The Failure of Implementation Broadcasting Regulations in Indonesia-Malaysia Border Region: Case Study on Free-to-air Television in Meranti Regency, Riau Province - Indonesia

Abstract

Border residents in Meranti Regency still love Malaysian free to air television broadcasts. The broadcasting regulation stipulates that broadcasters must provide free to air access to foster a love of Indonesian television broadcasts and a spirit of nationalism for all levels of society. However, the reality in the field is inversely proportional. An important point that questioned in this research is how the implementation of broadcasting regulations governing equality of access to information and containers of cultural expression in free to air broadcasts for all Indonesian people, especially in border areas. This study aims to reveal the extent of the application of broadcasting regulations in the border region in the context of free to air broadcasts and cultural expression containers in free to air broadcasts. Social action media studies used as an analytical tool to reveal that access and broadcasting infrastructure are a necessity for reaching viewers. The program of the choice model is another analytical tool in uncovering the motives for selecting free to air broadcasts that are loved by border society. The case study method used to find data from the field of a single case that is the implementation of free to air broadcasting regulations in the Indonesian border region of Malaysia. As a result, broadcasting regulations are considered unsuccessful in the context of free to air in the border regions, and the expression of Malay culture has no place on Indonesian television, which in turn, the Malay cultural preference filled with free to air Malaysian broadcasts. Keyword: Broadcasting, free-to-air, audience, border society, culture. INTRODUCTION Riau Province is one of the provinces that is dealing directly with Malaysia. Geographically, Riau Province has six districts bordering Malaysia, namely Siak Regency, Rokan Hilir Regency, Pelalawan Regency, Meranti Regency, Bengkalis Regency, and Dumai City. The regency which borders with Malaysia is Meranti Regency which also located on the eastern coast of Sumatra, with a coastline that borders Malaysia and Singapore and includes in the Indonesia-MalaysiaSingapore Growth Triangle. There are three large islands in the Meranti Regency which face directly to Malaysia, namely Tebing Tinggi Island, Rangsang Island, and Merbau Island. The stimulant island experienced an expansion in 2016, which became an administrative region with two subdistricts, namely the excitement of the west and the stimulation of the coast. The expansion aims to accelerate village development even though the Subdistrict of Rangsang Pesisir is still the district with the most impoverished population in the Meranti Regency. Apart from working as fishermen, many residents from the border work as part-time foreign workers in The Failure of Implementation Broadcasting Regulations in Indonesia-Malaysia Border Region: Case Study on Free-to-air Television in Meranti Regency, Riau Province Indonesia Harry Setiawan, Siti Karlinah, Dadang Rahmat Hidayat & Yuliandre Darwis 89 E-ISSN: 2289-1528 https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2021-3701-06 Malaysia. Poverty in the border society centered on poverty in livelihood resources, weak employment, and poor access to Indonesian information through broadcast media. Broadcast infrastructure gap in the Indonesia Malaysia border region in Meranti district, which until now still faces difficulties in accessing Indonesian information through free-to-air broadcasts that have occurred over the past 25 years. Until which makes Malaysian free-to-air television broadcasts more desirable because broadcasting infrastructure and power, Malaysian television broadcasts are better received using a terrestrial antenna. Free-to-air broadcasts are the only affordable information access for border residents. It makes the public habit to search for and receive information only from television because television can provide entertainment for free (Strangelove, 2015). Moreover, television viewing activities often become routine daily that can do starting from the television turned on until turned off again (Wonneberger, Schoenbach & van Meurs, 2009). Television presents a large selection of broadcast programs in free-to-air services so that the adaptation of viewers to broadcast programs continues to change even when the viewers watch (Wonneberger et al., 2009). The differentiation of broadcast programs that presented free-to-air broadcasts can make the top choice for viewers, and not a few of them are careful in choosing transmissions based on their motives and feelings (Brosius, Wober, & Weimann, 1992). Furthermore, access to free-to-air broadcasts also plays an essential role in influencing the viewer s decisions. The reality of border residents tends to prefer Malaysian television broadcasts over Indonesian television for some entertainment broadcast contexts because Indonesian television shows are dominated by soap operas