6 PHILIPPINES (PINOY) 05 -3 BULGARIA 04 -2 POLAND 01 -3 CANADA 03 - 2 PORTUGAL 00 -4 CENTRAL AMERICA * ROMANIA 03 -2 CZECH REPUBLIC 04 -2 RUSSIA 03 -? COLOMBIA 03 -1 SCANDINAVIA 05 -2 CROATIE 04 -3 SERBIA 05 -1 DENMARK 01 -3 SLOVAKIA 05 -1 ECUADOR 03 -2 SOUTH AFRICA 01 -2 FINLAND 05 -1 SPAIN 00 -7 FRANCE 01 -2 SWEDEN 00 -4 GERMANY 00 -6 SWITZERLAND 00 -2 GREECE 01 -4 THAILAND 05 -2 HUNGARY 02 -2 TURKEY 01 -5 INDIA * UNITED KINGDOM 00 -7 ITALY 00 -6 UNITED STATES 00 -7 MEXICO 02 -3 VENEZUELA * MIDDLE EAST** 04 -1 * To be launched ** Cancelled after 10 days 18
Eg. UK Average First show Final show BB 1 4. 6 m (25 %) 3. 3 m (17. 0 %) 9. 0 m (46. 5%) BB 2 4. 5 m (25 %) 3. 3 m (16. 5 %) 7. 5 m (46. 0%) BB 3 5. 9 m (28 %) 5. 9 m (25. 9 %) 10. 0 m (50. 6 %) BB 4 4. 9 m (24 %) 6. 9 m (29. 3 %) 6. 6 m (34. 0 %) From Annette Hill, 2005 9/25/2020 19
Merchandise 9/25/2020 20
‘Reality’ Last UK winner Big Brother Adventskalender Big Brother Darts 9/25/2020 Body work US housemates BB 4 Big Brother Brasil 21
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