Digital Television Policy in Turkey

Analog broadcasting which had remained almost unchanged for over fifty years has recently become obsolete all over the world. In this process, digital television has been presented to the public as a new "revolutionary" alternative to the analog system by the governments and the proponents of the market economy. This study takes a critical position against this hegemonic technological determinist stance which creates unquestioned optimistic expectations about the current technological...
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Analog broadcasting which had remained almost unchanged for over fifty years has recently become obsolete all over the world. In this process, digital television has been presented to the public as a new "revolutionary" alternative to the analog system by the governments and the proponents of the market economy. This study takes a critical position against this hegemonic technological determinist stance which creates unquestioned optimistic expectations about the current technological change. After discussing USA s and Britain s experiences as to the digital television, the study focuses on the political and economic rationales behind the adoption process in Turkey. It also provides insights about the vested interests that shape the digitalization process by emphasizing the established relations between power groups and its current market-driven nature. For this reason, this study should be useful for academicians, researchers, professionals interested in the subject, or anyone else who would like to grasp new media environment from a critical political and economic perspective.