Language and Culture as Ultimate Barriers? An Analysis of the Circulation, Consumption and Popularity of Fiction in Small European Countries

Abstract

Television fiction is traditionally seen as the most problematic programme category with respect to dependency on foreign television material. This is especially true for television stations in Third World and small countries in general. Imported, mostly US, fiction plays a prominent role in the total programming schedule and also appears to enjoy popular success. This combination of material dependency and public approval is now a widely discussed topic in cultural debates on the protection of the indigenous identity in many countries and regions. However, very few programme flow studies have been conducted connecting systematically data on the supply and the consumption of (fiction) programmes. This article provides an international comparative study of the import flows and the (quantitative) consumption of fiction in thirteen small European countries and regions (twenty-six stations). It argues that there are noticeable differences in the supply and preferences of the importing countries. Linguistic and cultural proximity is an extremely strong generator of these differences and thus functions as a main protagonist in directing the regional television flows within Western Europe.