The use of television for civic education is a relatively new element in the KAS country program for Indonesia. After the political reform process started in 1998/99 two developments were apparent. There was an overwhelming need for broad public education on democracy and it was obvious that traditional instruments of political education would fail to meet this epochal challenge if modern educational programs in the electronic media, especially on television, did not supplement them.

2007: In Defence of Democracy in Indonesia

The development and the support of the political culture is one of the main focuses of the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicate (SSS). Through the publication of analyses and scientific contributions the population’s consciousness should be awakened to improve the participation of the civil society. From the collaboration between the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicate and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation originates a political talk show that is broadcasted monthly on QTV. The private TV station QTV, on which SSS has already gained and proved a lot of experience and expertise, achieved according to an survey in 2006 by the AGB Nielsen Media Research Group comparatively the highest ratings in this genre. Under the direction of Mr. Soegeng Sarjadi the guests of the political talk show include not only politicians and experts, but also representative of state institutions who discuss current political issues.

Party Politics: Regulation and Practices.

• Guests
  

• Dr. Hadar N Gumay ( CETRO )
  
• Dr. Sudarsono Hardjosukarto (DirJen Kesatuan Bangsa dan Politik Depdagri)
  
• Sayuti Ashari (Wakil Ketua Komisi II DPR RI)
  

• Date
  

• April, 13
  
• April, 14
  
• April, 15
  

• Time
  

• 12.00 and 22.00 o’clock
  

The Party System

• Guests:
  

• Prof.Dr. Maswadi Rauf (Guru Besar Ilmu Politik UI)
  
• Yudi Chrisnandi / Theo L Sambuaga / Tifatul / Muzamil
  
• Cahyo Kumolo (PDI-P)
  

• Date:
  

• April, 27
  
• April, 28
  
• April, 29
  

• Time
  

• 12.00 and 22.00 o’clock
  

2006

The KAS project office in Banda Aceh created in 2006 a political TV talk show titled "Capacity Reinforcement: the Start of the City's Change" which discussed the perspectives of the municipal organization structure’s development in the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). The talk show was shown on the private television broadcasting station TVRI Banda throughout the whole province.

Creating the Desired City

• Guest
  

• Drs. Said Hussein Al-Haj (former mayor of BA)
  
• H. Muntasir Hamid (Chairman of DPRD BA)
  
• Hendri R. (Chairman of HMI BA)
  

• Date
  

• November, 06
  

Development Concepts of the NAD’s cities

• Guests
  

• H. Muntasir Hamid (Chairman of DPRD BA)
  
• Drs. H. Dahlan TA (Chairman of PWI NAD)
  
• Dr. Iskandar A. Gani, S.H., M. Hum (an Academic of University of Syiah Kuala BA)
  

• Date
  

• November, 11
  

2002 - 2004

With Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), one of Indonesia’s major private television stations, KAS found a partner open for experiments on the largely unexplored field of televised democracy promotion. The cooperation started in 2001 when both partners produced 20 episodes of a series called “Indonesia Esok" (Indonesia tomorrow) which dealt with key institutions of the country’s political system as well as with basic problems of society. These programs were broadcast until the end of 2002.

With regard to changing viewer habits and demands of today’s TV audiences KAS and RCTI revised their concept in 2003 and started a new program named “Mata Angin” (Direction). This time the series went to the provinces and regions in order to examine both structural difficulties and exemplary solutions in handling characteristic problems all around the country. Twelve programs of around 20 minutes each, which were being put on air between July 2003 and January 2004, focused on the following topics (on-air-dates in brackets):

• Part 1: Good governance by example
  
  • Yogyakarta (12 July 2003)
    
  • Solo (26 July 2003)
    

• Part 2: Local Finances
  
  • Tangerang (9 August 2003)
    
  • Kutai (23 August 2003)
    

• Part 3: Natural Resources Management
  
  • Papua (6 September 2003)
    
  • Riau (20 September 2003)
    

• Part 4: Legal uncertainty and its impact on a region’s economy
  
  • Batam (4 October 2003)
    

• Part 5: The dependency of poor regions on government subsidies
  
  • Flores (18 October 2003)
    

• Part 6: The role and the challenges of the National Election Commission (KPU) in the upcoming elections
  
  • South Sulawesi (8 November 2003)
    

• Part 7: Role and functions of the future Council of the Regions (DPD)
  
  • Jakarta (29 November 2003)
    

• Part 8: Direct elections – chances and risks
  
  • Bali (13 December 2003)
    

• Part 9: Abstention as a danger for democracy
  
  • Moluccan Islands (27 December 2003)
    

KAS continued its cooperation with RCTI in 2004. This time, the joint project was about the socialization of the new election system among the more than 140 million registered Indonesian voters. Polls and researches undertaken by the National Election Commission (KPU) and international organizations of development cooperation had suggested that an incredibly large part of the population is not at all or only insufficiently familiar with the new election system. Therefore, a high share of invalid votes could not be ruled out. This, however, would have meant a loss of confidence into the new Indonesian democracy.

KAS was determined to counter this trend and to contribute to a high voter turnout with as many valid votes as possible. For this reason the Foundation, in cooperation with its partner RCTI, produced two television spots for voters' education in the beginning of March. KAS was fortunate enough to recruit the well-known Indonesian TV actor Tukul for this task. Another part in these spots was played by Sarah Sabina Hasbar, a staff member of the KAS Indonesia office.

In the first of the two spots viewers were encouraged to make use of their democratic right to vote despite the fact that, at the moment, not too many Indonesians have much trust in their politicians. The second spot, which was broadcast approximately one minute after first one, focused on the explanation which parliaments are being elected in the general elections (House of Representatives, provincial, district and city parliaments as well as the new Regional Council DPD). The two main characters of the spots explained the procedure of the new election system in an easily understandable language.

The two spots were on the air four times per day, starting on the first day of the offcial election campaign, 11 March, until one day ahead of the election (04 April), always shortly after the main news shows of RCTI.