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Television Across Europe

By Jan Wieten, Graham Murdock and Peter Dahlgren

Publishers: Sage, London

Price: 18.99

TELEVISION and broadcasting typifies the visible, change-driven face of the communications revolution. For five decades now, that has been reason for this media to fall under the incisive scrutiny of media academics and experts. The phenomenal growth of television is a key catalyst in the formation of the global community that is linked by the media today.

The nascent years of global television were a monochrome reality -- straitjacketed within the limitations of public service broadcasting. As the years rolled, commercial broadcasting came into its own, creating new spheres of influence in the arena of te levision viewership.

Today, access to a number of different channels and the programming commercial ventures are a remote-driven reality. What goes unnoticed, however, are the factors that determine the number and kinds of channels available to us. Not to mention the program ming they offer.

The 21st century is presenting Europe with a new paradigm in television broadcasting. And, Television Across Europe, is a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic factors driving change in European television.

To begin with, television in Europe is in a state of flux. The continent stands off the epicentre of the changes that have rocked the globe over the last quarter century. As commercial broadcasting ventures eclipses public service broadcasting, European television has begun to reflect the winds of change in Euro-ideology. Broadly, Television in Europe presents its message in three parts, Television Environments: Traditions and Transitions, Television Trends: Organisation and Representation and Televisio n Genres: Borders and Flows.

The first chapter serves as an introduction to television in Europe and the myriad differences between its systems. It goes into the complexities of public service broadcasting. However, in the European scenario public sector broadcasting is varied to an extent since it has to be structured by specific political culture of any given country. Western Europe, the book tells us, is characterised by mixed systems.

The next chapter zooms in on the evolution of European television. It looks at the factors behind the emergence of commercial broadcasting, and other factors such as the major trends in the new media-scape. In a preview of the future, the third chapter looks at the emergence of digital television. This chapter presents the emerging connections in technologies such as television, telecommunication and computers.

The chapter describes how the conglomeration of these main technology areas will lead to a specialised form of convergence. A variety of services such as television programming, telephony, shopping, banking etc. will be streamlined to form one single uni t. Essentially the first three chapters deal with the television environment in Europe and the rapid transition that television in Europe has undergone in the last decade or so.

In the second part, the book takes on a more research-oriented sheen. Beyond the transitions and emergence of the digital technologies, this section looks at the increase of American programmes on European screens and how people begin to look to America for guidance for effective performance in competitive environments.

And then the book moves on to the analysis of the Nordic countries which include Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden where despite mounting competitive pressures, public broadcasting enjoys widespread support.

In the concluding chapters of the second part of this book, there is emphasis on the importance of audience knowledge. As Winifried Schulz explains in chapter seven, this necessity of knowing the audience plays a vital part in broadcasting. As Graham Mur dock explains, ``For commercial broadcasters it is an economic necessity. For public broadcasters it is an essential weapon in making the case for continued public subsidy.''

The third part of the book is the study of television genres. This part has the most number of chapters, for this is where all topics in the modern television are covered. For instance, a chapter is completely dedicated to the study of MTV in Europe. Her e, several arguments presented in previous chapters make cameo appearances in the light of studies that focus on specific television genres.

Most interestingly, this section covers a range of television genres right like talk shows, soaps, current affairs, high art etc. This third section of the book is sub-titled `Borders and Flows'.

JanWieten states that the subtitle of this section points to one of the effects of increased competition in television: the development of new and hybrid programmes forms that transcend conventional boundaries between genres in a quest for audiences. An d interestingly, this chapter looks at MTV Europe and presents insights on the success of the European avatar of the international music channel.

The final chapter in this book analyses an particular event. It looks at the national and international news about a truckers strike in France. It looks at how international news must be anchored in a narrative frameworks that can be recognised by local audiences in order to be understood.

Television Across Europe makes for an excellent course book for media students -- especially in the Indian context. It is filled with all relevant information that helps any media to understand the multiple contexts of any broadcast-scape. Most important ly, the book is a timely reminder that we in India need to turn the academic spotlight onto the unfolding saga of Indian television.

Santhosh Malliah