Taking Over TV

In the "The New Media Giants" the export of American television is addressed. (Bodroghkozy anyone?) Just like the export of any cultural creation I see this as a dangerous practice because it risks undermining local custom and tradition. A constant barrage of American culture is bound to have some influence on a foreign audience. In some Asian countries, the introduction of American professional wrestling is credited with drastically increasing the rate of violence. It is also likely that American programming is much more commonly received than that from any other nation. This might create the perception for those in more isolated lifestyles and locations that the rest of the world is akin to what you see on American television.

On a related point, what, if any, aspects of the text that is being viewed abroad are being changed for the viewing audience. Language would be an easy change, but you can't re-film every episode of a tv show to reflect the dress, diet, social practices, and nuances of each of the countries in which it is broadcast.

I also wanted to point out that the US has adopted multiple foreign born shows and made them staples in American media. It is evident that American media companies are not worried about being pushed out of the market by foreign competitors like those competitors are in their own country. If Americans like an idea it is brought over, revamped and pumped out into the public without the majority of viewers ever knowing that their beloved show started elsewhere.

The site realtvaddict.com reveals a few Americanized foreign born shows and it is interesting to note the wild popularity of the shows which weren't conceived in the US but are now undoubtedly American shows.