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88 İSTANBUL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
within their own communities and for maintaining and even establishing
emotional bo n ds with the ir homeland. 58
The general approach of audiences of TV series towards the regulation of
broadcasting in Turkey indicates that there is a fairly liberal mass of audience.
They do not approve the penalties imposed by R TSC for the infringement of
broadcasting principles. They prefer regulation of broadcasting times instead of
penalties. Almost 2 out of 3 audiences think that "some TV series should be
broadcasted in Iate hours instead of being subjected to penalties". Furthermore
audiences think that controlling over TV programs should be in the hands of
audiences, so the regulation of broadcasting should be left to the free-market
principles. Almost 3 out of 4 audiences state that "I think criticisms against TV
series are absurd, if you do not like them, then do not watch them".
Television watching practices have been gradually regarded as an
important sociological phenomenon, and theoretical studies in this field have
very much increased recently, these scientific studies do not only question
"w hat and when audiences watch" but also "why", "ho w" they watch and "for
what" reasons. Studies conducted in Turkey regarding television audiences in
terms of such perspective present very significant findings. U nderstanding how
audiences utilise television programs for their own needs is quite important to
comprehend the prominence of this media and i ts content 59 .
The findings that we obtained from our field studies demonstrate that
although TV series are completely fictional, audiences get "documentary"
benefits from these programs: TV series shot in particular regions or places
introduce these places to the people just like documentary movies; such as
"Mardin houses", "streets of Beyoğlu" or "mountain pastures of Blacksea
58
59
For detailed information cf. Hülya Uğur Tanrıöver, "La Construction des identites et socialites a
travers les pratiques culturelles : les irnmigres turcs et les feuilletons televises", in Diversite
CuZturelle en Turquie et en Europe", A. Boeckel, I. Karakas (dir.), L'harrnattan, Paris, 2004.
There are many scientific studies conducted in this field. For example see David Morley,
Television, Audiences and Cu/tura! Studies, Routledge, London and New York, 2003 (1 1 92).