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Press Release
MipCom, Cannes, France, 9.10.2001
TV Fiction Programming: Prime Time is Domestic, Off-Prime Time is American
The European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, publishes for the fifth consecutive year the report "EUROFICTION. Television Fiction in Europe"
The results of the year 2000 confirm the stability and further consolidation of fiction programming patterns in European TV schedules; it can be summed up, albeit schematically, as follows: off-prime time is American, prime time is domestic. The predominant dualism of the local product, on the one hand, and North American product on the other, leaves variable margins - usually between 10% and 20% - to fiction imports of diverse origins.Over the whole day, prime time and off-prime time, fiction of North American origin amounts to more than half of programming on German, French and Spanish channels, with a peak of a little less than two thirds in Italian schedules. The only country which diverges from this structure - although gradually approaching it - is the United Kingdom, with a quota of domestic fiction rather higher than North American imports, but in turn less than the entirety of acquired programmes (American and Australian). As is now widely known, the largest part of American, and in general non-domestic fiction supply, filling the off-prime time slots is made up of reruns, as a means of lessening growing programming costs.The production of each of the five large European countries analysed by the EUROFICTION Report now includes - due partly to the converging evolution of formats and genres - considerable slices of fiction suitable for exportation. TV movies or German series circulate outside their domestic markets and encounter reasonable success. But this cannot hide the fact that European fiction continues to be mostly local and specifically tailored to domestic audiences. Consequently it comes as no surprise that the presence of European non-domestic programmes - except in the case of the more strictly "regulated" French channels - is quite weak.
Geographical Origin of TV Fiction Programmed by Major Networks (Sample Week 12-18 March 2000)
| Domestic | US | European | Other | ||
| United Kingdom
|
Whole day | 47% | 43% | 0% | 10% |
| Prime Time only | 51% | 49% | 0% | 0% | |
| Germany | Whole day | 36% | 57% | 5% | 2% |
| Prime Time only | 56% | 44% | 0% | 0% | |
| France | Whole day | 25% | 56% | 15% | 5% |
| Prime Time only | 75% | 25% | 0% | 0% | |
| Italy | Whole day | 19% | 64% | 4% | 13% |
| Prime Time only | 43% | 51% | 6% | 0% | |
| Spain | Whole day | 20% | 56% | 7% | 17% |
| Prime Time only | 51% | 37% | 12% | 0% | |
Source: EUROFICTION
The five years between 1996 and 2000 have seen two developments: an expansion in domestic fiction, a contraction in American fiction. Whereas the predominance of American fiction has remained unchallenged, it is also true that from year to year it has undergone erosion, counterbalanced by a growth in the presence of local product. This has been the case everywhere, except in the United Kingdom where the advent of Channel 5 is no stranger to the inversion of the tendency (more North American fiction, less domestic fiction). Resorting to reruns, mainly by broadcasters holding large catalogues, and the intensified production of daytime serials, seems to have sparked off a process of import limitation in the same off-prime time slots traditionally saturated with North American fiction.
An opposing trend can be noted for the prime time programming slots, although
this trend is limited to three of the five countries (United Kingdom, Germany,
Italy): North American imports on the increase, domestic fiction on decrease.
North American fiction seems to regain ground in precisely that "noble"
scheduling slot, which during the earlier nineties had been marked by the more
visible dynamics of expulsion of North American imports. For example,these latter
go from 30% in 1999 to 44% in 2000 in the case of Germany, from 38% to 49% in
the case of the United Kingdom. In all likelihood the increase is due to a phenomenon
of substitution, coinciding with an expansion of the fiction genre within this
time slot. TV fiction partly replaces movies which experience a fall in ratings
everywhere, sport which migrates to pay-TV, or other entertainment genres less
popular or less available.
"Eurofiction. Television Fiction in Europe. Report 2001" is produced by the EUROFICTION working group coordinated by the Foundation Hypercampo and published by the European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, France.
Established in Strasbourg in December 1992, the European Audiovisual Observatory is dedicated to gathering, processing and publishing information on the European audiovisual sector. A European public service organisation, it currently comprises 34 Member States and the European Union, which is represented by the European Commission. Created under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the Observatory works with various partners, relevant professional organisations and a network of correspondents. Its main activities are producing publications, databases and a comprehensive Internet site and contributing to conferences.