ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the new and rapidly evolving context in which the viewing patterns of diasporic groups are shaped. It examines in greater detail the viewing choices of the Maghrebi and Turkish minorities in France and Germany respectively. The old idea of television as a central force in the construction or consolidation of national consciousness as the prime locus of collective identities is being steadily eroded. Numerous American stations are now widely available by cable and satellite throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin, where they are further eroding nationally-defined audience boundaries. Relatively little empirical research has so far been conducted on the consumption of cable and satellite TV among immigrant minorities in Europe. Research was done among minority ethnic groups in France, Germany and Britain, using a standardized methodology. The chapter examines the range of viewing options open to different households together with the role of living room politics and other factors in the process of channel selection.
