EVOLVING FROM CONVENTIONAL TELEVISION TO ONLINE TV A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN URBANITES by Jasbir Kaur

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APG5743 - Communication Research Thesis
EVOLVING FROM CONVENTIONAL
TELEVISION TO ONLINE TV:
A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN URBANITES
By
Jasbir Kaur
(17,287 words)
A Thesis Submitted in
Partial Fulfilment for the requirements of
Masters of Communication and Media Studies
Monash University Sunway Campus
2013

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Table of contents
Abstract Pg 3
1.0 Introduction Pg 4
1.1 Researching the shifts in Malaysian television viewing habits Pg 6
1.2. Background Pg 8
1.2.1 Television in Malaysia Pg 8
1.2.2. Online Video Viewership in Malaysia Pg 9
2. Literature Review Pg 12
2.1. Television Audience in Malaysia Pg 12
2.2. Online television: Impact on culture and society Pg 13
2.3. Impact of online technology on conventional television Pg 14
2.4. Gender Wars – who is moving online? Pg 15
2.5. Cannibalisation of television Pg 16
3. Methodology Pg 22
3.1 Introduction Pg 22
3.1.1 Justification – Why Focus Group Discussion? Pg 23
3.1.2 Instrument of the Focus Group - Discussion Guide Pg 25
3.1.3 Respondents and Group Size Pg 25
3.1.4 Ethical considerations Pg 26
3.1.5 Questions Discussed Pg 27
4.0 Focus Group Results and Discussion Pg 30
4.1 Personal history of conventional television viewing Pg 30
4.2 Television today: Conventional vs. Online Pg 36
4.3 Television of the future Pg 44
4.4 Preference, Social and Cultural Impact Pg 46
5. Conclusion Pg 52
Reference Pg 58

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Abstract
The way television is consumed has transformed tremendously through the years, from
transmission via terrestrial antenna to satellite dishes and now through fibre cable.
These developments lead to the different methods of consumption from a box which
was the focus of a household, to now individual devices. In the last 15 years, we have
seen these changes right here in Malaysia.
The emergence of online television has attracted predominantly the young adults and
youth of Malaysia. Not only are the young audiences more technologically savvy, they
are also more receptive to new ideas and technology. This study will take you through a
journey of how these audiences developed their viewing habits from their childhood
where television was watched as a family to the current moment where a huge number
of programmes are available online at your fingertips.

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1. Introduction
This study focuses on the shift that is taking place in Malaysia, just as people are
getting used to satellite television, cable and online television is being introduced to the
country. The aim of this study is to understand how the Malaysian audience is evolving
with all that is being introduced, focusing mainly on television consumption online.
On a more personal note, the reason for picking television audiences as a topic is firstly
due to my working experience in the broadcasting industry and secondly to my interest
in the changing behaviour of television consumption not only of Malaysians but also
within my family.
Gone are the days where a household of four people found two televisions was barely
sufficient to share; now my pre-teen watches her favourite Japanese anime on apps
that she downloads on her iPad and then discusses it with her friends on Facebook. It is
not uncommon for me to buy her credits for an online game or subscription to access
the latest anime content online as a birthday gift or when she does well in school as
toys no longer appeal to her.
My sister on the other hand consumes the latest episodes of Bollywood drama serials
online via the computer, because she can’t be bothered waiting for them to air in
Malaysia three months later. She is of course the ‘spoiler’ blurting out the twist and
climax to my aunts who are still consuming the drama serials 3 months behind on local
television.
As for me, instead of arguing with my other half for the television during the EPL
season, I look for Hollywood television series that are either unavailable or heavily
censored in Malaysia on TV streaming sites like Hulu from the US (easily watched with
a VPN or IP masking from any other parts of the world). Some of what I watch and
where I watch is influenced by my peers at work or via Facebook. I do foresee that this
scene is not very different in other urban homes within Malaysia.

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Television is no longer the social event at home, which used to bring families together
for prime time viewing. Instead, it is now watched in solitude according to the individual
preferences of each member of the household, at their convenience. The need possibly
began with members of the household being driven to the computer for entertainment,
while the main television was occupied by another family member. In fact taking this into
consideration, many pay TV broadcasters offer a second decoder at a heavily
discounted price in order to get the additional eyeball in a household.
In Malaysia, watching programs on devices such as the computer, iPad or mobile phone
is no longer considered a luxury; in fact it is a means where many get access to their
daily dose of entertainment.
Online television viewing behaviour, which offers interactivity, has become a popular
platform and an extension to conventional television viewing. This can be linked to the
variety of local reality shows which have encouraged huge online fandom and following.
Audiences can now share their expressions and ideas across the world with likeminded
individuals, where past behaviour would have been more localized to groups of friends
or likeminded fans within reach.
Audiences have suddenly found themselves in the company of other viewers with
similar interests. A Further extension to viewing online and participating in fandom
related activities is the popular trend of generating content which fuelled the success of
video platforms such as Youtube. This is an example of how technology and the media
industry especially are developing and merging to further entice audiences beyond
television, with the ultimate goal of monetizing the online space as well.
At work my portfolio includes managing the online television business (referred as the
over the top platform (OTT)). As such, understanding the growth of this new technology
is especially important to me.
I have noticed the increasing presence of online broadcasting in the last three years that
have driven local broadcasters, and also mobile industry players to occupy the online
content space, i.e. tonton.com.my by TV3 and HyppTV by Telekom’s Unifi and now
Celcom has just introduced its Video on Demand platform called Escape, while Maxis is

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working with Astro to offer Astro Select to its IPTV customers. Even in my current
workplace (Malaysia’s leading satellite broadcaster), the company’s business focus has
also shifted to also actively pursue the cyberspace audiences, despite the huge
investments made on satellite technology and it is also engaging with Telco partners to
expand its services via broadband. By the time I have completed this dissertation, a
new service will be available merging both the connectivity of mobile service with
exclusive programming content to be Malaysia’s first such service to be provided via the
mobile phone.
In fact the telecommunication big boys in Malaysia such as Maxis, Celcom, Digi et al
are closely vying for the entire pie, they are already providing phone line and mobile,
internet connectivity. The extension into online programming or television is a sensible
progression, which for the consumer is noted as a convenient one - paying one bill at
the end of the month. Both Astro IPTV and Telekom’s Unifi, already have one such offer
combining all three services into a bundle – phone, internet and television.
1.1. Researching the shifts in Malaysian television viewing habits
In Malaysia, the introduction of localised online television and video portals are a new
phenomenon (less than 3 years) and there is almost no research done to look at the
audience of this internet and television convergence.
According to Seiter, E (1999), academic research done on digital television is generally
skewed towards schools of information science, computer sciences, business and it
covers usage statistics rather than perception and cultural contexts. This is the exact
gap that I am trying to fill, looking at digital television consumption in Malaysia by
understanding the perception of audiences towards this new technology and how it’s
affecting their lives. Are there any cultural implications or is it a phenomenon that is
impacting only a certain social class?
Audience research has existed since there was a medium to reach the public, from
book and newspaper readers to early days of broadcasting of radio listenership, to

