Media Globalization and the Discovery Channel Networks by Ole J. Mjos

Author:Ole J. Mjos [Mjos, Ole J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Media Studies
ISBN: 9781135213725
Google: EdKMAgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2009-09-10T04:40:38+00:00

PROGRAMING, LANGUAGE AND ADVERTISING

Together, Tables 5.5 and 5.6 show how Discovery Channel UK has nearly three times as much advertising content as Discovery Channel Norway: a daily average of 17.3 per cent, compared with 6.1 per cent. However,

Table 5.6 Discovery Channel Norway: Percentage of Content in Categories (%)

the lower level of advertising in Norway is made up for by three segments of content not present on the UK channel. The Discovery Channel Short Films (5.9 per cent) are Discovery property and have the form of documentaries, which are included in the programing category. The second segment is short films on Endangered Languages produced by Discovery Communications, Inc. and UNESCO (3.7 per cent), and the third segment is Together TV (3.5 per cent) produced by Christian Aid in partnership with the Irish aid agency, Trocaire, and supported by the European Union’s Development Education Fund.

Analysing the language used in programing shows the dominance of the English language (see Table 5.7). Although there may be the occasional person talking his or her native language in programs, the English language is the dominant among interviewees and all voice-over is in the language. Furthermore, all program promos are in English. However, all programing on the Norwegian channel is subtitled in Norwegian. Contrary to other European countries Norwegian television channels do not have a tradition of dubbing programs and, instead, non-Norwegian programing is subtitled. The Discovery Channel Short Films represent the language variety of Europe to a larger degree, although they represent a small proportion of the total program segment analysed. The protagonists in these films speak their own languages such as Swedish, Spanish, Dutch, and German, and are subtitled in English. The Norwegian localization of content is more predominant in the advertising. All advertising on the Norwegian channel has a Norwegian voice-over, actors, or text.

On Discovery Channel Norway, Discovery Channel Short Films (5.9 percent) are in European languages: Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, and Spanish, all with English subtitles. The persons in the program Building the Winter Games speak Italian, French, and English, without dubbing, but with English voice-over.

Also, programing about technical and engineering issues dominate on both channels. However, the Discovery Channel Short Films on aviation make up seven of the programs in the technical and engineering category on the Norwegian Channel. So, the time taken up by this category is larger

Table 5.7 Main Language of Programing (Weekly Average %)

Discovery Norway Discovery UK

Protagonists: English Language 86.7 100

Protagonists: Non-English Language 13.3 —

Protagonists: Norwegian Language — —

English voiceover 100 100

Norwegian subtitles 94.1 —

English subtitles 5.9 —

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