Television’s role in Indian new screen ecology

Abstract

In this article, I discuss the various issues that have prompted select creators such as writers, directors, actors, producers and casting agents to focus their creative energies on Internet-based content. The article’s main findings illustrate that because a growing segment of Indian content, new media practitioners are disillusioned by the programming and industrial practices of television, they increasingly embrace digital delivery platforms as the preferred outlets for their creative expressions. By drawing from critical media industry studies framework, the aim of this research is to examine the everyday practices of content creators and compare the formal and aesthetic qualities of their textual artefacts, as these professionals navigate the larger structural tensions between television and Internet in India. The article marshals evidence based on qualitative interviews, trade press, and news articles to suggest that the television industry’s production culture discourages creators from seeking meaningful work and instead look for opportunities on the Internet.