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television viewers and now as new technology is introduced the methods of research
are also evolving to suit these advancements. Audience research started in the 1920s,
as the industrialised era took off, and in the US among the first methods to measure a
program’s popularity was to consult the letters received by the producers. While in
Britain, it became important only ten years after the radio broadcasting service was
launched in 1922, as an instrument of accountability and information system for
program producers (Mytton, G., 1999, pg. 16-17).
Audience research has come a long way and in recent years, besides measuring
program popularity or channel ratings, on the social side there have been studies on the
negative impact of electronic media to its audience. It is seen as a threat to culture. With
technology and content being dominated by large nations, it is seen as a disseminator
of social ills (Mytton, G., 1999, pg. 13).
This research aims to understand the impact of internet and television convergence on
Malaysia, from the perspective of the audience. It aims to learn the how, why, what and
which audiences have embraced online television. This study is not about the online
content or its influences on audiences but on how it has brought about change in
viewing behaviour. This change is obviously influenced by the technological
advancements that have taken place in the industry in the last few years, looking at the
success of the online video viewing habits of Malaysians.
Audiences are now more involved in the choice of what they want to consume as
entertainment. The days of media and broadcasting industries pushing content as and
when they please (i.e. appointment viewing) are long gone. While the industry is
constantly developing new technology to push for consumption, the ‘developed’
audiences are also equally involved for controlling and consuming what is provided in
accordance with their needs.
For me personally this research will provide some answers that bridge the gap between
the industry and academia. My main interest is the audience, to understand what is
motivating and driving audiences to watch what they watch on online. From the point of
academia, I will compare and contrast similar studies done to look out for trends and

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resemblances and secondly as an employee with Malaysia’s only satellite provider will
consider what is causing the trend, is it here to stay, how will it change the way
television business is done and of course ultimately how are audiences benefiting from
this new viewing trend?
1.2. Background
1.2.1. Television in Malaysia
In order to understand the transition in television viewing habits, let’s glance at what are
some of the major milestones of the television broadcasting industry in Malaysia.
Malaysian Television has come a long way since the formation of Radio Television
Malaysia in 1963. RTM 1 and 2 made their debut and were broadcast in Black and
White, initiated with the assistance of Canadian consultants to provide multi lingual
content to appease the multiracial society of Malaysia. One of main objectives of the
television was to promote the government’s policies as well as the Malaysian culture,
vernacular entertainment and education. (Abdul Wahab, J., 2006, p3). Programs were
apportioned in line with the country’s race make-up, which was Malay programmes
dominating 39%, followed by English and Chinese programmes at 26% and Tamil
content the least at 9%.
“RTM 1 for example featured mainly Malay content with close links to the government
policies at that time, while RTM 2 was introduced to cater for non-Malay programs from
the US, China, Taiwan, and India.” (Abdul Wahab, J., 2007, p221).
21 years later TV3 was launched in 1984. As a private commercial television station
they managed to reap tremendous profit within the first 10 months of operations. TV3
was also instrumental in creating a “Chinese Belt” and made popular Hong Kong and
Taiwanese series, giving the Chinese audience who traditionally viewed such content
on video an option to watch it for free on television (Abdul Wahab, J., 2007, p227).

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The 1990s was an important decade for the Malaysian broadcast space as it became
more populated with the introduction of additional terrestrial stations such as
Metrovision, NTV 7, TV9, 8TV. Then the first subscription based cable channel Mega
TV launched in 1995, followed by satellite TV Astro in 1996. (Abdul Wahab, J., 2006,
p3).
The early to mid-1990s were crucial years in the development of the Malaysian
television industry when audiences who were accustomed to free television (with a
small television license fee) were introduced to a pay-tv model through cable TV
Metrovision and later to Astro, myTV and Fine TV.
Today the scenario has further evolved with the introduction of the internet to the
equation. The technology on how television is disseminated and consumed has
advanced tremendously. Like the rest of the world, in Malaysia industry players have
invested and developed online television portals. The first to launch was tonton.com.my
by TV3 in 2010. Others to follow suit were maaduu.com which features mainly Korean
production. Last year in May 2012 Malaysia’s only satellite broadcaster Astro launched
an extension of its pay-tv programs via its online portal Astro On-The-Go. Recently
Maxman.tv joined the band wagon to target Malaysia’s Male population and the latest
edition is Celcom’s Escape Video on Demand service.
1.2.2. Online Video Viewership in Malaysia
A news report in The Star (2012, August) indicated that urban Malaysians spend 20
hours a week online and only 10.6 hours watching broadcast television. 80% of
Malaysians download or stream videos and over half have an active Youtube account
(myStarjob, 2012).
Focusing on Malaysian online video streaming consumption, ComScore reported in late
2011, there was an almost 20% increase in the average viewing minutes from 2010,
with nearly 9.3 million online video viewers. It is no wonder why broadcasters and
mobile service providers are looking at this pocket of the market share.

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In figure 1 below is the comparison of the top sites visited by Malaysians from 2009 to
2011. In 2009, no online video entities made the list. However in just two years, we see
Vevo (a popular music video site) and the local Media Prima Group listed in the top 10.
Within the entertainment space Youtube and tonton.com.my were also present in the
top 10 spot by early 2012. The Media Prima Group is Malaysia’s only private FTA TV
group, offering local 4 TV channels and tonton.com.my and caters mainly to the Malay
ethnic group, the majority in Malaysia. (Asia Digital Marketing Association 2012, p. 55;
2011, p57; 2010, p 43)
Figure 1
Malaysia’s Top 10 Sites
2009
January 2011
March 2012

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Malaysia’s Top 10 Entertainment Sites
March 2012

