International Journal of Communication Publishes a Special Section on Trends and Perspectives on Digital Platforms and Digital Television in Europe
The last number of years have brought an acceleration in the adoption of digital television technologies, revolutionizing not only how (and where) televisual content is consumed, but also the industries that produce that content and the stakeholders involved.
This Special Section on Trends and Perspectives on Digital Platforms and Digital Television in Europe draws together an international group of scholars to explore recent developments in the sector, such as the shift towards “platformization” and “mass indivisualization” strategies. Together, these papers highlight continued uncertainty regarding the long-term impact of these phenomena, even as regulators, producers, and policymakers work to respond to ongoing challenges. Some of the issues of concern currently have, of course, a longer gestation period, and the authors in this section are building on the work of those scholars who have documented and analyzed earlier stages in the journey of convergence and fragmentation. In particular, the migration towards transnational platforms, dominated by commercial operators, has accentuated long-standing challenges for public service media and other non-commercial operators, with consequent implications of public policy.
In exploring these issues, this Special Section offers an opportunity to revise some long-standing concerns of those working in this area, and it also recontextualizes these debates in light of recent industry developments. In line with our long-standing approach, the exploration of transnational and international developments through the lens of local and national case studies ensures that our analyses and debates retain a groundedness and specificity in shaping our understanding of the implications of technological, economic, and regulatory developments in the digital European audiovisual contexts.
Given the rapidly changing policy processes, the insights offered here delve into regulatory responses from the European Union, as well as on the national level from Spain and the United Kingdom. Collectively, these articles offer a valuable and compelling argument for updating our understanding of “digital” television, with the aim of providing an academic document that encompasses this hybrid reality.
We invite you to read these articles that published in the International Journal of Communication on January 1, 2022. Please log into ijoc.org to read the papers of interest. We look forward to your feedback!
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Trends and Perspectives on Digital Platforms and Digital Television in Europe—Introduction
Karen Arriaza Ibarra*
Denaturalizing Digital Platforms: Is Mass Individualization Here to Stay?
Robin Mansell, W. Edward Steinmueller
The Success of Spanish Series on Traditional Television and SVoD Platforms: From El Ministerio del Tiempo to La Casa de Papel
Karen Arriaza Ibarra*, Celina Navarro
Which is to be Master? Competition Law or Regulation in Platform Markets
Natascha Just
The “Netflix Tax”: An Analysis of Investment Obligations for On-Demand Audiovisual Services in the European Union
Catalina Iordache, Tim Raats, Karen Donders
Fragility and Empowerment: Community Television in the Digital Era
Andrew Ó Baoill, Salvatore Scifo
Commissioning and Independent Television Production: Power, Risk, and Creativity
Anna Zoellner
*Please cite this author as “Arriaza Ibarra.”
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Larry Gross, Editor
Arlene Luck, Founding Managing Editor
Kady Bell-Garcia, Managing Editor
Kasia Anderson, Managing Editor, Special Sections
Karen Arriaza Ibarra, Guest Editor
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