Trans-border televisual musicscape: Regionalizing reality TVI am a Singerin China and Hong Kong

Abstract

This article focuses on the regionalization of reality TV I am a Singer from China to Hong Kong. It explores the features of a successful flow of a reality singing contest with the concepts of mediascape, televisuality and cultural memory of pop music. The three research questions: what format structures of televisuality are being integrated in I am a Singer; how locals in China and Hong Kong interpret and appropriate I am a Singer to their experience of cultural identities and how trans-border televisual musicscape facilitates regionalization of television programme, are answered by textual analysis and in-depth interviews with 12 informants from China and Hong Kong. It is found that the focal programme is implemented with excessive performative style that holds audience's attention, authentic music performance that resonates with post-1980s identity in China and Hong Kong, and dramatic reality contest that links to nationalism and Hong Kong people's victimized identity. Identity politics is consumed by audience in China and Hong Kong as the dramatized excitement of the focal programme, which nurtures a group of loyal audience across China and Hong Kong. KeywordsChina, Hong Kong, identity, mediascape, reality TV, regionalization, televisuality I am a Singer (Wo shi geshou) is a reality singing contest produced by Hunan Satellite TV since 2013. It is a licenced programme from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation in South Korea. The singing contest invites pop stars mostly from China and Hong Kong, with a few contestants from Taiwan, Corresponding author: Carlos K.F. Cheung, Room NAH8, School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Humanities Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong. Email: carlosckf@link.cuhk.edu.hk 695815G CH0010.1177/2059436417695815Global Media and ChinaCheung research-article2017 Original Article Cheung 91 South Korea and Southeast Asia. The contestants are filmed throughout their stay in Hunan, including their preparation, rehearsal and the actual contest. In each episode, the audiences in TV studio vote for their favourite contestants, and the one who gets the least votes will be ruled out. It is broadcasted through Hunan Satellite TV channel. In Hong Kong, the programme is received through satellite services and official online live streaming portals, such as Mangguo TV (MGTV) and iQiyi. Unofficial and grey channels such as video forums also provide recorded episodes for download. This reality singing contest received strong attention in China, with an average TV rating of 1.89%, and ranked among the top 10 variety shows in 2016 in terms of TV rating (CSM, 2016, as cited in iHeima, 2017. In Hong Kong, this programme triggered attention with continuous discussion in Internet forums throughout the broadcasting season. A re-run of each season of I am a Singer was shown by Television Broadcasting, the terrestrial free TV broadcaster in Hong Kong. This article tries to explicate the regionalization of I am a Singer from China to Hong Kong. It explores the synergy...

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