The context of the study of the TV quality and diversity

The analysis of the speech on the quality to the TV has brought to identify four big fields of reference: the quality of the television system, the quality of the programming, the quality of the chains and the quality of the programs. Each of these fields systematises a series of indicators and scales of evaluation.

In the frame of the agreement signed with the CAC the research that develops in the actuality is centred in the analysis of the quality of the programming. Go in the diverse elements that take part in the definition of the quality of the television programming that systematise in this work, one of the main and more recurrent is the diversity of the programming.

Quality and diversity of programming concepts two have been historically linked to the evaluation of the TV. Often they have been identified as synonymous and/or a causal relationship, and are sometimes a natural causal relationship derivation states that the more TV stations operating in a given area, increased more diversity and offer viewers as a result of all this, the more increases the quality of broadcast programming. These two concepts have become a recurring combination simplifies the operation of the media market. The enunciation of television quality, understood as a derivation of the spontaneous increase the diversity of supply has not been anything new in the functioning of markets but, in fact, follows the classical principles of classical economic theory.

Despite being based on the principles of this theory, the combination of quality, diversity has been shown not only clearly insufficient to explain the workings of the media market, as discussed in this research, it was an argument often contradicted by own functioning television markets (under certain conditions of competition and the number of operators, with increasing the number of channels decreases the diversity of television programming).

We should add that the argument of diversity, undeniable point of view of the health of democratic societies and clearly linked to political pluralism and freedom of expression, was present and leading the expansion of television markets but this extension only when the market has been following liberal policies and neo-liberal media (privatization). Diversity also mentioned as a value, as in cases in which the Spanish wanted to give attention to the territorial coverage of diversity, linguistic, national, ethnic group, etc. modern societies and has led to widespread recognition and existence, throughout Europe and in the world of television the state wide differential (supra television, whether local, regional or regional).

The immediate context: the diversity of programming in Spain. 

In the case of Spain, needless to say, fifty years after the arrival and introduction of television, the structure and the television market has changed dramatically, it is also clear that since the offer a single TV station at the time of the Franco dictatorship to the present there has been a notable increase diversity in programming in any of the dimensions of the concept. However, one of the questions is to clarify the impact of each of the broadcasters, which have been introduced gradually, has had the offer of the total diversity of the system.

The realization of this research coincides with the introduction of two new national television, Cuatro and La Sexta. This is why it has taken the initial objective of assessing the diversity in television programming Spain and the contribution of each of the channels that operate, to test the specific impact that these have had two supply chains in global diversity of programming, for instance, if the root entry of new TV channels has increased or decreased diversity actual offer viewers.

This report is in our view highly relevant for the following reasons:

- Evaluates the global diversity of television programming in Spain and each of the chains that operate

- Compares the contribution of each of the strings to the set of diversity

- Assess the impact of the entry of new channels Cuatro and La Sexta in the overall programming

- Compare the contribution of public TV and private TV offering diversity

- Distinguish and analyze the differences in diversity in prime-time hours and during other programming.

In addition , and since it is a pioneering work in Spain and our country has yet to see a significant increase in channels and television operators in multiple formats , this work is a valuable diagnostic and forecasting for the following reasons:

- Clarifies and synthesizes research conducted worldwide diversity in TV

- Describe the main indicators of the size and diversity of television

- Set the variables involved in supply diversity

- Describes the television market dynamics and interrelationships between the variables of diversity

- Set specific working hypotheses for the analysis of diversity in the context of Spain,

- Clear and proposes a classification of television genres , basis of assessment of diversity in terms of rankings operational throughout the territory,

- Clear and proposes certain measures of diversity indices , based on research carried out elsewhere, the results and the specificity of Spain.

Ultimately proposes a protocol analysis of diversity to be implemented in the coming years when generally , our environment is going through a significant increase in the number of TV channels - cable and satellite) .