ABSTRACT
The rise of digital media has generally been accompanied by audience fragmentation. For instance, in 1995 225 shows reached audiences over 15 million in British television, but by 2005 none did.1 However, the trend of reality TV has helped television enterprises around the world retain their audience’s attention. One obvious reason for this is reality TV’s increased social interaction with the audience. Also important, however, are the rapidly evolving interactions among media sectors, companies and departments on the production side of reality TV. This article studies these interactions, demonstrating that the reality TV phenomenon in fact does not promote the status quo in commercial television but gradually reinvents its value chains in digital environments. Spectacular events and live content are more essential than ever for extending audience reach and developing new revenues. Big Brother and Idols pioneered this development and were followed by numerous other reality gameshows, like Dancing with the Stars and Got Talent. The article relates their production to developments in television tabloidization and commoditization through a case analysis of Idols’ production in Norway.
