The ‘New Screen Ecology’ in India: A Study in Digital Transformation of Media Smith Mehta PGD, MMC Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Communication Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology 2021 ii iii iv Statement of original authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signature: QUT Verified Signature Smith Mehta 05 February 2021 v Keywords Internet, on-demand, India, platform economy, new screen ecology, production culture, creators, platforms, portals, intermediaries, talent agents, multi-channel networks, Bengali, Marathi, Hindi, regional content, localization, streaming media services. vi Abstract Media industries worldwide are grappling with the effects caused by digital disruption at every level of production, distribution and consumption. This thesis maps the implications of digital transformation in a major national context by investigating contemporary online content creation and distribution practices in India. The core theoretical framework employed is critical media industries studies. This approach combines cultural studies’ focus on power and representation with media studies’ commitment to detailed attention to the dynamics of industrial culture. I provide an in-depth study on the emergence of the Indian online audio-visual landscape by showing how the launch of a local and global suite of User Generated Content (UGC) platforms like Youtube, Facebook, and professional Generated Content (PGC) portals like Hotstar, TVFPlay, Netflix shape the working conditions of above-the-line labor. Drawing on first-hand research with three categories of human agents: creators, platform and portal executives, and intermediaries (talent agents, multi-channel networks), it develops the concept of the ‘new screen ecology’ to show how the Indian screen industries are affected by social relations between these human agents and whose industrial practices blur the amateur- professional divide through creator and content interdependencies. Using extensive semi- structured interviews, textual evidence and industry analysis of trade press literature, it addresses issues (including creative autonomy, censorship and differing production cultures) related to the reflexive practices of these human agents as they build an emerging screen ecology that is distinct from the existing practices of the film and television industries. At the same time, the multimedia strategies adopted by the creators to combat dependency on any one streaming service reflect strategic responses to precarious working conditions for online creator labor. Findings also suggest a systemic reinforcement of prevalent gender biases. The thesis addresses gaps in the media industry studies literature on the dynamics of digital transformation in the screen industries in a region-specific context and contributes to a body of literature on Indian digital production cultures. vii Contents Statement of original authorship ......................................................................................................... iv Keywords ................................................................................................................................................ v Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. vi List of figures and tables ....................................................................................................................... x Figures ..................................................................................................................................................... x Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... x Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... xi Previously published material ........................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1 Studying the Indian new screen ecology ............................................................................ 1 Research Questions .............................................................................................................................. 6 Key frameworks ................................................................................................................................... 7 Platforms and Portals in the Indian NSE ......................................................................................... 7 Formality and Informality in the Indian NSE ................................................................................ 10 Critical Media Industries Studies and Neigbouring Approaches ................................................... 12 Defining India’s New Screen Ecology ............................................................................................... 22 Thesis Method .................................................................................................................................... 26 Thesis Structure ................................................................................................................................. 28 Chapter Outlines ............................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 2 Overview of the Indian Audio-visual Media Ecology ..................................................... 34 Present Film, Television and Online Media Landscape ..................................................................... 34 India’s Tryst with Film and Broadcast Media (1991-2019) ............................................................... 38 Bollywood (1991-2019) ................................................................................................................. 38 Indian Television Industry (1991-2019) ........................................................................................ 41 Digital Infrastructure for NSE ........................................................................................................... 45 Digital Divide ................................................................................................................................ 48 Indian NSE within the Global and Local Digital Context ................................................................. 50 Chapter 3 Mapping the Key Platforms and Portals ......................................................................... 61 Telecom-led Portal ............................................................................................................................. 64 Reliance Jio .................................................................................................................................... 64 Social Media Platforms ...................................................................................................................... 66 YouTube ........................................................................................................................................ 66 Facebook ........................................................................................................................................ 68 Broadcaster-owned Portals ................................................................................................................ 70 Hotstar ........................................................................................................................................... 70 Voot ............................................................................................................................................... 72 Zee5 ............................................................................................................................................... 74 ‘Pure play’ Local Portals ................................................................................................................... 76 TVFPlay ......................................................................................................................................... 76 viii ALTBalaji ...................................................................................................................................... 78 Local Strategies of Global Portals ..................................................................................................... 80 Netflix and Amazon Prime Video ................................................................................................. 80 Spuul .............................................................................................................................................. 85 Language-specific portals .................................................................................................................. 86 Hoichoi .......................................................................................................................................... 86 Addatimes .....................................................................................................................................