Glocalisation within the media landscape : a study of selected reality television franchises in South Africa and transnational broadcaster Multichoice.

Abstract

Several debates have arisen on the concept of globalisation within diverse cultural backgrounds and its consequences on various aspects of culture and social life. These propelled the need for this study. Out of the desire to examine the integrations of these perspectives, glocalisation as a subset of globalisation became the main focus of the study. Glocalisation – a hybrid of global and local ‘consequences’ – serves to bring to view how important elements of a global entity and a local entity can converge to form something inherently unique to each local context as a result of varying practices and norms of different cultures. The implication of this is that those in charge of ‘global entities’ attempt to find ways they can modify ‘global practices’ into diverse ‘local contexts’ while at the same time seek to maintain semblance with the global entity. Therefore, this study conceptualised these entities, practices and consequences within South Africa as a local context, in order to trace how the global entities (transnational corporations as Endemol Shine Africa, Fremantle Media, 19 Entertainment and transnational broadcaster MultiChoice) have adjusted global practices (global reality television franchises as Big Brother, Idols and Survivor) and their consequences (homogenisation/similarities and heterogenisation/uniqueness) within local contexts (the South African media landscape) and how these are guided by certain rules (media regulations on local programmes within South Africa). This was achieved through a desk research of media reports, social media channels, the Internet and literature from scholars on transnational media exchanges. The focus of this study was to identify those factors that made such glocal adaptations different from global formats. These were guided by the theoretical approaches of cultural proximity, the circuit of culture and the political economy of communication in the media. The study ascertained that indeed there are considerations of various local contexts through the identification of glocalised features of the shows. It highlighted the manner MultiChoice has balanced global and local needs and the regulations that guide South African media contents. However, these glocal franchises are still vehicles of the global ideologies of global formats rather than promotion of more cultural and local features.