>> overview research
Children's and youth television
between public discussion, market and everyday life (2002)
Considering circumstances in which
an overwhelming number of television programmes are on offer,
the media economy has increasingly to obey an 'economy of
attention' (see Franck, Winter etc.). However, one question
arising is if this economy of attention can be related to
children's and youth television as well. Numerous articles
have been written about children's and youth television, focusing
on certain programmes and particular lines of argument. Yet
what still needs to be researched are the ways in which this
is affecting the commercial success of a programme, children's
interest in the programmes as well as parents' consent and
their readiness to buy.
Although youth programmes are
not much publicly discussed, they enjoy a commercial success
which cannot be underestimated. Not only at "Big Brother"
the 'economy of attention' seemed to be a far-reaching concept
(Böhme-Dürr). Whether or not this is also true of
the few offers aiming at youth is a topic that needs to be
researched; in addition, a topic for research are the ways
in which public discussion, marketing and the significance
of formats are related to each other.
A. Analysis of press coverage
addressing children's and youth television
Press coverage on the topics children's
and youth television is researched. Articles from the last
5 years about 'children and television' and 'youth and television'
are evaluated content-analytically. The focal points of such
quantitative content analyses, amongst others, are an analysis
of points of view and ways of argumentation with which journalists
approach the topic of children's/youth television, which roles
they assign to children, parents, producers and which slogans
they are typically using. In a second step, comments on individual
children's and youth programme formats during the year 2001
are considered and compared to viewing rates. Press coverage
about individual programme titles forms the centre of the
content analysis.
B. Evaluating the current
children's television market
In order to avoid arguing in isolation
from the real circumstances of the market, a market analysis
has been carried out in Germany. Unlike most such analyses
hitherto, it does not give significance to company identification
figures such as turnover, market segments or fusions. Rather,
it attempts to assess the manner in which a chain is formed
between overall values in order to enable a prognosis about
the basic way the market functions, its dynamic and tensions.
C. Example: "Teenstars"
(RTL2). The significance of a format for market - press -
participants - audience
With the help of an example, correlation
between marketing - press coverage and individual appropriations
by youth are investigated. For this, a youth programme addressing
10- to 19-year-olds is observed: the third part of "Popstars"
(RTL2).
Accompanied by an analysis of
marketing activity and participant observation, press coverage
is analysed. This will conclude with a study of the significance
of this format for children and young people. On the one hand,
participants of the casting are interrogated both before and
after casting takes place, on the other hand the same is done
with members of the audience. Which fantasies, desires, evaluations
and problems do children and young people experience when
they are casting participants or members of an audience? In
what ways are the market, the significance of television in
everyday life and the public discussion interrelated?
Results of the project.
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