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Is Convergence the “Killer Bug” in the Media Ecosystem? The Case of Flemish Media Policymaking 2010–2015

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Media Convergence and Deconvergence

Abstract

This contribution analyzes how the government, regulatory agencies and stakeholders in the media system of the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium employ the “convergence argument” to formulate claims in policymaking processes. To this end, the chapter analyzes three key moments in media restructuring in Flanders between 2010 and 2015: the merger of printing activities of the multimedia groups Corelio and Concentra, the struggle between Flemish broadcasters and operators, and policy discussions regarding the 2016–2020 management contract between public service media VRT and the Flemish government. The Flemish case is indicative of the wider discursive use of the convergence buzzword that helps to push an economic agenda and furthers media policies that are reflective of controlled liberalization, favoring local interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Hilde Van den Bulck

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  1. Hilde Van den Bulck
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Correspondence to Hilde Van den Bulck .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Studies, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    Sergio Sparviero

  2. Department of Communication Studies, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    Corinna Peil

  3. Institute of Media and Journalism, USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland

    Gabriele Balbi

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Van den Bulck, H. (2017). Is Convergence the “Killer Bug” in the Media Ecosystem? The Case of Flemish Media Policymaking 2010–2015. In: Sparviero, S., Peil, C., Balbi, G. (eds) Media Convergence and Deconvergence. Global Transformations in Media and Communication Research - A Palgrave and IAMCR Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51289-1_12

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