Transnational Television in Europe

Abstract

This article analyses the pan-European television industry in the context of the debate on globalization. Pan-European channels are a minority of transnational channels that broadcast across Europe. Their emergence over the last two decades has been made possible by a mix of commercial, regulatory and technological factors. Pan-European television channels can be distinguished by their content, type of ownership and market strategy. Since the mid-1990s, many pan-European channels have operated a shift in strategy and have begun to localize their pan-European feed. This article identifies four types of localization: local advertising, dubbing or subtitling, local programming and the local opt-out. Taking Eurosport and MTV as examples, I have illustrated the practices of localization and explain why some channels engage more in this than others. Localization can be seen as evidence of the vast differences that persist between national cultures. However, I have argued that localization facilitates the process of globalization because it allows transnational media players to overcome cultural diversity and operate efficiently in a multinational environment.