THE NEW AGE OF TELEVISION IN CROATIA: GENRES, AUDIENCE AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST Cover Image

Novo doba televizije u Hrvatskoj: žanrovi, publika i javni interes
THE NEW AGE OF TELEVISION IN CROATIA: GENRES, AUDIENCE AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Author(s): Vesna Roller
Subject(s): Media studies
Published by: Fakultet političkih znanosti u Zagrebu
Keywords: Croatia; Media Pluralism; Television; Genre; Audience

Summary/Abstract: The paper analyzes developments on the Croatian television market during the last decade, focusing specially on the changes that have been taking place since 2009 and their effect on the diversity and pluralism of the current television programs. The study presents the data on the structural diversity of the Croatian television market which reached its peak in the second decade of the 21st century, as the processes of privatization and commercialization had been completed. The research includes data and the analysis of the television audience distribution during last several years, showing the major change regarding the position of the public service broadcaster which occurred during that time. Content pluralism and diversity of the television programs were analyzed using the data on the genres structure of the main national broadcasters, one public and two commercial, with the emphasis on the news and current affairs genres as well as the other high social value programs regarded as the content in the public interest. The genres structures and distribution in the overall national television program output were put in the relation to the genres audience ratings, showing the gap between the “supply” of the programs offering content in the public interest and the audience “demand” expressed by their total audience share, which could be considered as the guideline for the media policy and regulation. In the conclusion, the potential of the television pluralism and diversity as the possible tool to enhance the democratic functions of the media in Croatia are pointed out, as well as the need for further audience research which would explore complex relation between genres and audience expectations, needs and choices.

  • Issue Year: LI/2014
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 142-171
  • Page Count: 30
  • Language: Croatian