ABSTRACT
What is the impact of globalization on the production of the factual television and media genre, and how has Discovery responded to it? This chapter explains how processes associated with the globalization of production infl uenced the production of factual entertainment. The globalization of production has been most visible within manufacturing industry: enterprises search for opportunities outside their national territories; they create cross-national supply chains and alliances, and outsource and spread their production across the globe. Key aspects of this process have also been adopted by the fi lm and television industry, which has both forced and facilitated increased movement and activity on a global scale within the production of television programing in this sector. Practices within the industry refl ect this development: for example, producers and broadcasters co-produce television programing across national borders. Furthermore, the globalization of labour extends to the fi lm and television industry as cities, countries, and regions across the world compete to attract fi lm and television productions by offering fi nancial incentives.
