Transnational Television Programs

This chapter documents recent developments characterizing the New Korean Wave in the realm of the broadcasting sector. It discusses television Hallyu as both transnational cultural production and transnational cultural flow. Admitting the continuing importance of dramas in the Korean Wave, it analyzes the growth of global formats, including audience competition shows, in order to understand the major characteristics of local formats in tandem with hybridity. In the realm of drama, it examines the change from ready-made dramas to format dramas in the New Korean Wave era. Then it investigates the ways in which Koreans consume the image of Hallyu and the way it is represented in Korean audition programs. Unlike the case during the early 2000s, the New Korean Wave has been heavily influenced by transnational participation and audiences. By employing a textual analysis of a few television programs within a historical context, the chapter also maps out whether localized global formats guarantee the creation of new cultural spaces.