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2. Literature Review
2.1. Television Audience in Malaysia
There have been a significant number of books and articles written about television in
Malaysia; from its history by Karthigesu, R. (1994), to trends, technology and the future
of television by Abdul Wahab, J. (2006, 2007), while some have concentrated on the
impact of television content on the audience, such as What’s on Malaysian television? -
A survey on food advertising targeting children by Karupiah, T. et al (2008). Others have
written content-specific studies. An example of this is News Media Credibility of the
Internet and Television by Mehrabi, D. et al (2009). There is also another handful
relating to technology or infrastructure advancements in Malaysia such as
Communication services in Malaysia (Mohd Supa'at, A. et al., 2008).
The study that is most similar to the one that I am embarking on was done in 2011 -
Transformation of Television Broadcasting through Internet: A Study on the Relationship
between Gratification and Youth by Hashim, H. & Omar, B. (2011). Hashim & Omar’s
study concentrates only on youth, firstly by looking at an audience survey on a youth
website called youthsays.com and secondly the actual quantitative research done on
the 100 students of UKM. He credits the selection of his sample to two factors: firstly
that the youth in a university setting are literate and secondly due to the medium being
very new, it is only accessible to a selected few. (Hashim, H. & Omar, B., 2011, p 148 -
151)
The results of the survey show that although the internet is an important medium among
the youth, compared to television or radio, the audience had a great propensity for
visiting social media sites and blogs instead of television portals or Youtube (Hashim, H.
& Omar, B., 2011, p 154 -155). The reason I decided to conduct focus group
discussions as my method of research is to gather a deeper understanding of how and
why people behave the way they do when consuming entertainment, whether on
television or online. Randomly selecting people of different races and age groups,
without considering their social status, is one way of seeing the perceptions that are
being held by urban Malaysians on this digital convergence.

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Like Gillespie who worked on an audience research project involving Southall Punjabi
youths, where she lived and built a rapport among the audience, I hope that because I
am closer to the industry with relevant experiences, my focus and expertise in this area
will help my research (Seiter, E., 1999, p10 – 11).
2.2. Online television: Impact on culture and society
In studying usage, behaviour and consumption habits of online television audiences, it
is also important to look at the possible social impact that technological advancements
may bring upon the audience.
Malaysian television was built upon the foundation of foreign content and programming
due to limitations in local productions at that time. It was a vision by Prime Minister
Tunku Abdul Rahman to gear Malaysia towards modernity. And later, Prime Minister
Tun Mahathir Mohamad allowed internet autonomy with the establishment of the
Multimedia Super Corridor. Both these were important technological developments in
introducing foreign influence to Malaysians.
Ulrich Beck’s theory of modernity questions the ethics and social impact of modernity on
the world and its ways. He believes that with the digital era comes “the process of de-
traditionalisation socially and morally, which generate risks and insecurities in all
aspects of life”. In essence he implicates technological advancements to unforeseen
risks on society (Chalaby J.K. & Segell, G., 1999, p353). Like other modernist theories
Ulrich may have been a tad overzealous, but he did have a point about potential risks
that technology may pose to the fabric of society, especially social and environmental.
In the context of this study, these possible social impacts are noted:
i. Watching television online is now an individual process and no longer a
social/family activity that it used to be.
ii. Urban Malaysians tend to have comparable viewing consumption of foreign
(English, Korean, Japanese etc.) instead of their own vernacular content (Tamil,

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Mandarin, and Malay) and risk becoming a homogenous society, losing the
individual culture.
iii. Health risks are on the rise, as people are generally more stationary these days
spending long hours hunched in front of their device of choice.
Kitley, P. in his analysis of the deregulation of television in Malaysia and Indonesia in
1990 and 1984, respectively, noted that one of the major concerns for both nations was
the loss in cultural control and identity. He quotes Virginia Nightingale, “The relation
between audience and text is productive and interactive, one that produces culture and
always reaches beyond consumption or use to involve.” (Kitley, P., 2001, p.504)
Global agencies such as WSIS are also calling for countries and industry to ensure that
traditions and culture preservation go hand in hand with technological advancements.
These views were expressed by Mr. Francis Gurry, Director-General of WIPO and
Ambassador Janis Karklins, Assistant Director-General for Communication and
Information, UNESCO, in their opening speeches at the WSIS Forum 2012. (WSIS
Forum Outcome Document, 2012, p13).
2.3. Impact of online technology on conventional television
As technology develops, in this case especially internet speed, the online television
desirability will become stronger. The Pew Internet and American Life Project study in
2009 stated that 62% of online users in the US were watching video content. In
Malaysia a 2012 report in The Star noted that 80% of Malaysians online are now
watching video online (myStarjob, 2012). Meanwhile, a report by the Asia Digital
Marketing Association in 2011 referred to a ComScore study that 80% of online users in
Asia Pacific watched online videos on a monthly basis, led by countries like Japan,
Hong Kong and Singapore because of the greater bandwidth these countries enjoy
(Asia Digital Marketing Association 2011, p. 7).
There was more engagement with online video portals via Wi-Fi connectivity, which is
understandable as data charges via mobile can amass a hefty price tag. Although no

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data was collected on time spent, there was a clear indication that viewers are moving
from short videos to watch lengthy content and the audience was more male skewed.
There was an impact of customers cutting back on cable in lieu of online content.
(Madden, M., 2009, p3 -12)
More specific to Malaysian online video portals, Hassan Basri, F. et al. (2011) studied in
detail the online video platform tonton.com.my and regarded it as a television station,
which is seen as a threat to the national television. It attributes the shift in viewing
behaviour from broadcasting to narrowcasting (niche programming) to the industry that
has created targeted content rather than generic, which caused television to be
dedicated to individuals rather than a communal experience. The convenience of
watching what you want anytime, anywhere and speed with content available almost in
real time or just slightly delayed from the source itself is proving to be a popular reason
for why internet TV is booming (Hassan Basri, F. et al., 2011, p. 5-6)
2.4. Gender Wars – who is moving online?
Gender and social status are a common theme across most social science related
audience research. The study of the internet and television convergence is no different.
The common premise in literature on the subject of demographics is that the embracers
of new technology, especially online tend to be educated males. (Jenkins, H., 2006,
p23; Li, S., 2004, p 481; Madden, M. 2009, p. 9)
Seiter, E. argues that males are more inclined to gravitate towards new technology
compared to females because of the unequal distribution of leisure and home work
between the genders. Just over a decade ago, there were concerns with inequality of
gender, class and race in accessing the internet. The gap is narrowing but inequalities
are still very much existent even for online television viewing (Seiter, E., 1999, p. 5,
p.115).
This is further enforced with data which shows a similar trend in Asia Pacific. The
percentage of internet users who are male vs. female in the Asia Pacific region is about

