Embeddedness of the audiovisual industries: from local clusters to global broadcasting

Abstract

The audiovisual industries are among the fastest-growing cultural and creative sectors in Europe. This research employs a Global Production Network approach (Coe & Yeung, 2015; Kloosterman, D'Ovidio, et al., 2019) to examine how audiovisual industries are embedded within Europe. The findings are based on analysing three case studies focused on the film, television, and radio industries, which illustrate the interactions between Bulgarian, European, and global players in the contemporary media ecosystem. The specific characteristics of the global production networks in these case studies highlight both value creation and the power distribution among different phases and actors within the network. The research investigates how these networks and their participants interact with their local environments, considering societal, territorial, and network embeddedness. This approach helps to identify specific aspects of the audiovisual networks' embeddedness, as well as the spillover effects between different types of embeddedness. Additionally, the research emphasises the strategic significance of audiovisual industries in shaping national and European policies and legislation.