Can the burgeoning TV viewer polls really be trusted?
Can the burgeoning TV viewer polls really be trusted?
By Antariksawan Jusuf
JAKARTA (JP): Gone are the days when Indonesian television
viewers passively sat on the couch watching every program
unilaterally broadcast into their homes by each station. Until a
few years ago, there was no direct dialog between stations and
viewers. The only initiative viewers could take was through
clicking the buttons on their remote controls.
The situation has changed dramatically with increasing
interaction between viewers and stations. Interactive programs
allow the audience to choose favorite programs or give their
opinion on an issue.
The latest trend is television polling, inviting viewers to
participate to determine the direction of programs or some of
their aspects.
Private TV station TPI has a live weekly children's variety
program, Kring Olala Yes, in which viewers can decide the winner
of the dance contest from the comfort of their homes. Indosiar
invites boxing fans to decide their favorite live bout.
Polling is also offered for serious themes. RCTI conducts real-
time interactive polling for its Aneka Dialog (Various Dialogs)
every Monday night. Graphics show results of viewer response to
particular issues during the one-hour live discussion. Aldrin
Noer, who's in charge of handling the poll, said an average of
more than 1,000 viewers call in during the one-hour program.
SCTV holds polling for interesting issues, mostly political,
aired on its news broadcast Liputan 6. Using a premium call
service which charge the caller, the station compiles results of
the weekly poll.
TPI has Dialog Partai Partai (Dialog about Political Parties)
which polls viewers on whether they think a party should continue
after unveiling its platform. TPI spokeswoman Theresia Ellasari
said about 2,000 callers participated in the weekly poll.
TV polls are flourishing, but some industry insiders argue
that popularity is not a stamp of accuracy.
Harsiwi, a researcher at a commercial television station said
results of television polling were misleading.
"The validity is questionable because it does not represent
anything," she said.
"It can be used as a political means to form public opinion."
She added that TV polling held the lowest validity among other
structured research data of telephone surveys, face-to-face
interviews, mall questioning or mail-in questionnaires.
TV stations cannot control who elects to respond. Other
limitations are that polling only covers people with access to a
telephone and TV set, those watching the program at a particular
time and who are interested in the issue.
Extra fe
Respondents must also be willing to pay the extra fee of a
premium phone call, higher than normal telephone rates.
"Therefore, don't trust TV polls," Harsiwi concluded.
Riza Primadi, SCTV director for the private station's news
department and public relations, admitted that polls were not
representative.
"We would like to show that on certain issues there are a
number of people saying such and such."
Interactive television was first introduced to viewers in
1996.
Indosiar aired a local television series with an open ending
named Terserah Anda (Up To You). As the name suggests, viewers
called into the station to vote on either of two opposite endings
of each story.
SCTV in 1997 introduced Pilih-Pilih Film (Choose Your Movie)
in which three movie titles were offered to viewers to select for
broadcast every Saturday night.
SCTV and Indosiar in 1996 respectively aired interactive games
Telelaga and Jitu. Viewers could participate in the games of star
wars by pressing numbers on the phone to direct the space or
shoot on the television monitor.
They were short-lived. Under pressure from the Indonesian
Council of Ulemas (MUI), the two stations dropped the games
because they were considered as having elements of gambling.