Stationed Locally

Local television is the topic I have chosen for my undergraduate thesis. Local television might provided what local viewers wanted to see and they can’t find in national channels, but the one basis in Jakarta I figure have more difficult potential to grow. This first based on the fact that Jakarta’s residents are mobile. Even though there are many unemployed young adult, or stay-at-home mothers and children, but they have been years consuming programs the national channel provided. Sinetrons, infotainments, reality shows contest, America’s television series, and others.
It is already not easy in winning viewers that for years have been loyal to national channels. It is already an understanding that most Indonesia’s middle class audience subscribing network cable at their home, and main thing that distinguished local stations from national station is taste of local identification the viewers can find. That is the key for winning local audiences. Since in a country with numerous tribes like Indonesia, what differentiating people taste other than age groups and socio-economic background are also its local identities basic on demographic living. As seen in the diagram below:

Top Program TV Lokal Denpasar Berdasarkan Rating
All 5+, Periode: Januari-Desember 2007
PROGRAM TIPE PROGRAM 000 TVR SHARE
Pembukaan Pesta Kesenian Bali Spesial: Special Event 72 12.1 60.1
Hiburan Rakyat Kecil Spesial: Special Event 66 11.1 28.9
Drama Gong Sing Taen Enduk Entertainment: Traditional 32 5.5 22.3
Menyongsong Matahari Ber Spesial: Special Event 32 5.3 25.8
Gelar Kreasi Nusantara Spesial: Special Event 30 5.1 18.3

Top Program TV Lokal Surabaya Berdasarkan Rating
All 5+, Periode: Januari-Desember 2007
PROGRAM TIPE PROGRAM 000 TVR SHARE
Pesta Heboh Ultah Pasuruan Entertainment: Traditional 70 0.9 5.8
Gipsy Angels Movie: Action/Adventure 62 0.8 2.2
She Fought Alone Movie: Drama 56 0.7 1.8
Touched by a Killer Movie: Action/Adventure 54 0.7 1.8
Raka Raki Jawa Timur Entertainment: Variety Show 50 0.6 1.9



Top Program TV Lokal Semarang
Anak-Anak & Remaja, Periode: Januari-Desember 2007
PROGRAM TIPE PROGRAM 000 TVR SHARE
Surga Ramadhan Information: Documentary 1.2 4.3 117
Rihlah Information: Documentary 1.1 3.5 113
Penjelajah Halilintar Entertainment: Reality Show 1.0 3.3 83
Lomba & Festival Band Remaja Entertainment: Music 0.9 4.7 195
Goyang Pantura Spesial Tahun Baru Entertainment: Music 0.8 6.9 59

Top Program TV Lokal Yogyakarta
Anak-Anak & Remaja, Periode: Januari-Desember 2007
PROGRAM TIPE PROGRAM 000 TVR SHARE
Klinong Klinong Campursari Entertainment: Music 2.3 7.6 120
Djiwa Indonesia Merdeka Information: Documentary 2.2 9.3 202
Peluncuran Buku Moh. Mahfud MD. Filler: Others 2.1 18.4 229
Kamling Desa Simangun Information: Documentary 1.9 7.3 528
Among Rasa Information: TalkShow 1.9. 2.6. 288

Semarang television dominant audiences are; women, children and teenagers, students, age 30+, Social Economic Status DE. Audience numbers in Semarang are more into national channels than local. While Yogyakarta’s national channel audience rates are below Semarang’s, Semarang local channel audience rates are below local channel’s audience in Yogyakarta. Viewers living in Yogyakarta are likely to choose local programs more than national programs. Yogyakarta is admits as the central of Javanese culture. Yogyakarta audience most come from categories; women, children and teenagers, students (age 5-14; age 20-29), Social Economic Status C.
Similar with Yogya local station, BaliTV, the local channel in Denpasar has more viewers than national channels. In fact, BaliTV is the most successful local station from currently 24 local stations that have reported active in Indonesia. Known for its tourism, Indonesians living in Bali are familiar with mixed of Balinese culture and global taste the comers bring. Bali is the island that many foreigners from all over the world have called home
Denpasar audience profile are dominated by such categories; male/female, age 24-39 and 50+, Social Economic Status CDE, mostly work in informal sector or retirement. Meanwhile Surabaya audiences are dominated by male, age 5-19 and 30-39, upper social economic status. The audiences more likely choosing national channels than local ones. It is also an interesting fact that most successful programs in
Surabaya local station is import movies. While Denpasar audience noted as local-centris, Surabaya audiences are more into foreign movies and only watches local station for significant programs such as news and traditional entertainments.
Bali and Surabaya are two example on how complex it is the concept to attract local viewers could be. What may work in Jakarta may not work in Jogja, what may work in Denpasar may not work in Makassar. How construction of meaning will work depends on audience majority profiles such as age, sex, and social economic status. How alive is the town sub-culture activities also can be clue.
An illustration might come from local station in Bandung. Home for national football club Persib Jaya and the city where indie music and clothing label were started, Bandung TV most popular programs are soccer games and music entertainment programs. Music and soccer are the two things that can attached Bandung majority audience, because the public is known for their interests in these field. But what might work for Bandung might not goes the same for Yogyakarta audience that as seen in the table above have taken more interests for cultural programs such as Klinong-Klinong Campur Sari.
From above we see that in the cities with strong cultural tradition like Yogyakarta and Denpasar, providing local taste has proven a right thing to do. For Semarang and second biggest city in Indonesia, Surabaya, the story was completely different. The city audiences were more into watching national stations than local station.
If to be popular, the television text of national station has to be read and enjoyed by a diversity of social groups, then for local station, it is about composes meaning basic on dominant ideology in the particular demographic area.
Now speaking of Jakarta local television problems, here is their main dilemma; Jakarta’s local station cannot provide only one local taste since Jakarta is the city where million citizens coming from numerous provinces in Indonesia. In short, they became another version of national channels with limited reception and fewer target audiences that not only have less time watching television, but more likely choosing cable channels over local television.
Luckily, local channels are encouraging local businesses to buy their commercial spots in far more reasonable price than commercial spot in national channels. In short, local media does have their own strengths to gather crumbs of profit from what can not be provide by national media. What they only need to do is develop their target loyalties. For Jakarta’s local stations, this can only happens by providing what the viewers could not get from national television and cable television networks. What that is, they must find by doing specific methods in research.