The Politics of Popular Drama

Abstract

In this article, the social and political context of production of prime-time series and movies for television is examined to document the present struggle for control over content. The author contends that television drama is not necessarily a reflection of the tastes and ideology of either the creators or those who control the channels of communication; rather, it represents a negotiated struggle between a number of participants. In particular, these are the networks which presently control the means of communication, the advertisers, the government (especially Congress and the Federal Communications Commission), social critics, and citizen groups, as well as the program suppliers and the people employed by the program suppliers who create the drama (actors, writers, directors, and on-the-line producers). The struggle for control or access being described may exist in varying forms for all popular culture such as music, sports, and novels. For television drama in particular, the struggle has not been between the audience-which may be satisfied with the content of drama-and the creators, but among elites who value access for both social and economic reasons.