The rise of national programming: the case of Indian television
Abstract
The rise of national programming: the case of Indian television Arvind Rajagopal DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION, PURDUE UNIVERSITY With the recent rise of satellite transmissions in Asia, predictions of the demise of national sovereignty might seem to be coming true. But such fears are still exaggerated. One way or another, states mediate electronic broadcasts, whether by allowing, blocking or dubbing independent pro- gramming (external or internal), or by producing their own. This highlights an important point: no discussion of international broadcasting is complete without considering the role of the state. The question of American influence, however, has dominated the literature on international broad- casting. Early theorists saw it as a norm and an imperative: their mission was to propagate 'modernizing', i.e., American, values for 'development' (e.g., Lerner, 1958; Schramm, 1964). As left-wing theorists came to emphasize political economy over culture, they spied American control behind the inviting front of Hollywood entertainment. Influence was then redefined as domination (e.g. Schiller, 1969; Mattelart, 1979). Both perspectives were US-centred. Over time, the picture has become more varied. In this paper, drawing from published sources and interviews with television officials, I use a state-society perspective in understanding how the broadcasting system of India