Landscaping Broadcast Media in Morocco: TVM’s Viewing Frequency, Cultural Normalization Effects, and Reception Patterns among Moroccan Youth: An Integrated Critical Content Analysis

Abstract

This paper approaches the Moroccan broadcast media landscape in the age of globally internetworked digital broadcasting systems through an integrated critical content-analysis of TVM’s viewing frequency, cultural normalization effects, and reception patterns as manifest among Moroccan youth. TVM is short for TV Morocco, a handy English substitute for SNRT (Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television, National Radio & Television Broadcasting Corporation). The paper, first, presents a succinct historical account of the station’s major stages of institutional and structural evolution since its inception to date. Second, it tries to measure the channel’s degrees of watchability and needs satisfaction partially with a view to clarifying what this study sees as a phenomenon of satellite and digital migration of many Moroccans to foreign broadcast and electronic media outlets. Third, the paper attempts to demonstrate if TVM exerts any consolidating or weakening effects on the cultural identity patterns in Morocco purportedly resulting from an assumed normalization process. These three undertakings are carried out on the basis of a field survey targeting a random sample of 179 Moroccan second and third year students of English Studies at Ibn Tofail University, and an elected set of media approaches like Uses and Gratifications Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Cultivation Theory, and Cultural Imperialism. Keywords: Broadcast media, Moroccan television, normalization, media needs gratification