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60:40 and 56% of those accessing the internet today have tertiary education (Asia
Digital Marketing Association 2012, p. 6).
In Malaysia, however, the trend is the opposite to that of the Asia Pacific, as the ratio
between male and female is 40:60 instead. And with the broadband penetration rate
reaching almost 75% by 2015 (Asia Digital Marketing Association 2012, p. 54), this is an
important indicator of how the online space will soon be a place that provides a lot
more, in Malaysia at least. The question to ask would be, what so audiences perceive
the future of television viewing to be like?
2.5. Cannibalisation of television
Cha, J. and Chan-Olmsted, S. (2012) concentrated on cannibalization and the
substitution of online video and television. Based on user gratification theory, which in
essence means as new technology emerges and if it satisfies the needs of the
audience, it is natural for the audience to replace the old technology with the new one.
This has been demonstrated time and again, from television, to videos to VCDs then
DVDs and now online.
The prime motivation for people to watch television and surf the internet was very
similar: for relaxation, entertainment and information. But arguably the internet has a lot
more functions and offerings than television, and cannot be directly compared to each
other. The study aims to concentrate on the displacing effect of the new medium to the
old rather than the transition from television to the internet. The study did not delve into
the content of the different mediums, as the aim was more to study the cannibalization
of the mediums rather than the motivation that caused the cannibalization (Cha, J. &
Chan-Olmsted, S., 2012, p 263 -264).
My take on their study is to see if I can learn from the Malaysian focus groups and if in
fact there is a cannibalization of traditional methods of broadcasting in Malaysia caused
by the digital advancements. Also, will the consumer cut back on their cable/satellite

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spending with the growth of online video content? This more recent study confirms by
projection that over 80% of Americans are now watching television online.
Closer to home, a study was done to identify the impact of internet connectedness to
the media consumption habits of adolescents in East Asia. Because of the high level of
internet connectivity in parts of East Asia such as Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and
Singapore, the communication practices are very different from the rest of the world as
well as much more advanced compared to the rest of Asia. They refer to a 2002 study
in Singapore, which reflected a direct correlation in the drop of television consumption
versus the increase of internet consumption (Jung, J. et al., 2012, p. 971-972).
Their study found that adolescents who used the internet for entertainment and
communication purposes have a closer affiliation with the television, and both mediums
co-exist (Jung, J. et al., 2012, p. 980).
“It is almost impossible to consider what types of online activities are displacing or
complementing older media use when the time spent on media is the exclusive
measurement” (Jung et al., 2001; Moy et al., 1999)
The ComScore report referred to earlier also showed that Malaysians do spend more
time online instead of in front of the television. However, taking into consideration the
above statement, this study gives me another angle to explore in detail at my focus
group. It enables me to ask whether television is being displaced by the internet, or is
the internet a mere extension of the entertainment available on television. In the case of
Malaysia I would argue for the latter as the experience of watching television is still
paramount to what is available online, the quality and bandwidth is not yet sufficient to
replace television with online television just as yet.
Li, S. (2004), looked at the adoption of interactive cable television in Taiwan and
analyses it through Rogers, M.’s 1995 theory “Diffusion of Innovation”, which is very
relatable as it looks at the embracing of technology from the point of innovation, where
experiences of a previous cluster of interrelated technology influences the use and
adoption of similar future technology. The relation of different members of society that
take up a new technology based on demographics, usage, access and personality i.e.

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people use technologies which fulfil their need (Li, S., 2004, p. 472-474). For an
example, from the focus group results we notice that the youth are embracing online
television because of the gaps that were present in their previous experiences with the
television like scheduled content that conflicted with their other leisure, or competing
with the siblings over the remote. The introduction of an individualised platform which
gave them control over their time and what to watch, it fulfilled their need for the same
desires but with updated technology.
Li focuses on demonstrating the correlation of demographics to the adoption of new
technology, i.e. younger, affluent audiences were inclined to embrace newer
technological advancement. I agree with Li’s findings which show that the
psychographic attributes of a person are very important in being an early adopter i.e.
age, income, and level of education determines and differentiates between those who
take on a technology early (as its introduced) or later (after it has been proven efficient
and becomes more popular). Many researchers have discovered the same. (Li, S.,
2004, p. 480-482)
Although pay-tv broadcasters used the internet as a brand extension, promoting
fandom, loyalty, sampling and a tool to attract new audiences, it may be this very drive
to capture audiences online, cannibalizing and encouraging churn. Possibly because of
the lag in internet speed and technology, audiences regarded the internet as an
extension of television rather than a replacement at the moment.
A study by Ha, L. and Chan-Olmsted, S. (2004) paint a very different picture of the
online extension of television, which is possibly influenced by the dot com crash in the
early 2000s. They demonstrate how cable companies who had invested on internet
operations had to shut down. They examined a crucial area of audience cross media
usage behaviour and preference of online content vs. television content. It
demonstrates that the web is used by cable companies to further enhance the television
viewing experience, and that it’s complementary rather than an alternative. However,
recent years have seen a tremendous growth in the technology that empowers the new
medium the web is no longer a source of information that drive audiences back to the

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television, but it is now the source of the television content itself. (Ha, L. and Chan-
Olmsted, S., 2004, pg. 621 - 622).
Internet seen merely as an interactive extension instead of an alternative to viewing is
an interesting concept and one that I will explore in my focus group. How did the
audience first start interacting with and watching television online? Was it a progressive
growth from visiting the program or television website for information about the program
or did they get involved only after content was readily available to watch?
The notion of brand building by the television network that was put forth in Ha & Chan-
Olmsted’s 2004 study, may not be as applicable here if we refer it against Hassan Basri,
F. et al (2011), who argue that it is the niche content and type of program that attracts
the audience and not the network. Their argument is more contemporary as the
technology has advanced, certain video/television sites are no longer a platform for
program extension but they are the source of original programming, consumed only via
the online platform, such as Youtube channels or the recent Malaysian introduction of
Maxmantv.com.
Similarly, with online television, another area that can be discussed in the focus group is
if the audience is loyal to a particular website because of the type or content or would
they switch sites to find a genre of program that they are interested in.
Although I never had the intention of looking at how technological advancements such
as online television have changed the way a family interacts with one another, I now
feel that it should be discussed as an important part of the focus group. Kayany and
Paul’s study on the displacement effects looks not only at the impact of the new medium
vs. the traditional medium (functional displacement), but also its effect on interpersonal
and family communication time (time displacement) (M. Kayany, J. and Yelsma, P.,
2000, p.227-228). Seiter, E. also has a similar argument where she quotes Kling, 1996
“as personal computers at home increases, there are blurred boundaries between work,
play, public and private space”. (Seiter, E., 1999, p116)
In analysing the result of the survey, they indicated that further study can be undertaken
concentrating on the impact of online media on family communication, relations and

