Networks in the Digital Television Age: New Context, New Roles. The Case of the Spanish Industry

Abstract

After years of stable oligopoly, the main television broadcasters in Spain began to note changes in the market in the middle of the last decade. The emergence of new networks, the re-launch of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the boom in specialized channels and the proliferation of platforms such as online and mobile TV, which allow the broadcast of audiovisual contents, forced broadcast managers to change their strategy in relation to business models and production companies. The analysis in this article centres on two main points: on one hand, the transformation effected in the television industry by the advent of digitalization; and on the other hand, the role of networks in the new media environment. In April 2010, the Spanish broadcast system completed its transition from analogue to digital broadcasting and a new digital age dawned, marked by disruptive technologies and multimedia policies.