that are not culturally relevant Malay and not educating. After all, it gives access to imitators of shows that will continue to remain anonymous (Strangelove, 2015). Also, aspects of industrialism currently shared by all Indonesian television stations where all aspects of production are standardized (Holmes, 2005) so that the community does not widely have a choice of shows, broadcast characters, and entertainment (Walsh, 2015). The Indonesian broadcasting regulations, as stipulated in the Broadcasting Law No. 32 of 2002 mandates through the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (Presiden Republik Indonesia, 2002), to build engagement broadcasting stakeholders. Furthermore, focus on updating infrastructure in the regions, which subsequently establishes an agreement with the district government to develop a Local Public Broadcasting Institution (Presiden Republik Indonesia, 2005) to provide access to information for all citizens, especially those living in border areas. It is not enough to just that, the Indonesian broadcasting commission and its marriage in the regions, namely the Indonesian broadcasting commission in Riau, are building the construction of a particular transmitting station in the border area used by TVRI RiauKepri. There are still many Indonesia-Malaysia border areas in Riau Province with blank spot status, and none of Indonesia s commercial broadcasting infrastructure airs there and serves the border community. And then, of course, creates problems for Indonesia because many of the border residents enjoy foreign television broadcasts, especially Malaysia, which has the same ethnic group, Malay. Weaknesses in the practice of broadcasting regulations that demand equal distribution of broadcasting infrastructure and the lack of equal access to free information provided by the state are sources of problems in this research case study, especially in the border area in Meranti Regency in Riau Province. Geographical proximity, pleasant transmit Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication Jilid 36(3) 2020: 88-106 90 E-ISSN: 2289-1528 https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2021-3701-06 power for some Malaysian free-to-air broadcasts, can penetrate the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) range and are well received by border society. A close cultural relationship between the Malays includes being a separate reason for more Malaysian broadcasts than Indonesian broadcasts on the border region. The closeness of Malay culture is indeed very fluid in Indonesia. However, there are several different linguistic features, including those that make Malaysian television shows in demand (Dahlan, 2015) Indonesian audiences, especially in border areas, Upin and Ipin animated series as examples. The portrait of actual cultural reality depicted in the animated series Upin and Ipin becomes a reality of a new and good spectacle for all ages (Nur Salawati & Hanita, 2013). However, Malaysia is also a portrait of multiple cultural realities present in its citizens lives so that the perceptions current at the viewer can influence his behavior (Peiser & Peter, 2000). Other conditions, the high costs incurred by border society to enjoy Indonesian freeto-air television broadcasts, are not another obstacle for border society and enjoy Indonesian shows using satellite TV. Which requires a large amount of money from Indonesian television broadcasts that violate broadcasting regulations and get sanctions such as containing pornographic elements, verbal and nonverbal violence, urban hedonism that not well presented in television shows (Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia, 2012; Presiden Republik Indonesia, 2002). Weak implementation of broadcasting regulations in Indonesia in border areas and minimal broadcast infrastructure so that access to information and entertainment of border society is served by free-to-air television broadcasts of Malaysia which finally: a vital point that questioned in this research is how the implementation of broadcasting regulations governing equality of access to information and containers of cultural expression in free to air broadcasts for all Indonesian people, especially in border areas. This study aims to reveal the extent of the application of broadcasting regulations in the border region in the context of free to air broadcasts and cultural expression containers in free to air broadcasts. LITERATURE REVIEW Research on the issue of Indonesian Malaysian border broadcasting has conducted several times (Andung, Sjuchro, Liliweri, & Hadisiwi, 2018b, 2018a; Prasojo, 2013; Yusuf, 2017). Prasojo (2013) who portrayed the dynamics of the ethnic life of the Iban inhabiting the border region in West Kalimantan despite being in an era of globalization, the media, and technology and being on the boundaries of two countries. The ethnic Iban still highlighted the right side of that is prioritizing courtesy, friendliness, and open to migrants; even though they are on national borders, they can quickly exit and enter two countries. Access to information through Indonesian free-t