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roles especially in Malaysia where there is still much importance placed on domestic
relationships and the family unit. With the difference in age groups of the focus groups
that are being held, it would be interesting to see how different is the opinion of the Gen
Y with the Gen X/Baby Boomers.
Ferguson, D. and Perse, E. (2000) adopted the uses and gratification framework in their
study on whether online web surfing is impacting the television viewing and if the
website is a functional alternative to television. They refer to Stephenson’s “play theory”,
where a communication medium used voluntarily is only enjoyable only as long as it’s
entertaining. Since the television provides for user gratification as it’s a source of
entertainment, Ferguson and Perse believe that the website can replace television if it
provides the same entertainment with as much ease. The web is able to potentially do
much more as its interactive and provides a diverse selection of entertainment sources
compared to the one-way streamed television (Ferguson, D. and Perse, E., 2000,
p.169).
In this instance, I believe that they are right, but the technology to provide the same
quality and speed of service as the television broadcasters in Malaysia, is still a long
way to come. Instead I believe that it will be the television broadcasters that will invest in
this technology to provide customers more than just an extension of the television. That
is when the true purpose of online television will be realized. Another question to ponder
on in the focus group discussion is, if the internet providers are able to emulate the
exact same television viewing experience would the audience give up television?
Jenkins, H. (2006) explains that media convergence is driven firstly by the constantly
consolidated technological functions of mediums and secondly, more importantly due to
“collective intelligence” which is the nature in which consumers collect, combine and
consume knowledge and information today (Jenkins, H., 2006, p 3 - 4). He says
“Convergence involves both a change in the way media is produced and a change in
the way media is consumed” (Jenkins, H., 2006, p 17). Looking at this statement more
holistically, it is easily translated that the convergence is part of the technological
ecology; it is an evolutionary process where technologies are combined to present it
better and make it more convenient for audiences to benefit.

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The most interesting part for me is that Jenkins concludes by saying that the biggest
shift involves audiences moving from individualized/personalized consumption to
community based consumption (Jenkins, H., 2006, p 244). However many researchers
are arguing the opposite, that the convergence of this old and new media has created
niche programming, to suit certain audiences. In my opinion, I see humans as social
beings and they can never enjoy something in solitude, especially entertainment which
is very much motivated by a community. As such I see people just replacing the type of
community that they previously enjoyed television viewing with from watching it as a
family unit to experiencing it among a group of peers that share the same interest.

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3. Methodology
3.1 Introduction
In order to learn if there is indeed a paradigm shift in Malaysian television consumption
habits, this exploratory study will use the qualitative method of focus group discussion.
The aim of this contemporary research is to capture the potentially diverse perspectives
of the urban Malaysian audience within the context of Traditional and Online TV
viewing. I fully understand that research related to technology can become quickly
outdated, but it will provide a basis for the current view of the broadcasting technology,
from the internet and its impact on the Malaysian audience today. Focus group
discussions are ideal to determine today’s common themes and trends, from the
perspective of the actual user in depth and breadth.
This research identifies with the “Media Centric Theory” which concentrates on the
impact of mass media on society. McQuail’s media theory dimensions are:
i. Media-culturalist, which concentrates on the content of media, its reception
and influence on the culture.
ii. Media-materialist, focuses on the media industry, regulation and technology
iii. Socio-culturalist, stresses the influence of media on society
iv. Social-materialist, is linked to control of media ownership and its influence on
society
My approach fits within two of his perspectives. Firstly, the audience part of this
research looks at a “social-culturist perspective”, which highlights the influence of social
factors on the media and the impact of media on society. And secondly the “media-
materialist approach” focuses on the media structure and technology, the shifts in the
delivery method of the communication technology, which will impact the society, rather
than the impact of content of the material that is delivered. (McQuail, D., 2000, p7)

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In this research I will take on the qualitative approach by conducting Focus Group
Discussions to delve into the psyche of television consumption by Malaysians. I will
compare and contrast traditional and modern viewing habits.
In an analysis by Lunt & Livingstone (1996) on focus groups, they refer to renowned
psychologist Serge Moscovici’s views that social representations are garnered through
day to day conversations rather than an intellectual thinking process. As such focus
groups provide significant insight to the everyday norm of ordinary people (Lunt, P. &
Livingstone, S., 1996, p.10).
3.1.1 Justification – Why Focus Group Discussion?
Prior to settling on focus group discussions as my method, two other approaches were
explored - face to face interviews and questionnaires. However, both these methods
would have provided silo responses. The former may have allowed for extension in
discussion but the latter would have had to be formulated with sufficient knowledge
about the topic being discussed so that it can be structured to ask the right questions. If
this was a major thesis, the approach of questionnaires would have been taken after
analysing the focus group results and gathering the key messages and trends to test if
they are the same among a larger group of audience members to determine if indeed
there was a certain trend.
In studying various audience research literature related to habits, consumption or
technology it was apparent that the majority of them were conducted via survey
questionnaires, or face to face interviews. (Ha, L. and Chan-Olmsted, S., (2004); M.
Kayany, J. and Yelsma, P. (2000); Li, S. (2004); Cha, J. and Chan-Olmsted, S. (2012).
The two studies about Malaysian television audiences, which share similarities with this
project aimed to study the influence of television on society or the industry. The first one
called “Negotiating Cultural Practices: Consumption of Tamil Television Serials among
Indian Youth in Malaysia” was a study on how drama serials from India had an impact
on the Indian society in Malaysia by Prasad and Balraj et al. (2005). The second one

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was focused on the television industry and is entitled “The Survival of Malaysia’s
National Television within a Changing Mediascape”, written by Hassan Basri, F. et al.
(2011). This study examines the audience’s reaction to the survival of RTM1 with new
broadcasters being introduced in the Malaysian media sphere. Both studies provide
profound insight into the audience’s perceptions, emotions and thoughts, areas I am
also interested in exploring.
Although focus groups are ideal for providing depth of information and insights on
audience experience, one concern that is raised about such an approach is that the
participants may not be able to fully express themselves in the focus group
environment. This was one of my main concerns, especially with Malaysians who tend
to be more reserved about stating their thoughts and opinions in the open. Another
issue that came to mind was how well the respondents will be able to articulate their
thoughts if language may be a barrier as most Malaysians are generally bi-lingual, but
not necessary an expert in either of their languages.
As such, in conducting the focus groups, I made the participants feel comfortable by
having an ice breaking exercise and in certain instances injected some humour into the
group. The respondents, who were initially a little reserved, definitely opened up more
as the session progressed.
As for language skills, fortunately the respondents for both focus groups could speak
English fairly well. I also made sure that I used simple and easy to understand terms
and managed to probe further if the answers were not clear.
The results were analysed to take into consideration the differences and similarities in
opinion of each person and the entire group for both sessions as well as common
themes across the sessions. It was interesting to note how the discussions encouraged
ideas and opinions that did not stem from the initial questions but were added when
raised by other parties. This trigger led to additional and more detailed information being
provided as a result.

