| Transnational media corporations dominate cable television network ownership in the United States and have aggressively established many foreign subsidiaries and affiliates for their cable networks, expanding their worldwide audiences. This multiple-case study explored television programming products of U.S.-originated cable networks, namely, MTV, Cartoon Network, ESPN, and Discovery Channel, in Asian markets and what factors are perceived as determinants of programming decisions by the networks. On the basis of theoretical foundations concerning product standardization/adaptation in international marketing research, the present study was intended to provide a framework for understanding how various external as well as intra-firm factors could affect the programming product offerings of global television networks. Primary data for analysis were gathered through personal interviews with executive and managers of the aforementioned networks in such Asian markets as Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.;In light of actual programming product offerings, each of U.S.-originated cable networks employed unique programming strategy in Asian markets. While some networks attempted to distribute the same programming on a global scale, others encouraged local teams to develop more localized programming. The possibility for each programming strategy is contingent on various factors. Given the fact that viewers generally prefer products more relevant to them, the significance of programming products adapted to individual local markets was emphasized by networks. Yet, the degree to which local viewers prefer locally adapted programming to standardized programming seemed dependent on the national cultural characteristic. Meanwhile, programming products tended to be distributed on a global basis, if they were perceived to have universal appeal, and networks pursued the economies of scale and scope and cost savings. It was also believed that by offering the same programming product worldwide, networks could maintain and reinforce their global brands. Ultimately, characteristics inside the network, such as orientations and philosophies with respect to international operations, resources possessed by them, and the centralization or decentralization of authority, affected the direction of their programming strategies. |
