Latin American Television Industries

Latin American Television Industries. John Sinclair and Joseph D. Straubhaar. London, UK: A BFI book published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. 205 pp. $89.95 hbk. $27.95 pbk.John Sinclair and Joseph Straubhaar have accomplished a major, comprehensive, and integrated review and analysis of Latin American television industries. They not only pay special attention to the major markets of Mexico and Brazil, but also provide fascinating historical accounts of lesser known industries of other Latin American nations-in each case identifying commonalities and distinctive differences with respect to the region as a whole. Mexico's Televisa is found to have dominated its domestic market more consistently and intensely, even, than Brazil's Globo.Sinclair is an Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, and Straubhaar is Professor of Communications at the University of Texas at Austin. They examine Latin American television export markets, in particular those they describe as Iberoamerica and Lusophone spaces that they consider are dominated by Mexico and Brazil in much the same way the United States dominates English-speaking markets. Mexico has eclipsed Spain and Brazil has eclipsed Portugal in their global television influence. Principles of cultural proximity and cultural discount are invoked to help explain export and import flows, although in addition to similarities of language there are commonalities of theme and genre that further extend export opportunities. Language and culture are found to be primary "market forces." Of great significance is the fact that U.S. Hispanic networks have traditionally imported programming from the major producing countries of Latin America, even as Miami has become a major production center for both Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic networks. The capacity to cross borders is enhanced with digitization of programming and transmission.The authors include a chapter on what they consider to be the overriding national character of Latin American television, albeit one with complex historical and dialectical ties to local, regional, and global influences. The authors confirm the overwhelmingly private, commercial and advertising-driven character of Latin American television, a U.S. model that was adopted and popularized by local entrepreneurs. Local entrepreneurs prized U.S. support for this choice of business model because the United States provided the counterweight to what local businesses feared might be interference from their own governments. U.S. influence "south of the border" has always been significant but reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s in the supply of equipment, technical, and managerial assistance. U.S. influence has since been contained primarily by the market reality of local audience preference for local production. The authors moderate their appreciation of the importance of local entrepreneurs with detailed examination of periods in which governments ( militaristic, autocratic, or democratic) have controlled or significantly influenced (e.g., through granting of licenses, supply of advertising and credit, and censorship) Latin American television. …