ECREA16-Abstract

602

Saturday, November 12

1 6 : 0 0 – 1 7 : 3 0

PP 681

From One Screen to Another; from One Country to Others. Migration and Transnational Continuities of National Television Consumption

Through New TV Technologies

J.F. Gutierrez Lozano

University of Málaga, Department of Journalism. Communication Faculty Media Studies, Málaga, Spain

Research on TV History has increased the comparative analysis perspective within Europe. Different research has facilitated the development of projects

which internationally relate the evolution of television, such as TV Systems, popular productions, formats, Public Service TV models and also how TV was

used for political propaganda in the contexts of several dictatorships. At the same time, audience research studies have opened a new field of focus, which

lies in the concept of television memory. That is, what the audience remembers about their experiences as television viewers. In the European context

the evolution of the TV audiences (and their memories) has been influenced by the migration movements. This Diaspora has significantly influenced how

certain audiences have received TV broadcasts abroad. Well before satellite or Internet technologies allowed for the creation of transnational channels,

the emigrant populations were the first in becoming multiple or international publics. Their experiences mixed their memories of TV in their native coun‑

tries with the routines as minority audiences abroad. In this trend, emigration was a phenomenon that would become crucially intertwined with first

television during the 60´s. And this mass emigration of Spanish citizens for economic reasons coincided in great part with the beginning of another process:

the arrival of population from a host of European countries who settled since then in different Spanish regions. The aim of this paper is to present the main

results of a research project untitled “Audiences abroad. Television memory and reception habits of Spanish emigrants and European migrants in Spain”

(2013–2016). It is focused on these two migratory realities and wants to analyse how television is consumed by these mature viewers: citizens who have

spent decades living abroad. The analysis (based on a qualitative methodology) touches on both Spaniards emigrated to other European countries and Eu‑

ropean seniors living in Spain. Their experiences abroad as“displaced audiences”allow us to compare their trajectories, to reflect on the notion of audiences

pioneering the “globalisation of television reception”, and also to think about their early and permanent adoptions of new TV technologies. The research is

based on qualitative focus-group interviews among members, on one hand, of the Spanish communities who still live abroad in several European countries

(including Switzerland, Germany or Netherlands) and also Australia, and, on the other hand, among these long-term European residents in Spain. Despite

their different origins, both communities share generational coincidences in their relationship with TV. They had been affected since the 80´s by the intro‑

duction of satellite signals, the creation of global television channels, the development of digital technologies and the new uses of TV via Internet.They also

share the desire of having access to their home country broadcasts, as well as the possibility of establish strong emotional links with television programs or

messages that appeal to their national identities.

PP 682

The Future of Television in the Era of Streamed Content

L. Mikos

Film University Babelsberg, Media Studies, Potsdam, Germany

The advancing digitalization and media convergence demands TV broadcasting companies to adjust their content to various platforms and distribution

channels. The Internet, as convergent carrier medium, is increasingly taking on a central role for additional media. Classical linear TV is still important, but

for some audiences it has been developing from a primary medium to a secondary medium. Owing to the growing melding of classical-linear TV contents

with online offerings (e.g.Web-TV, media libraries or HbbTV), a great dynamic can be seen which has triggered numerous discussions about the future ofTV

for some time now. With regards to the digitalization of the transmission networks and the expansion of the transmission capacities, the market for televi‑

sual content is becoming fragmented: Platform operators and network operators are playing an ever-greater role as producers and suppliers of new content.

For the players in the TV industry, the convergence processes will increasingly influence both the existing business models and value-chains in television

production. This includes, among others, innovations in the areas of distribution channels and reception devices, and new digital business models (revenue

model). Also a fragmented audience is using television content on a multiple digital platforms. The article will summarize various convergence processes

and levels in the television sector, and examine market data and structures. Furthermore the article will summarize the results of different audience studies

that I have conducted during the past two years. Film and television shows are meanwhile distributed online viaVideo-on-Demand platforms such as Netflix

or Amazon Prime Video. The first audience study has dealt with the use of VoD-platforms in Germany investigating user rituals, user motivation to watch

films and TV shows on online platforms, and the meaning of VoD in everyday life. Most of the participants in this study reported that they mainly watch

TV drama series at Netflix or Amazon Prime. Therefore the second audience study has focussed the online use of television drama series of individuals and

couples elaborating the phenomenon of binge watching. In relating the audience practice to the new structures of the television market the article will

shed light on the future of television.