Media

Globalization and
Cultural
Imperialism:
Contrary
evidences from
Miratelevision
K Desai, PhD
Indian
University Department of Extension
Education

What is globalisation?
Globalisation is the process by which the world
is becoming increasingly interconnected as a
result of massively increased trade and cultural
exchange. Globalisation has increased the
production of goods and services.
The biggest companies are no longer national
firms but multinational corporations with
subsidiaries in many countries.
WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGY has led to a massive
acceleration of the process of globalisation

What is Culture?

t
n
e
m
n
i
a
t
r
e
Ent

Artifacts
Identity

g
n
i
h
t
o
l
C

Spo
r

ts

Food

Culture also is..

Ethos

Belonging
s
n
o
i
t
u
t
i
t
Ins

Beliefs
Practices

s
e
s
r
u
o
Disc

Verbal
Non-verbal
Symbolic codes

Attitudes
Values

Globalization -Cultural
Imperialism
LPG and changing patterns of
financial flows
Growth in size and power of
Corporations
Advances of ICT and Media reach
Changing flow of people
Intersections of EnvironmentEconomy-Politics-Culture-Society
American Imperialism on others

Assumptions of Cultural
Imperialism
Rooted in the realities of the 1970s,
depiction of a hegemonic media pied piper
(America) leading the global media mice
(third world countries).
Corporations have been successful at
massifying non-Western culture into
Western values.
The effects vary according to the type of
media. Capital-intensive media (like TV and
film) tend to be powerful massification
forces.

HistoricallyCultural
Imperialism
Has roots in New World Information and
Communication Order (NWICO).
Refers to the spread of one culture at the
expense of others usually because of
differential economic or political influence.
While mass media and related technology
contribute to the erosion of local cultures,
they are increasingly being used as media
for the outward diffusion of local cultures.

Western values..

Individualism and competition for

self interest (opposite of
Collective)
Consumerism and materialism
Status consciousness based on
wealth
Covert racism (by favouring
Western forms of music, fashion,
beauty, etc)

Cultural Imperialism
through TV!
Structural elements:
Economic frameworks- Advertising revenue
Technological bases- Satellite, air travel
Institutional forms of organization and operation:
national market structures, ownership rules,
production incentives and subsidies, financial rules,
frequency assignments, technical standards, content
rules, economic restructuring, International powers
(IMF, WTO)
Cultural elements:
Regionalization in terms of geography-language and
culture, Formation of language and cultural
communities, Creation and flow of content across globe

TV Globalization
Operations: national or local-{frequency
licensing, satellite orbit controls, market definition,
financial incentives, cultural policy and advertising,
and other financial controls by nation-states}
organization: transnational, international, macroregional, national, micro-regional, municipal, local
Investments: truly global
Productions: copycat/dubbed/syndicated
Flows: Geo-linguistics and regionalization
Impact: Evidences about flow, genre or broadcast
model based impact on audiences

Cultural
Imperialism..
1960s and 1970s (Conception)
Unequal TV flows Structural
inequalities of TV production
1980s
Disagreeme
nts
1990s onwards
Globalization, Post-colonialism,
Postmodernism, Active
audiences

Indian Television.The
Journey
From 1959 to 2014 and From B&W to
Colour
From 1 channel to 845 channels
From 40 sets to 14 Million TV Sets
From Social Development to
Entertainment
From PSB to niche audience and segmented
realities
From terrestrial to Cable-STB-DTH-IPTVMobile TV

Questioning of Cultural
Imperialism
Non-Western rise of soft power: film from
India and Egypt, television from Mexico and
Brazil
Contra-flows: Indian films dominating in Asia
Globalization of media forms
Globalization of media Firms (TNCs)
Global media flows
Media localization and global/national values
Nationalism to Transnationalism

Contrary Evidences-1
Media text: Hybrid programming,
Indian look and Western values
Transnational Operations:
Copycat TV, Licensed/Syndicated
shows, Film collaborations, content
exchange collaborations
Media structure ownerships
Audience Studies with diverse
findings

ZEE Story- Local gone

Global
ZEE reaches 169 countries across the
globe.
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
launched its 2nd Arabic channel, Zee
Alwan, in 2012.
ZEEL has been syndicating Indian
dramas dubbed in Mandarin to Chinese
television channels since 2006 and
became the first Indian channel to
receive landing rights in China in

Contrary Evidences
2
Regional Networks
Manufacturing of Indian identities
Localizing the global and Globalizing the
local
Market tensions and negotiated identities
Nation-state may not be decisive
category
Ethnically homogenous nation-states
sharing content

FICCI-KPMG 2013
Report.
GEC channels like Zee TV (169), SET (77), Star
Plus (70) and Colors (50) are available globally.
Hindi GEC viewership share is 30% (regional
GEC- 20.18%) compared to English
entertainment (0.14%), English news (0.23%)
and English movies (0.88%).
Hindi and regional GEC is 50% viewership share
2012 as DAS-Digital Addressability System year
TV Advertising spent lesser than expected - 8%
(compared to 12% of 2011 and 17% in 2010)

3 types of Indian Content on

move
Ernest & Young and FICCI report on Indian Content on
Move, 2007 estimates Indian content as 200 USD million
industry and 20 Million NRIs as market
FIRST, the colour, song, dance and drama that is its
hallmark. It is for Indians and other audiences who are
culturally aligned to Indian sensibilities.
SECOND is content with an Indian theme. Rich Indian
mythology, culture or characters based in India seeking a
global audience.
THIRD to serve markets with supply deficiency of local
programming. There fresh programming costs are high
compared with the size of the local audience For eg.
Animation or kids content West Asia, Eastern Europe and
other such markets.

Contrary Evidences-3
States: employ political power, define
aspects of cultures, license broadcasters,
create market incentives, limit imports
through quotas, and counteract global
actors who wish to penetrate national
cultural space.
Market- size and wealth, Nationalcommercial structure and financial base,
Competition, Government policies, Other
cultural industries, Producer behaviour,

Cultural Imperialism
PRESENT

PAST
DominationHegemony
Media Imperialism
Discourse of
nationality
Critique of global
capitalism
Critique of
modernity

Localization
Glocalisation
Counter-flow
Local resistance
Cultural proximity,
economic capital
Hybridisation music, fashion, and
styles

Thanks for
your time and
patience
Feel Free to
connect:

drmiradesai@gmail.com
sndtmedia@hotmail.com