Sociologie

Samenvatting

American television series are imported in all European countries, but with significant national differences in the nature and amount of programmes broadcast in different countries. This article compares the import of American television series in France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, using interviews with television buyers in all four countries and secondary materials. The article argues that variations in the influx of American television are shaped by the interaction between the global, American-dominated television market and national media fields, rather than by cultural or linguistic similarity vis-à-vis the us. The buyers, who are strongly oriented towards the international television field, make their decisions based on similar logics, but applying the same rules in different fields they unintentionally create distinct national patterns. Central to buyers' decisions is the audience's familiarity with American tv, which is mainly the result of the interaction between international market pressure and national protectionist policies. Increasing audience familiarity makes it ‘safer’ to schedule American programmes. Hence, Americanization leads to more Americanization.