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3.1.2 Instrument of the Focus Group - Discussion Guide
To assist and direct the focus group discussion a guide was designed to provide
structure to the session. The guide included different sections to learn about the
experiences that each respondent had when viewing programmes on conventional
television and online television. The aim was to draw out as much information as
possible on the viewing experience, rather than the programmes.
The discussion guide was divided into four parts:
i. Respondents’ television viewing history, how it transitioned from childhood till
now;
ii. Current entertainment source and viewing habits online;
iii. What is their perception of the future of online television and what they would
wish for it to be;
iv. General perceptions of what the respondents thought of the online television
viewing behaviour of their peers or family members. If indeed there is a shift to
more personalised behaviour rather than a family oriented activity and what the
respondents think the future holds.
The focus group sessions lasted two hours and the questions in the guide were
discussed at sufficient length and completed within the time allocated for both sessions.
3.1.3 Respondents and Group Size
The focus was targeted specifically towards a group of urban Malaysians of various
ages in order to understand how the different groups of people consume internet
television on screens such as computers, mobile phones and tablets.
At the initial planning stages a larger group size containing a range of age groups, racial
profiles and genders was proposed. But at the point of recruiting, the majority of people
who were interested in participating were youths aged in their 20s. The older
participants were introduced by the younger ones. Due to the limitation of time, budget
and the lack of participants, the focus group was finally conducted in two sessions with
five to six participants in each group. The groups were well distributed with fair

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representation of both male and female, as well as a good mix of the main Malaysian
ethnicities – Malay, Chinese and Indians.
Here is how the groups were broken down:
Group 1 Group 2
18 May 2013 (Sat ) 19 May 2013 (Sun)
Number of respondents 5 6
Age Group 20 - 40 20 - 40
Gender (3) Male, (2) Female (3) Male, (3) Female
Pre-requisite
 Malaysians.
 Like to watch Television either on TV or online.
 Must have watched TV online at least once.
 Urban dwellers.
 Must be able to converse in English or Malay.
A small stipend of RM50 as a token of appreciation was provided to pay for
transportation to the venue, which was the university. The sessions were recorded with
the permission of the respondents, and the report is written to analyse the outcomes
based on different groups answering similar questions.
3.1.4 Ethical considerations
In order to ensure appropriate measures were taken to maintain respondents’
confidentiality, an ethics application detailing the recruitment process of the respondents
and collection of data was approved by the ethics committee prior to the research being
undertaken.
The focus groups were held in a conducive and comfortable environment in a classroom
of the University on a Saturday to ensure that the respondents were not unnecessarily
troubled. The respondents were recruited through an online classified site to ensure
randomness in the selection. My initial idea was to recruit through the university which
would have isolated the audience to a certain group i.e. relatively intelligent and upper
middle class, which is the profile of Monash University’s students. Advertising on an
online classifieds site meant that the types of people who would have been applying

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would be random. However the profile of the respondents that I received were rather
young so I asked them to bring along an older acquaintance and had only 3 older (aged
>30) respondents in the group.
Participants were assured that the information collected would be kept private and
confidential. An email was sent to the interested parties with general information about
the focus group and research topic; an explanatory statement form and a consent form
were attached to ensure that respondents were clear about their rights.
On a secondary level, there was the possible risk of a slight conflict of interest or
potential breach of my employer’s privacy due to my nature of employment, as I work in
the product management division of a large satellite broadcaster in Malaysia. Due to the
non-disclosure agreement signed at the start of employment, I did not refer to any
company owned data, using only information that is public knowledge in this research.
3.1.5 Questions Discussed
A. Viewing History
i. Please recall your early memories of watching television and tell me about
your experience.
ii. Why did you like to watch TV in the days before online television became
popular? What was your biggest motivation?
iii. What did you watch on TV? Name a few of your favourite programmes or
channels and explain why they were your favourites.
iv. What type of television did you own and how many sets were there at home?
v. How did you watch TV as a family? How did everyone behave? Who decided
what to watch during primetime?
vi. Did you discuss your favourite shows with your peers/family/friends?
vii. When you thought about the programmes that you missed, how did you feel?
What did you do about it?
viii. What was your favourite TV viewing time?
ix. How many hours did you spend watching television?

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x. Do you think television influenced any part of your life?
B. Current Viewing Habits
i. What do you think has changed, from how you watch TV before and now?
ii. Has online television replaced your traditional TV viewing? Why?
iii. What would motivate you to watch online television now instead of
conventional television?
iv. Content;
a. What do you watch?
b. Which sites? Local? Foreign – where?
c. Why do you watch this?
v. Technology;
a. Device – how do you watch it?
b. Connection - Home Wi-Fi or public or school or work?
c. Which format - Streaming or downloads?
vi. Consider your family. How do you watch TV today differently to how you
watched it when you were young?
vii. Do you discuss what you watch online? With whom and how?
viii. If you miss a programme today, what do you do?
ix. What is your favourite time to view television?
x. How many hours do you spend watching it?
xi. Do you think watching online programmes is influencing any part of your life?
C. Future
i. How do you think people will watch programmes in the future?
ii. How would you watch programmes in the future? What would be your
fantasy?
iii. Which technologies related to entertainment are you looking for in the near
future?

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D. General comparisons
i. What types of programmes would you prefer to watch online via your mobile
device and what types of programmes would you prefer to watch on
conventional television?
ii. Social aspects – tell me about your peers’, friends’ or relatives’ (observed)
behaviour.
iii. Does watching television online bring people together or make them feel
isolated?
iv. Do you think people’s culture and identity are at risk with the influence of
entertainment from all over the world?
v. Do you think age, social status/class or gender influences a person’s online
television behaviour?

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4. Focus Group Results and Discussion
The focus group questions were divided into three main parts to best structure the
conversation and thinking process of the respondents so that they were able to
differentiate and make a comparison of how their television viewing habits have evolved
from when they were young to now and what they think the future of television will be
like.
4.1 Personal history of conventional television viewing
Respondents were asked to recall their early memories and experiences of watching
television. Depending on each respondent’s age group they had very different things to
say about their earliest memories of childhood. Some were more active outside and
watched only selected programmed, while others were more obsessed by television,
even eating and brushing their teeth in the living room. A majority of the respondents
recalled the evening time where the family came together to spend time watching prime
time programmes.
The most prominent factor that emerged from this section of the focus group was that
television viewing was a very scheduled behaviour. It was watched at specific times -
there was time to play, time to study and there was time to watch certain programmes.
The male respondents were more inclined to play outside, while the female more
susceptible to watching more TV.
Schedules mattered a lot because programmes were only available during certain times
of the day. Early evening from 4pm onwards became synonymous with cartoons, while
8pm was when news was broadcast on all channels and the 9pm prime time was mainly
watched as a family because it was when all the good new programmes were aired.
“Most of the time my whole family sat together in the living room, everyone took
their place on the sofa. My dad would mostly pick the channels, and he would
often pick news after which my mom will decide what to watch and she would

