Realities for mature (and maybe younger) audiences in Spanish regional television Juan Francisco Gutiérrez Lozano University of Málaga (Andalucía, Spain) jfg@uma.es Researching+the+Localisa0on+of+Film,+ Television+and+Video+Games+ 9 TH +June++2012+;+Roehampton+University+ (London)+ #mab2012+
1. Spanish Regional TV Context -Period of transformation: the Analogue to Digital switch over was completed in 2010 (Digital Terrestrial Television) Growing supply of channels: fragmented audience -2011, year of the highest television consumption in Spain An average of 3 hours and 47 minutes daily/person -Aggregate annual viewing figures achieved by the regional channels as a whole in 2011 were just 10.4% share (25% in the eighties) -1.200 million Euros a year to maintain (Public budgets 75%+Ads 25%) A new Law (2012) will allow the privatization of these channels
2. Current situation: audiences and programmes -Their audiences consist primarily of the elderly -Successfull broadcasts: Regional and local news broadcasts, programmes devoted to cultural traditions, comedy, and sport, notably football. -Also fictional series that reflect the region s relatively recent past are hugely popular, especially in those areas whose audiences mostly live in rural locations, such as Galicia and Valencia.
2. Current situation: audiences and programmes -Regional channels with more urban audiences in communities more economically and educationally developed: international formats adapted for their regional audience
2. Current situation: audiences and programmes -On the other hand, other regional channels devote a large proportion of their schedules to local musical traditions and folk culture
2. Current situation: audiences and programmes -Regions across borders Most common format currently in all regional TV channels is a type of docushow that follows the daily affairs of unknown individuals born in different regions of Spain but who are now living abroad
3. Canal Sur Televisión (Andalusian television) Andalusian Television viewers, the oldest of all regional channels -First channel, Canal Sur TV (10,7% share) 74.2% over 45 years; 42% over 65 -Second channel, Canal Sur 2 (2% share) 50.8% over 45 years -Attempts to updating schedules by adaptation of new formats: -Adapting recognisable international formats, usually reality TV shows -Trying to maintain their senior viewers and to appeal to younger age groups -Adapting the programmes with different dose of traditional contents
Se llama copla (Talent show) -The all-time greats of the Copla have been a constant feature throughout the history of Spanish television -As in other Spanish programmes that have appealed to viewers memories, nostalgia and the past played a significant role, but here married with a new international format -The young contestants only sing coplas with a great success
Se llama copla -People older than 45 represent a 73.9% audience (62.4% women; 37.6% men) -The final show of the first season (2008) drew the highest viewing figures in the history of Andalusia s regional channel: 1.5 million viewers (a share of 52% between 10.00pm and 2.00am) -During 2011-2012, on air the 5 th season
A dating show for mature people: Punto y medio / La tarde aquí y ahora -In 2003, Canal Sur launched a programme called Punto y medio, hosted by an Andalusian comedian and actor. Now on air again. -The programme was a daily 3-hour evening magazine. -In the main section, seniors searching of their perfect match -Ratings about 40% share. Long waiting list of hundreds of seniors
A dating show for mature people: Punto y medio / La tarde aquí y ahora -According to the TV critics: low level of education of many of the guests, poor image of the region -Other autonomic televisions use snippets of the programme to make fun of the situations that took place during the show -Making television a social network for seniors
Hace falta valor (Coach TV) -The most controversial and the least successful adaptation of an international format with regional element -Contest-like reality docushow, famous Spanish bullfighters taught celebrities how to bullfight -Another regional network, Telemadrid, premiered a similar show in 2012 hosted by a former female bullfighter
El Cortijo 1907 (Game show) -Channels forced to adopt a new television formats (like reality game shows) but with the need to adorn them with cultural, historical or self-referential elements -Reality show (social experiment; competition game) like El Cortijo 1997 where two families relocated to a rural Andalusian house, furnished in the style of the past century
La semana más larga (The longest week) (Late show) -Weekly late show played at prime time on the Andalusian network s second channel -This proposal has caught on among the younger viewers -The host, an Andalusian stand-up comedian with a strong accent -This self-deprecating humour is a constant feature on other regional Spanish networks
Conclusions -Why do these regional networks adopt new formats and build them into their schedules? -To compete with commercial State broadcasters -To attract or appeal to younger viewers -The channel s head managers, the production companies and even the older viewers are all aware of successful international television products
Conclusions -In Andalusian case, more vehement critics have condemned these formats for perpetuating a clichéd view of the region that overshadows the educational and social advances made in recent years -Identity-Reality TV or Traditionalist-Reality TV shows? Reality TV for elderly audience? -Ruffles and decorative combs added to a globalised international format could be welcomed but besides a deeper insight of schedules into Andalusian modern society -In some cases the assertion of the identities promoted by regional television appears quite natural, in others it could seem totally outdated
Dr. Juan Francisco Gutiérrez Lozano (jfg@uma.es) University of Málaga (Spain) From: Project P10-TIC-5780 Audiovisual Media in Andalusia. Assessment, public perception and trends (2002-2010) Research founded by Junta de Andalucía (Regional Government) and The Audiovisual Counsil of Andalucía (CAA)