The production of music TV shows in the Spanish public television (1990-2010): The rise of talent shows

Abstract

The aim of this article is to offer a journey through the history of the production of musical programmes on Spanish public television during the period 1990-2010. For this purpose, the digital historical archive of Radio Televisión Española has been consulted as a primary source. Besides, the information has been completed with the analysis of secondary sources such as television sections of the national press, specialized publications on television and online databases such as IMDb. Following an inductive research method, the conclusions derived from this study confirm our hypotheses. Firstly, the musical genre has undergone a transformation process due to its hybridization with other types of content such as varieties, game shows or reality shows, becoming the current talent show. And secondly, the musical offer of the Spanish public television does not differ a lot from that programmed by the main private operators, especially in prime time. TVE’s commitment to musical talent shows has been a cornerstone in the evolution of the musical genre in contemporary Spanish television.