Spanish Television: An approach to its structure and programming tendencies. (2003/2004) PhD course: Comparative Television Studies. Roberto Suárez Candel

Spanish Television:

An approach to its structure and programming tendencies. (2003/2004)

PhD course: Comparative Television Studies.

Roberto Suárez Candel

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Barcelona, Spain.

Roberto Suárez Candel | Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Spain.

1.- Structure of the television market.

2.- Key facts of the last year.

3.- Programming tendencies / genres.

4.- Some examples.

Comparative Television Studies -- Spain --


1.- Structure of the market.

• Terrestrial / cable broadcasting are defined by law as public services.

• Terrestrial broadcasting can be managed by a Public Television or private/commercial companies.

• Cable broadcasting is offered in 43 regions | 2 licences per region: Old public Telecomm (“Telefónica”) / beauty contest.

• Satellital broadcasting is considered a commercial service.




• Terrestrial Broadcasting is divided in 3 scopes:

a. National

b. Autonomic

c. Local

• Ownership Restrictions.

• 49% 100%

• No participation in a lower scope.

• Limitations to Autonomic/local sindication.




Terrestrial Broadcasting | National Scope

http://www.rtve.es• Public Operator: RTVE

• Free commercial operators: http://www.telecinco.es

http://www.antena3tv.com

• Pay commercial operator: http://www.plu.es





Terrestrial Broadcasting | Autonomic Scope

Public Operators




Terrestrial Broadcasting | Local Scope

• Important increase of the number of operators:

(1999) 741 (2002) 897 21%

• Important process of association (Networks).

• New legislation is needed | National vs Autonomic Adm.

• Impact of the digitalisation.




Satellital Broadcasting

• Free Operators:

• Pay Operators (digital):

(2003)


Audience evolution | National terrestrial channels.



+ 64: 316 min. 1 min.

45-64: 260 min. 4 min.13-24: 149 min. 8 min.




25-44: 197 min. 4 min.

Age groups consumption variation

Daily audience evolution.

2.- Key factors (2003)

• Public Operator (RTVE) reachs a debt of 6 billion €. (Funding system: public budget + adv.)

• Commercial Operators denounce lack of competition.

• Advertising funding has reached a high saturation level.



• Need of a National Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual | Review of Legislation.



2.- Key factors (2003)

• Digital Television: Descoordination.

Terrestrial: Suffers a setback. Breakdown of the first pay operator (Quiero Tv). Free national operators are forced to migrate (2002). Lack of receivers and contents with real added value in the market. Extra operation costs.

Satellital: 2 pay operators merged to overcome dissapointing economic & subscribing situation.

It supposes:• Renegotiation of cinema/sports rights.

• Reduction of channels and indep. producers.

• Power concentration.



How do the market structure and the key factors affect the programming and production strategies?



The season 2003 / 2004 has been characterized by:

• Conservative programming strategies.

• Little innovation in the field of content / formats.

• Search of maximum profitability.

• Operators have homogenized their offer.

• Significative drop of the quality and taste.





SERIES

National fiction series get the best audience results. (killer content / branding)

Family plots are the most successful.

Professional storylines lose ground.

Operators want quick results. High removing rates.




NEWS

3 main events: Prestige | Irak | Elections

Political / Government pressure / manipulation is denounced.

Spectacularization of contents.

Branding / self promotion.




NEWS




MAGAZINES

Cheap production and wide grid coberture = profitability.

Content diversity: news, health, etc.

Branding: reference to other contents.

Increase of reality genre – docu-shows.

Promotion of freak star-system | low taste.

Love affairs – “pink” journalism.




MAGAZINES

% of time dedicated to “docu-shows” in the morning / afternoon magazines.




REALITIES

Pre-eminence of ‘docu-show’ genre.

The audience has decreased in second editions. New rules, incentives and audience-participation strategies are introduced.

Low / freak star-system as participants.

Used as ‘killer content’. Dissemination in the grid.




REALITIES

Dissemination of ‘Brig Brother’ in Telecinco.




KIDS

NEWS

MAGAZINE

KILLER CONTENT

NEWS

MAGAZINE

KILLER CONTENT

NEWS

LATE NIGHT SHOWS

KILLER CONTENT

PRIME TIME

20:30 - 00:00

14:30 – 15:30

10:00 – 13:30

09:00 – 10:00

07:00 – 09:00

13:30 – 14:30

16:00 – 20:00



4.- Some examples:

Video


Roberto Suárez Candel

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Barcelona, Spain.

Thank you very much for your attention!!

[email protected]

www.robertosuarez.es

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Spanish Television: An approach to its structure and programming tendencies. (2003/2004) PhD course: Comparative Television Studies. Roberto Suárez Candel