Programming Content in Malaysian Television

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine and discuss the implications of recent trends such as liberalization and deregulation in the Malaysian television industry, specifically on the increasing commodification of content and audiences.Since the middle of 1955, the Malaysian broadcast industry witnessed an acceleration of the privatization, liberalization and deregulation processes, as a result of the introduction of a second private television station (Metrovision), the first round-theclock cable television system (MegaTV) and the first digital satellite television service (ASTRO–All Asia Television & Radio Company). The introduction of the new players in the field stiffened the competition and spurred the first private television station (TV3), for example, to diversify its activities in other core-related businesses, such as movie production, home shopping programmes and mini cinema franchise. With the increase in television stations, broadcast hours and transmission costs, television networks also resorted to capitalizing on the audience's narcissism by including the public in various shows to save on production costs. The audience is also increasingly constituted as onsumers as evidenced by the proliferation of direct selling or sales promotional programmes in all the television channels, particularly the two commercial ones.