Television in India: Values and Concerns

Television in India: Values and Concerns
Md Firoz
Saad Publications, New Delhi
Price Rs 350/- Pages 168

The book under review provides incisive views on the contemporary media discourses vis-à-vis impact of satellite television programmes in India. The author has diligently examined the issues from the perspective of individual media users on the basis of an elaborate content and audience research. Some of the questions raised and discussed in the book are: Are the satellite TV channels capable of inducing western values to Indian society? What particular values do the foreign TV channels reinforce? How Indian audiences have received various TV programmes after liberalization in 1991? Is there any real threat to India's traditional value system in the wake of profusion of foreign television channels? The STAR TV has been chosen as a case to study the emerging concerns of a section of people (probably imbued with cultural intolerance) who feel that the satellite Television channels would ultimately destroy the cultural fabric of India and erode her traditional values.
To place the issues in perspective, 'Television in the Age of Globalization' has been discussed in great detail in second chapter of the book. In this chapter, the author has reflected on globalization as a phenomenon, media imperialism vis-à-vis globalization, nationality and struggle for cultural identities, global and local culture, the concept of 'Glocal', dimensions of globalization in Asia and particularly India, globalization of mass media, global television, development of alternative media and media literacy. The third chapter is devoted to 'Emerging Television Landscape in India' in which the author has discussed beginning of television in India, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, commercialization of Indian television, introduction of colour transmission, dilemmas of Doordarshan -education or entertainment, internal contradictions of Doordarshan and new media market vis-à-vis Doordarshan.
'Values in Prime-time Television' has been examined in the fourth chapter in which the author has discussed a few cases from Doordarshan such as Hum log -a pro-development soap opera; Buniyaad -on contemporary history of India; Ramayana and Mahabharata -great India epics; Swabhimaan -India's reply to 'The Bold and Beautiful'. According to the author, contemporary soap operas like Swabhimaan, Shanti, Junoon or Waqt ki Raftar used the conventions of melodrama to undermine the aspects of social realism and they invariably borrowed elements and formulae from successful Western soaps. In this chapter, the author has also discussed empirical study of values, value classification and value analysis, sociological perspectives on the study of media and values etc.
Chapter 5 and 6 are devoted to emergence of STAR in India and audience and content analysis of their programmes. In the chapter on 'Conclusion', the author suggests that the cable and satellite television should not be treated a potential treat to local cultures and values. India has been a country in which theories of homogenizing influence of global culture do not hold. On the contrary, India has influenced the global culture through Yoga, traditional cuisine, wide ranges of dances and music, films etc. In fact, many satellite channels have Indianized their programming and contents to suit the local needs. For example, Discovery and National Geographic now telecast their programmes dubbed in Hindi as well. STAR has 24 hour Hindi programming. One may see folk singers of Punjab on MTV or Channel V.
The book would be useful for students and faculty of media as well as practitioners and anyone interested in understanding various dimensions of television in India.

Dr Srirang Jha