Domestic news more trustworthy than foreign: Survey

JAKARTA (JP): The government should have no fear about the increasing intrusion of foreign news broadcasts via satellite because most owners of dish antennas find that local networks are more trustworthy when it came to local news.

That was the finding of a semi-official survey, further supporting the government's "open-sky" policy as more and more people now have access to foreign television networks.

Almost 80 percent of the parabola antenna owners who were surveyed said that when it comes to local politics, economic and social affairs, they'd still turn to local networks.

The survey of 1,400 dish antennas owners was sponsored by the Ministry of Information and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The result was disclosed in a seminar on the impacts of the penetration of foreign broadcast here on Tuesday.

There are currently 600,000 registered parabola antenna owners.

Leading communication expert Dr. Sasadjuarsa Sendjaja, who led the survey, said the finding reinforced the government conviction that the credibility of local media is unharmed by the onslaught of foreign broadcast beamed in by satellites.

"We know that people might question the validity of this survey, especially because it's sponsored by the Ministry of Information," said Ishadi S.K., a former director of state- television TVRI, who presented the survey together with Sendjaja.

However, he added that "these were the results, just as we found them. Interpretation of the data is another question," Sendjaja said.

The survey also concluded that "the concern about the negative impact of foreign broadcasts should be maintained, but should not be dramatized or exaggerated."

Selective

Indonesian viewers are "critical" and "selective" in digesting foreign ideologies introduced within the context of a foreign broadcast, it added.

The perceived negative impact of uncensored foreign television programs has long been an issue for many Indonesians.

Earlier this year, for instance, Moslem leaders demanded that the government control and reduce the influx of foreign television programs lest they negatively influence the younger generation.

Legislators have also accused the government for implementing ambiguous regulations concerning the influx of foreign programs.

More than a decade ago, the government banned advertisements from TVRI on the grounds that it adversely influenced people, particularly those lacking educated from lower social economic classes, and seduced them into consumptive behavior. Other arguments that were used against advertisement or foreign programs is that Indonesian people were not mature enough to select the materials which was best for them.

During the last several years, however, the government adopted an "open-sky" policy on information, which enabled foreign stations to beam in their broadcasts to Indonesia. Minister of Information Harmoko had stated several times that this sort of development could not be prevented, given the rapid advancement of information technology, and that Indonesian people were now "mature" enough to digest the foreign broadcasting.

"The whole world is now being invaded by satellite television," Harmoko told the House of Representatives Commission I one information in February.

"From the very beginning, the ministry decided that the only way to safeguard the nation... was by strengthening the national and cultural resiliency of our people," he said.

The survey, which focused on its respondents' activities, interests and opinions, was carried out in 14 major cities, including Banda Aceh, Jakarta and Surabaya. Most of the respondents are classified as well-to-do and educated at the high school level or beyond. They also have access to other modes of information, such as newspapers, telephone and computers.

Objection

A participant in the survey brought up a serious objection, however, saying that the poll failed to include those who come from lower-income brackets, are poorly educated, but have access to foreign broadcast through the means of communal parabola antennas.

Many people in the small towns of Kotabaru and Batulicin in the timber-rich areas of South Kalimantan, for instance, have parabola antennas but cannot receive local television broadcasts because of the problem of blank-spots.

According to the Hongkong-based firm of Frank Small and Associates, 36,111 households with parabola in Indonesia are regular viewers of the Satellite Television Station Region Ltd. (STAR TV). The company's five channels are Prime Sports, MTV Asia, BBC World Service Television, Chinese Channel and Star Plus.

The seminar was opened by Director-general for the Press and Graphics Subrata. Other speakers included Secretary-general of Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Jonathan L. Parapak, Indosat telecommunication company director Tjahjono Soerjodibroto, TPI private television director Fahmi Alatas and telecommunication technology expert Dr. Iskandar Alisjahbana.

Parapak said that, despite public concerns, now was the time to talk about the integration of high-tech features of computer, communication and broadcast. He believed Indonesia needed to accelerate its information development efforts in order to be on par with other countries.

He quoted a study which revealed that in 1986 Japan spent 25 trillion yen ($613 million) for its information industry development. The sum will increase to almost 125 trillion yen ($3.06 billion) in the year 2005.

Indonesia, whose information development is "20 years behind Japan", in contrast, currently spends between 1/10th to 1/20th of what the Japanese spend, he said. (swe)