The Evolution From Nielsen Ratings to Social Media Metrics in Indonesian Broadcasting

Suko Widodo, Gagas Aji

Abstract


This study investigates the digital transformation of Indonesian television broadcasters as they migrate from traditional analog broadcasting to digital platforms, with a focus on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Using descriptive quantitative analysis and engagement rate data sourced from Phlanx, the research evaluates the performance of five major national TV stations—SCTV, RCTI, Trans TV, Metro TV, and tvOne—across their official and sub-branded social media accounts. Findings reveal that while some broadcasters, notably SCTV and RCTI, demonstrate strategic adaptation through content segmentation, thematic branding, and audience engagement, others rely on outdated broadcasting logic that limits interactivity and digital resonance. The presence of verification (blue tick) is shown to enhance perceived credibility but does not guarantee engagement without platform-specific content strategies. The study concludes that successful digital migration depends not merely on presence but on the ability to adopt platform-native storytelling, build interactive communities, and reorganize media workflows to align with audience expectations in a participatory, algorithm-driven ecosystem.

Keywords


Digital migration, Indonesian television, audience interaction, engagement rate, media convergence.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adda, J., & Ottaviani, M. (2005). The transition to digital television. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.688363

Armando, A. (2019). Kontestasi dan negosiasi kepentingan dalam implementasi sistem siaran jaringan televisi di Indonesia. Jurnal Komunikasi.

Balfour, V. H. (2019). Likes, comments, action: The strengths and limitations of strategic impact documentary's Facebook audience engagement strategies (Doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology).

Bruns, A. (2016). Making audience engagement visible: Publics for metrics.

Cai-jun, L. (2008). Design and practice of digital-analog integrated television. Video Engineering.

Evans, B. T. (1991). An overview of digital TV.

Helin, P. S. (2018). Social media management in traditional media companies: Strategically engaging public service television audiences through social media: The case of RTP and TV Cultura.

Iglesias, F., & Sabucedo, J. M. (2010). From analog to digital television: Strategies to promote the transition.

Kruger, L. G. (2002). Digital television: An overview. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.345520

Liao, C. H., Hsieh, J. K., & Kumar, S. (2024). Does the verified badge of social media matter? The perspective of trust transfer theory. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 18(6), 1017–1033.

Liao, P. Y., Hsieh, G., & Yuan, K. (2023). Does the verified badge of social media matter? The role of verification in trust and engagement. Information, Communication & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2023.2238764

Mandal, M. K. (2003). Analog and digital television.

Nilssen, T. (2010). The television industry as a market of attention. Nordicom Review, 31, 115–123.

Nurizar, A. (2020). Digital television regulation and its impact on Indonesia towards Society 5.0. Komunikator.

Permana, R. S., Abdullah, A., & Mahameruaji, J. N. (2019). Budaya menonton televisi di Indonesia: Dari terrestrial hingga digital. ProTVF.

Prihatmadi, B. (2024). Digital convergence and value creation: tvOne’s strategic use of YouTube.

Rath, B., Kim, J., Huh, J., & Srivastava, J. (2018). Impact of news organizations' trustworthiness and social media activity on audience engagement. arXiv, abs/1808.09561.

Rizky, D., Nusraningrum, D., Bakhour, A. E., Mulyatri, E., & Dewi, K. R. (2024). Correlation of terrestrial satellite computation and allocation of influence in the development of digital television services in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen dan Bisnis.

Rusdiyanto, D., & Apriono, C. (2020). Radio over fiber for implementing digital television network in Indonesia. In 2020 International Seminar on Intelligent Technology and Its Applications (ISITIA) (pp. 321–325).

Samudera, E. B., Waworuntu, A., & Lumba, E. (2024). Public sentiment analysis on the transition from analog to digital television using the random forest classifier algorithm. Ultimatics: Jurnal Teknik Informatika.

Starks, M. J. (2006). Switching to digital television.

Strekalova, Y. A., & Krieger, J. L. (2017). A picture really is worth a thousand words: Public health messaging on Instagram. Journal of Health Communication, 22(6), 486–494. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2016.1233291

Strekalova, Y. A., & Krieger, J. L. (2017). A picture really is worth a thousand words: Public engagement with the National Cancer Institute on social media. Journal of Cancer Education, 32, 155–157.

Sudibyo, A., & Patria, N. (2013). The television industry in post-authoritarian Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 43, 257–275.

Suprihono, A. E. (2021). Insert Media Studies: The Issue of Cinematography of Dance Posts on SocialMedia. Sense: Journal of Film and Television Studies, 4(1), 15-35.

Surahman, S., Asmarani, T. D., Annisarizki, A., & Saksono, E. H. (2023). Representasi Pola Komunikasi Keluarga dalam Film “Sabtu Bersama Bapak”. Sense: Journal of Film and Television Studies, 6(2), 137-148.

Syafei, U. A., & Rahyadi, I. (2025). Switching the TV, switching perspectives: Social media insights on Indonesia's analog switch off journey. In 2025 19th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication (IMCOM) (pp. 1–5).

Verdegem, P., & De Marez, L. (2008). From analogue to digital terrestrial television: How to support the user in the switchover?

Zeng, S-Q. (2002). Research analogue television and all-digital high definition television.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24821/sense.v8i1.15010

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

View My Stats.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a 
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

gacor22