Turkish television's magnificent music: A case study of meaning, production, and audiencing in a successful dizi

This thesis uses theory from Media, Cognitive, and Cross-cultural Studies combined with methodology from Musicology and Ethnomusicology to show that music played an essential role in the success of the Turkish serial, Muhteşem Yüzyıl. First, I discuss the production process, the encoding of meaning, and the role of timbre in a soundtrack of global cliché and Anatolian-rooted sounds. Second, I explore reception of the show using interviews with audience members and participant observation. Finally, I add audience descriptors to audio-video analysis. I conclude that music kept televisions on and tuned into the broadcast of this show leading to high ratings and success.