High Film Centricity in Indian Television Channels

Abstract

A first-ever study of the content-programmes and their formats-of regional television (TV) channels of the largest south Indian state, Andhra Pradesh, working on a 24x7 pattern, has revealed the progressive decadence of public sphere and growing trivialization. The contents were singularly dependent on films and film-related materials such as songs, comedy clippings of scenes and dances for majority of their programmes, and contents as well. Grounded in the observation method (Rao 2008), the study is a simple normative, non-positivist and descriptive one, analyzing the contents and formats of the TV channels which have been divided into two categories: 'news' entertainment channels (as described by Thussu 2007) and the 'other' entertainment channels. The state of Andhra Pradesh has been taken as a case study for it has 44 TV channels, the highest in any state in India (Thomas 2010). The study has chosen five 'news' entertainment channels and five 'other' entertainment channels based on the TV rating points and advertisement tariffs besides their tie up with Tata Sky direct to home television channel. While the data obtained by both the ways confirmed that there is a 60 per cent of use of film programmes/content/titles/clippings (out of total time of transmission) in the case of 'other' entertainment channels, there has been about 70 per cent of the use of film content and programmes in the 'news' based entertainment channels. This confirms our assumption of contracting public sphere and trivialization of news content. The findings of the study have been discussed based on popular literature and scholarly works in the field as also the socio-economic and political factors responsible for such a media phenomenon.

Unbearable lightness? Maybe because of the irrelevance/incommensurability of Western theories? An enigma of Indian Media Research

“…Though India has about 15 big media conglomerates, 900 television channels and 150 FM radio stations, the public sphere is highly contracted and immature. Most of the media are dominated by content related to film (stardom, star profiles, box-office performances, latest film audio releases, teaser, poster releases, film programs, film telecasting, film clippings, etc), celebrity, crime and cricket (Murthy, 2010). In his study of Telugu television phenomenon in the then State of Andhra Pradesh (which has 57 television channels, the highest in any federal State in India), Murthy (2010) has observed that Telugu television seemed to exhibit a unique pattern of performance, described as a 'butterfly metamorphosis' dictated by third world market compulsions, that cannot be interpreted by any of the existing the International Communication Gazette 78( 7) media theories on the television content in the West (p. 170).…”

“…Most of the media are dominated by content related to film (stardom, star profiles, box-office performances, latest film audio releases, teaser, poster releases, film programs, film telecasting, film clippings, etc), celebrity, crime and cricket (Murthy, 2010). In his study of Telugu television phenomenon in the then State of Andhra Pradesh (which has 57 television channels, the highest in any federal State in India), Murthy (2010) has observed that Telugu television seemed to exhibit a unique pattern of performance, described as a 'butterfly metamorphosis' dictated by third world market compulsions, that cannot be interpreted by any of the existing the International Communication Gazette 78( 7) media theories on the television content in the West (p. 170). He has arrived at this finding after testing the relevance of a host of 'effects theories' ranging from magic bullet theory to uses and gratification theory through different layers of social theories such as hegemony theory, critical theory, neo-liberal theory, social integrative action theory, etc.…”

Indian Cinema as a Model for De-Westernizing Media Studies

“…Similar research is needed in television, advertising, and public relations for the terms of Indian democracy and its working in relation to the above media institutions is not exactly the same as that of the US or UK (read Nair 2012). In so far as technology is concerned, there might be technological semblances between the West and India, but the rest of the phenomena, both social and media, are not the same as that of the West (Murthy 2010b). Therefore, the contention that Western theories can fully explain Indian media and social phenomena is quite untenable.…”