Producing and selling program formats will open an important business door for the younger generations!
Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer, Head of the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, evaluated the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), which took action for daytime programs, to warn the radios and televisions broadcasting in Türkiye for the new period, and drew attention to the importance of program producers acting with a sense of social responsibility in Türkiye, where traditional broadcasting conditions prevail.
Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that "The success of our country in the TV series sector in producing and selling program formats will open an important business door for young generations. Otherwise, RTÜK's taking measures regarding daytime programs and evaluating these measures as a prohibitionist mentality will be an effort that the old ones consider as ‘beat the air’ and the new generation as ‘messing around’."
Üsküdar University Radio, Television and Cinema Department Head Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer evaluated daytime programs and RTÜK's action for daytime programs.
Interesting content is produced at low cost in the daytime zone
Stating that reality programs in the daytime zone are increasingly on the screens to produce interesting content at low cost, Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer said that "Reality programs have started to take up more and more space on the screens over time as a formula for producing interesting programs with a low budget in traditional television broadcasting. Such programs, which have been populating the daytime segments of commercial television channels for some time, have also played an important role in shaping the content of thematic televisions. As in the case of TV8, television channels based entirely on reality were also established."
Individuals we know from our neighborhood or village become television figures!
Pointing out that reality programs are productions that are produced fictionally in accordance with the nature of television broadcasting, but based on real people or real events, Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that "The story of the ordinary person and the situations in which he takes part in the daily flow are formatted in accordance with the flow of a striking narrative and program. Individuals we know from our neighborhood or village become the subject of fiction on the screen as television figures. They are the celebrities of the postmodern era when we now consume everything quickly. Because in everyday life, their representation is talked about instead of the reason for their existence."
Reality programs, whose production cost is cheaper than TV series, stand out
Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that the people who participate in the everyday life of the fast-paced consumer society through television and their life stories create a pragmatic space for the society, and continued her remarks as follows:
"The experiences of the individual through television in the difficult life conditions people live in make them feel safe. In addition, these everyday life experiences make the individual privileged in catching up with the current and expressing ideas. Because nurturing the individual's sense of social belonging is necessary for them to feel happy, it is important for social reconciliation. Raymond Williams, who works on television, states that there are socio-cultural relations between television and society. In this context, human stories in reality programs create a platform for visibility and discussion in the public sphere. This situation leads producers to produce more reality programs. Thus, reality programs, whose production costs are cheaper than others, especially TV series, come to the fore, and the simple cycle continues."
Societal impact of marriage programs
Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer noted that the producers, who previously relied on marriage programs, evaluated every stage of the marriage institution for years, and Sirer stated that "While the stage of getting to know each other between a man and a woman was engraved in our memory as 'let's have a cup of tea', the relations between the bride & mother-in-law, the bride & sister-in-law, the groom &bride's family were shaped on material criteria, and the wasteful entertainment made under the name of adherence to traditions was legitimized through television programs. In this context, in 2017, RTÜK had previously banned programs that corrode the institution of marriage in the new broadcasting period, which started in September, in consultation with television organizations."
For the sake of ratings, so-called experts can exert negative effects on viewers!
On the other hand, Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that low-cost program types are a savior for productions called the daytime generation or afternoon generation, whose target audience is housewives and children, and Sirer made the following remarks:
"As a sub-genre within reality programs, crime and forensic programs stand out as dominant in the studies. In our country, programs aimed at finding a missing person and searching for the perpetrator or perpetrators of a murder ultimately lead to the discussion of the family in the public sphere through individual human stories and to reshape family relations by questioning them. Such programs, which are carried out without bearing the responsibility of the audience, can cause damage to the social structure. People and so-called experts who are put on the screen for the sake of ratings, without considering the dynamics of programming, can have a negative impact on the audience.
Producing and selling program formats will open a job door for the younger generations!
Assoc. Prof. Esennur Sirer stated that the broadcasting approach, which proceeds in the form of producing similar productions rather than the variety of programs, seems to need to be handled a little more professionally, and concluded her remarks as follows:
"In our country, where market conditions are still dominated by traditional publishing, more attention should be paid to this area. It is also important for program producers to act with the awareness of their social responsibilities. Instead of dramatized life stories and narrative style, the main purpose of television broadcasting is to produce productions in which individuals enjoy life and forget their troubles and have a good time with an innovative perspective. Producing without deviating from this purpose will also increase the appreciation. The fact that our country has achieved its success in the TV series sector in producing and selling program formats will open an important business door for young generations. Otherwise, RTÜK's taking measures regarding daytime programs and evaluating these measures as a prohibitionist mentality will be an effort that the old ones consider as 'beating the air’ and the new generation as ‘messing around’.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)