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pick dramas and we would discuss the storyline. Parents always decided what to
watch” – CS, Male, 22
“During my childhood, my dad decided after he came back from work at night. My
mom on the other hand would allow us to watch what we want. I was influenced
by my mom into watching soap operas like Dallas and Peyton Place, so there
were no arguments because everyone watched the same thing as channels were
limited. In those times, it was parents say and children listen.” - SD, Female, 41
Some respondents recalled the television being black and white, and they were in an
era which transitioned from black and white to colour television. While all the younger
respondents were born with colour television at home, some of them even recalled
having cable television available during their early memory.
All the respondents were equally intrigued by the television and loved to watch it as
young children. Their memories were filled with colour, fun, and excitement. Most
importantly they recalled television time as being family time.
The motivation to watch television as a young child was that it was a source of escape
from the ordinary daily life. There was nothing much to do, no other distractions
available at that time, so everyone surrounded the television for their daily dose of
entertainment. It was where they learnt new things, sang songs, danced and imitated
their favourite characters.
“For me TV was a run away from the boring mundane life, it took you to another
world, a world full of imagination” - SD, Female, 41
The first programmes that everyone recalled watching as kids were cartoons. However,
depending on the age group of the respondents, the cartoons evolved from Mickey
Mouse and Tom and Jerry in the 1960s to Dragonball and Power Rangers in the 1990s.
The viewing patterns changed as age caught up. The males who were more inclined to
watch action cartoons, now started to watch Sports like Football, WWE, documentaries
or martial arts movies like Jackie Chan, while the females tended to move from cartoons
to drama serials and sitcoms like Dallas, Nanny to Hong Kong and Japanese dramas

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and Spanish Telenovelas. Still, timing played a big part of what they watched, because
the free to air television was scheduled to show the programmes at set hours.
“What I watched depended on my mood, when I felt like learning something I
would turn to the National Geographic. Particularly loved the 9pm slots on TV3
where National Geographic was shown. On weekends I also enjoyed the
morning slots to watch cartoons. When I was young there were very limited
computer games or other entertainment, so during the free time in between study
we watched TV.” - LW, Male, 26
Most respondents remembered owning only one television set, the older respondents
recalled their first TVs to be in Black and White then moving to colour, while the younger
respondents recollected that their TV sets were in colour from the time they were young.
A rather pertinent question within this section was how the respondents watched
television when they were young and who selected what to watch. There was a very
clear distinction of how this behaviour has changed between the eras of conventional
television where everything was more family-centric to current online viewing which is
more individualistic. We will discuss the latter in detail in the next section about online
viewing.
Most of the respondents recalled that the family watched television together during
prime time and the choice of what to watch was always made by the father or mother.
The children just listened. No one really had differences in opinion on what to watch as
everyone shared common interests and watched the same stuff. This was also caused
by the limited number of channels and programme selection available at that time. Only
one respondent mentioned renting video tapes of drama series, which were also
watched as a family.
Outside the household television programmes were an important discussion point
among peers, family and friends. The females were more smitten by the drama plots,
lead actors and romance, while the boys had discussions about the sports action and
their favourite sports icons or teams, especially WWE and football. Some of the older
respondents did not discuss the programmes as for them television was just a pass time

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entertainment. The younger respondents were more engaged with friends at school,
and what they watched was also influenced by friends’ recommendations. This hasn’t
changed much with online viewing as well. Only that the recommendations are now
done via Facebook.
Due to the limited channels and technology, missing programmes before the internet
became a worldwide phenomenon was very difficult, as there was no other avenue to
access the programmes elsewhere. So audiences had to be creative on how they
caught up on what they missed. Respondents when posed the question on how they
would react when they missed a programme in the past mostly spoke to their friends
about the episode that they missed. The older respondents didn’t really mind that they
missed an episode and would catch up in the next episode, while the younger ones
were more inclined to do something about finding out, from reading synopsis of the day
in the newspapers, to looking for VCDs of the programmes they missed.
“I would go to the newspaper entertainment section to read the synopsis of the
day or I would go to school and ask my friends the next day” – YJ, Female, 22
“I would ask my friends to tell me about what I missed and I would leave the rest
to my imagination” – CS, Male, 22
When asked about favourite viewing time of the day and how many hours were spent
watching television, the respondents had very different experiences depending on the
household. 5pm appears to be a favourite for most of them because it was when the
cartoons came on. For respondents with siblings or large household, they enjoyed
watching television when no one was at home to fight over the remote control; this was
mainly during school hours which would have been divided into morning and evening
sessions. Almost all of them turned on the television as soon as they got back from
school. Most of the respondents in the group also watched television from up to 4 to 8
hours a day. Television was obviously watched much more on weekends compared to
weekdays, up to 8 hours or more.
“I watched television in the afternoon when no one was going to snatch away the
television from me. I watched from about lunch time to dinner time. I sometimes

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did my homework in front of the television. Many of the youngsters share this
experience of watching television and doing homework at the same time. My
favourite time was from 2pm to 7pm.” – MC, Male, 20
The question about influences of television was most discussed. Among the
respondents, while there were some commonalities, there were also very diverse
responses of how television shaped or influenced each respondent’s life. Almost half of
them pointed out that it was television that helped them improve or learn a new
language/dialect. The languages that were stated varied from English, Cantonese,
Tamil, Spanish and Malay, which was picked up by watching the programmes and
having subtitles accompanying programmes.
A quarter of the respondents blamed their weak eye-sight, poor results at school and
change of habits such as sleeping late to watching too much television as young kids.
While watching television helped some respondents to build their self-confidence, it
taught others to differentiate the good from bad. Television was seen as a source of
knowledge, especially to the younger respondents who were exposed to more
documentary programmes and channels such as Discovery Channel or National
Geographic.
“Watching shows and documentaries featuring other countries and cultures made
me appreciate what we have. I was always amazed that the things I watched
were real. Yes it influences the way I think. I know that the world is a much bigger
place than my own surroundings. It got me asking questions throughout my life
why are people different. It created a spark that got me thinking about why the
world is the way it is.” – LW, Male, 26.
Television in the early days was also seen as a tool that brought cultures together.
Because channels were limited, respondents ended up watching anything that was on
air. So it was common to find an Indian household watching Chinese Dramas or Tele-
novelas and for the Chinese to watch a Tamil Drama. Everything had Malay subtitling
on it. This has vastly changed in today’s context with the introduction of vernacular

