Evaluating the warnings issued by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), which has taken action regarding daytime programs, to radio and television broadcasters in Turkey for the new season, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer, Head of the Radio, Television, and Cinema Department, emphasized the importance of program producers acting with a sense of social responsibility in Turkey, where traditional broadcasting conditions prevail.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer: “Our country's success in the TV series sector, if also achieved in producing and selling program formats, will open up significant job opportunities for younger generations. Otherwise, RTÜK's measures regarding daytime programs, and these measures being perceived as a prohibitive mindset, will be an effort that the old generation considers 'pounding water in a mortar' and the new generation considers 'doing nothing useful'.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer, Head of the Radio, Television, and Cinema Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi, evaluated daytime programs and RTÜK's initiative regarding them.
Engaging Content Produced at Low Cost in Daytime Slot
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer stated that reality programs in the daytime slot are increasingly occupying screens with the aim of producing engaging content at low cost. “Reality programs gradually began to occupy an increasing amount of screen time as a formula for producing engaging programs with a low budget within traditional television broadcasting. For some time, such programs, which fill the daytime slots of commercial television channels, also played a significant role in shaping the content of thematic televisions. Television channels entirely based on reality, like the TV8 example, were also established,” she said.
Individuals We Know From Our Neighborhoods or Villages Become Television Figures!
Pointing out that reality programs are productions fictionally created in line with the nature of television broadcasting but based on real people or real events, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer said, “The story of ordinary people, the situations they encounter in their daily lives, are formatted into a striking narrative suitable for the program's flow. Individuals we know from our neighborhood or village become subjects of screen fiction as television figures. They are now the celebrities of the postmodern era where we consume everything quickly. This is because their representation, rather than the reason for their existence in daily life, is being discussed.”
Reality Programs, Cheaper to Produce Than TV Series, Come to the Fore
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer stated that individuals participating in the daily lives of a fast-consumption society through television, and their life stories, create a pragmatic space for society, and continued:
“The experiences gained by individuals living in difficult life conditions through television make them feel secure. Moreover, these daily life experiences grant individuals a privilege in catching up with current events and expressing opinions. Because nourishing an individual's sense of social belonging is necessary for them to feel happy and is important for social consensus. Raymond Williams, who conducts studies on television, states that there are socio-cultural relationships between television and society. In this context, human stories featured in reality programs create visibility and a platform for discussion in the public sphere. This situation directs producers to create more reality programs. Thus, reality programs, whose production cost is cheaper than others, especially TV series, come to the fore, and the simple cycle continues.”
Social Impact of Marriage Programs
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer noted that producers who previously relied on marriage programs evaluated every phase of the institution of marriage for years, stating, “While the stage of a man and a woman getting to know each other was etched into our memories as 'let's have a tea', relationships between bride-mother-in-law, bride-sister-in-law, and groom-bride's family were shaped through material criteria, and wasteful entertainments carried out under the guise of adherence to traditions were legitimized through television programs. In this context, programs detrimental to the institution of marriage were also previously banned by RTÜK in 2017, after discussions with television broadcasters, for the new broadcast season starting in September.”
So-called Experts Can Create Negative Effects on Viewers for the Sake of Ratings!
On the other hand, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer stated that low-cost program types are a lifesaver for productions called daytime or afternoon slots, whose target audience consists of housewives and children, and noted the following:
“Among reality programs, crime and judicial programs prominently stand out as sub-genres in studies. In our country, programs made with the aim of finding a missing person or searching for the perpetrator(s) of a murder ultimately lead to the family being discussed in the public sphere through individual human stories and the re-shaping of intra-family relationships by questioning them. Such programs, produced without bearing the responsibility towards their target audience, can cause harm to the social structure. Individuals and so-called experts brought to the screen for the sake of ratings, without considering broadcasting dynamics, can create negative effects on viewers.”
Producing and Selling Program Formats Will Open Job Opportunities for Younger Generations!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esennur Sirer stated that the broadcasting approach, which progresses by producing similar versions of successful productions rather than fostering program diversity, seems to require a more professional handling, and concluded her words as follows:
“In our country, where market conditions shaped by traditional broadcasting still prevail, more attention needs to be paid to this area. It is also important for program producers to act with an awareness of their social responsibilities. The main purpose of television broadcasting is to produce programs where individuals enjoy life, forget their troubles, have a good time, and gain knowledge, using an innovative perspective instead of dramatized life stories and narrative styles. Producing without deviating from this purpose will also increase appreciation. If our country achieves the same success in producing and selling program formats as it has in the TV series sector, it will open up significant job opportunities for younger generations. Otherwise, RTÜK's measures regarding daytime programs, and these measures being perceived as a prohibitive mindset, will be an effort that the old generation considers 'pounding water in a mortar' and the new generation considers 'doing nothing useful'.”