Domestic news more trustworthy than foreign: Survey

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)