Satellite television technology in Socialist Republic of Romania: Between grassroots and grass routes approaches

Abstract

This research analyses the role of the state sponsored publication Tehnium in connection to the grassroots movement of accessing western satellite television, during the communist regime in Romania. The article starts from the broader perspective of viewing the magazine as an intermediary between the capabilities of the socialist state and the popular aspirations for accessing Direct Broadcast Satellite television transmission technology in the 1980s decade. It will then delve into the grassroots level of examining specific strategies for receiving satellite broadcasts, as they surface in Tehnium. The article provides a qualitative content analysis of the magazine dealing with grassroots approaches to satellite television during socialism, which are grouped in thematic categories, established by the use of inductive category formation. The article proposes a reading of the magazine as a defining platform for the movement and provides important tools for tracing its history, material constitutive parts and main actors. Tehnium’s role is positioned as intermediary between the state and grassroots approach to technology, analyzed through the lens of technostruggles.