IO – Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional – “Bappenas”) Suharso Monoarfa supports the Indonesian Broadcast Commission (Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia – “KPI”)’s Research of Television Broadcast Program Quality Index. KPI performed this research in order to appraise the quality of the programs broadcast by our national television. “It is a national priority program in the 2020-2024 Medium- Term National Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional – “RPJMN”), and it will be executed through Government Work Plans (Rencana Kerja Pemerintah – “RKP”) all the way through 2024. The research’s findings will serve well as reference for broadcast agencies, especially television, for producing entertaining, informative, and educational broadcast programs,” he said in the Exposition of the Quality Index Research’s Findings held on Tuesday (08/12/2020).
Suharso hopes that KPI and its relevant partners will continue establishing a climate that is conducive to the development of quality programs that support public interest. The findings of the study must also be used to educate the people, so that they become smarter in their choice of quality broadcast programs or shows that satisfy their needs. In this first Exposition of 2020, KPI announced that the index scores of the nine broadcast program categories being studied have significantly improved.
In the 2020 iteration, the overall score was 3.14. This is the highest index achieved by television stations since the research was first held in 2017. KPI further notes that the quality index of television programs in the first half of 2019 was 2.91 and 2.90 in the second half. The increase in television program quality index in this term is due to the efforts made by KPI and relevant stakeholders to provide quality broadcasting. However, three program categories still fail in terms of quality even though the overall trend is rising: Variety shows, soap operas, and infotainment shows. The highest score is achieved by news programs at 3.25.
Central KPI Commissioner of Institutions Hardly Stefano Pariela states that other than broadcast agencies, especially television stations, use of the research’s findings to improve the contents of their broadcast, viewers also use them to select the broadcast content that they want. The positive trend of the broadcast program quality index score shows massive efforts by our television to improve, especially since the research findings are objective assessment made according to the principles of science. “We need to ensure that broadcasters not only concern themselves with rating share and number of viewers, but also consider compliance with Broadcast Ethical Guidelines (Pedoman Perilaku Penyiaran – “P3”) and Broadcast Program Standards (Standar Program Siar – “SPS”) as a primary concern. In this way, we can produce quality broadcast programs that inspire all Indonesian citizens,” he said.
Three Levels of Television Broadcast Effects
Head of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme – “BNPT”), Comm. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar, said that the broadcast programs shown to the people generate three effects: Cognitive, affective, and psycho-motoric. In the cognitive level, we need to ensure that broadcast agencies are able to generate programs that improve the people’s knowledge and vision. In the affective level, broadcast agencies must be able to generate broadcast programs that help move people’s attitude towards a positive direction. In the psycho-motoric level, broadcast agencies must provide programs that can help change people’s behavior and mold a critical personality that is aware of the importance of digital literacy. “Therefore, broadcast programs in Indonesia must respect differences in tribal origins, race, religion, and groups, and uphold the national values that we all must preserve and protect,” Boy said.
End of Analog TV Broadcasts
Earlier, Minister of Communications and Informatics Johnny G. Plate stated that analog TV broadcasts will end on 2 November 2022 at 24.00 WIB. According to Draft Technical Regulations, television Public Broadcast Agencies (Lembaga Penyiaran Publik – “LPP”), Private Broadcast Agencies (Lembaga Penyiaran Swasta – “LPS”), and Community Broadcast Agencies (Lembaga Penyiaran Komunitas – “LPK”) must all stop analog television broadcast by the deadline. “In the end, there will be only two types of Multiplexing (MUX) broadcasters, the LPP TVRI and LPS. The appointment of LPP TVRI as a MUX broadcaster is made by the Minister without any need for evaluation or selection. The Minister, however, will appoint MUX LPS broadcasters after due selection and evaluation,” he said in his official statement.
Johnny further stated that evaluation will be made on LPS that have made the investments and implement MUX according to the provisions of applicable rules and regulations. Selections will be made on broadcast service areas that are not yet appointed for MUX broadcast LPP TVRI.
Broadcast Equipment Aid
Minister Johnny further stated that the Government will help the public so that they can receive digital free-to-air television broadcast by providing set-top-box equipment for poor household, with the help of MUX broadcasters’ commitment. If the number of set-top-boxes provided by MUX broadcasters is insufficient, the Government can cover the rest using the State Budget or other legitimate sources according to law. “But to repeat, the priority provision of the equipment will be from the MUX broadcasters, while we will only use the State Budget as a final resort of the set-top-boxes from MUX broadcasters is found to be insufficient,” he said. (dan)