Educational Media Reviews Online

Filmed by Mariana Otero over a period of months, It's Your T.V. Too documents the everyday comings and goings of commercial television network SIC in Portugal. SIC is the first to compete with government funded networks which, unlike those of this New World, currently dominate most European markets. There are continuous meetings on programming decisions and strategy sessions on raising ratings. There is nervous fretting over making more money, selling more advertising, increasing merchandising opportunities, but very little about producing quality network television. It is all strikingly familiar: the "pitch," sex sells, soap operas rule, quantity over quality, and, unfortunately, more women work in the industry but men still make the decisions. The hugely successful schlock game shows of the United States demonstrate their influences even in Portugal. One particularly telling scene is a somber meeting to discuss how the upcoming soccer finals broadcast on a rival network will affect SIC's ratings. The executives brainstorm furiously. The following scene reveals all the SIC employees glued to their sets to watch the soccer games. Though interesting and well produced, the subtitles and bare English language narrative greatly limits the appeal of It's Your T.V. Too. Recommended only for those academic collections with heavy emphasis on Mass Communication or Broadcasting.