Television in Contemporary Asia

Television in Asia has undergone rapid transformation following the introduction of cable and satellite television in 1991. Although public service channels are largely intact in most Asian countries, they now compete with private commercial channels from both within and across borders. As a consequence of these developments, the television market in Asia has moved to the forefront of the international arena and is attracting increasing interest among scholars, media analysts and business houses around the world. This book presents original discussions on the most recent developments in Asian television systems in the context of the continually changing global environment. Alongside a detailed examination of television in China and India—the major players in the Asian television scene—this volume also covers Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. The country-based analyses are supplemented by substantive chapters which deal with various important processes and issues common to the Asian region as a whole. These chapters address the global changes that have stimulated new concerns about the nature, future and cultural independence of the nation-state. The overall focus of the book is on the ways in which television in Asia has responded to new threats and opportunities. The contributors provide evidence against the view that global forces will destroy national and regional differences and argue, instead, that television is an important factor in national development in Asia. Documenting these changes at the national level and their implications for Asian governments and peoples, the volume also describes how new alliances and new identities are coming to the fore as Asia continues to find its place in the world television market. Providing incisive and topical discussions on globalism, national identity and the international television market, this volume is a major contribution to understanding the relationship between national, regional and global factors in the international system. It will be of interest to professionals and scholars in the fields of mass communication, media studies, television and broadcasting, journalism and cultural studies.