Internationalization and localization of media content. The circulation and national mediation of ready- made TV shows and formats

As early as the 1970s, media scholars were studying the intensification of transnational business activity. Some political economists deemed it cultural imperialism, a coordinated operation by major US cultural industries and the government to expand their sphere of influence into emerging markets. Other writers saw what they called 'globalization' as a positive feature of an emerging new world. Globalization theory has the merit of challenging simplistic imperialist accounts, but it also has significant limitations. So, what can we learn from the new relationships between national and international media industries, their professionals and practices, their codes and languages? This chapter tries to answer this question, taking into account the subtitling/dubbing process of the television ready-made products, the format adaptation, and the challenges of digital platforms.