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channels rather than vernacular belts on one channel, the viewers have become
segregated by their language preference.
The respondents recalled that every festive season most welcomed, because it was
when the latest and more exciting programmes were aired, from the latest Kungfu
movies during Chinese New Year to the latest English movies or Concerts for Xmas and
New Year.
“The programmes those days were also more ‘kosher’; they revolved around
friendships and not as much love and romance like today. Because the channels
were limited and there was not much choice on what to watch, so we watched
what was on and became interested in it. There was more harmony and
Malaysian spirit on television then. During the festive season, the stations
constantly advertised the special movies and programmes that were on, and I
don’t notice this anymore. And the movies before were themed according to
festivals, these days you see Christmas movies being played for Chinese New
Year. - TS, Male, 32
For some of the respondents, the knowledge from television inspired them to pursue
certain interests from the sciences to adopting healthier lifestyles. A large number of
respondents were aware and attributed that television helped them shape their lives and
that the television programmes were more positive and knowledgeable then what is
available today.
“My friends looked up to me as an informative person because I like to find out
and learn about science and technology stuff. I was better informed than the rest
of my friends because of television. I also found out about stuff earlier than the
rest of my friends. Television helped be build my confidence, I was shy boy till
age of 14 then I started to watch late night television, particularly this programme
on Hitz.fm, which had a chat room. After I started to chat with other people it built
my confidence to be more open. Another key influence was being more health
conscious because of the documentaries I saw about healthy food from
Discovery Channels. I stopped eating fast food; I don’t take medicine or go to the

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hospital or clinic since I am 13. I have also asked my mom not to include MSG in
her cooking.” – MH, Male, 22
“For me television is all about experience and I envy the experience of those who
are over 30s as they got to watch television in black and white and were present
in the era where television transitioned from black and white to colour. Kids these
days have everything, they can watch what they want through their iPads and
they will never go through the experiences of those in the past as such they won’t
appreciate what they have. During the olden days television was a luxury even
the black and white television was appreciated. Without television we used to run
around and play, we only used only then sit in front of the television when our
favourite programmes were on. I feel these were the experience that shaped our
lives.” – MC, Male, 20
In my observation, I notice that the television was previously seen as a centre of the
household entertainment. It brought families and cultures together and was seen as a
positive source of knowledge and information. All the respondents reminiscing about
their childhood only had great things to say about how television was then. It served a
purpose to entertain and give people hope to escape into a world of imagination.
4.2 Television today: Conventional vs. Online
Moving forward to the way television is viewed today, a few main themes were derived
from this section including, firstly, that schedules no longer exist or matter. Although
there is less importance placed on the television, quality of viewing is still the most
important thing when watching television this is especially apparent with programmes
such as movies or shows in HD or 3D quality or Sports. Online television is still seen as
an alternative to most of the respondents and it is not the only thing to impact the
conventional television since there are a lot more entertaining distractions in the modern
world like games and social media.

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The first question posed was how the respondents thought television has changed from
before to what we have now.
“The technology has progressed on quite a bit, I have moved from television to
games. I watch much less television now; in fact I use the television screen now
to play computer games. I only watch selected programmes on TV like football.”
– MC, Male, 20
Almost all the respondents attributed one of the biggest changes in television viewing to
the availability of online television. It provides an easy way to access a multitude of
content that is available online for free. Scheduling flexibility was another important
factor that has caused the popularity of online television. One no longer has to wait for
their favourite programmes to air and they can now watch what they want, when they
want online. With the progressive television technology there is also availability of the
personal video recorders, where programmes can be recorded at set times even from
remote locations and avenues to catch programmes on mobile devices and tablet, so
that the audience can also watch on the move.
“Last time we had to wait for our favourite television slot to start. Now you don’t
have to wait for a movie to be on, you just, download and watch it at your free
time. Plus there is also recording functions on decoders, where you can record
and watch it when in your free time. You no longer miss movies, as it’s your time
and your preference and your choice of movie. These days if my family is
watching the TV, I just go onto my laptop and watch what I want to while waiting
for my turn to take the remote. Sometimes I multitask and watch stuff on my
laptop and television at the same time.” – AK, Female, 38
Watching programmes on the laptop, downloading and streaming were commonly used
terminology when discussing television today. Besides the internet, respondents have
indicated other distractions such as video games, school and work have also been
attributed to the reduction in watching television compared to their childhood days.
Although it looked like there was a huge selection of content available online and on
television with hundreds of channels, most respondents felt that either the programming

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was too niche and only attracted certain groups of people or there was nothing much to
watch these days.
Half of the respondents in the first group specifically made reference to the reduced
family time and family interaction and an increase in individualistic behaviour of
watching television these days. They believe that it is due to the niche programmes and
genres that attract personalised viewing rather than previously where content on the
television appealed to the masses.
Another discussion lead to a conclusion that because of the range of channels and
programmes available now, people get distracted when channel surfing during an ad
break and end up watching something else, not completing what they started to watch
in the first place.
With the emergence of subscription television the notion of television costing money
and free content available online was only brought up when discussing television in the
present moment. Money or cost were never flagged as an issue when the respondents
discussed television in the past.
“Plus there are other sources of content like QVOD from China, PPTV, you can
download anything you like although it’s pirated, all the US dramas and the latest
movies are available on these sites and you don’t have to pay for it.” – YJ,
Female, 22
“For example Netflix is a pay per view programme provider and you don’t have to
spend like RM30 for one show at the cinemas, but you can enjoy it at home via
your laptop when you want. It is more flexible.” – CS, Male, 22
Television is still a social event, but it has moved from being a social time with the family
to being a social point of discussion with friends. The male respondents constantly
talked about watching football with friends at the local “mamak”, while the female
respondents spoke about either discussing the programmes with their friends or
sometimes watching commonly liked programmes together.

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Only the oldest respondent said that television has become more addictive now than it
ever was because of the diverse selection of programmes, while another respondent
thought there is more tension and arguments at home now that there is so much more
choice than before.
Again we discussed motivations for watching television but here the question was
posed in the context of online television.
The main points derived in discussion of his question was that programmes online are
the most up to date, there was a wide selection and types of programmes available. It
was convenient to watch as it was available at any time of the day, it was commercial
free which means a shorter duration to complete an episode and most importantly it was
available for free.
Other motivations for watching programmes online included being up to date, to keep
up with peers or that it is an alternative when the television is occupied.
“For me it’s the availability of multiple episodes of a particular series in one go.
On the television may have to wait a week before another episode appears, but
online I can watch the episodes on a back to back marathon, its advertisement
free and I can pause and resume anytime I want to. Because of my long working
hours and evening study classes I tend to miss some of the programmes that are
played earlier in the day on television, with online I can choose when to watch
and I won’t miss the storyline much because it’s back to back.” – AK, Female, 38
“It is always the latest information and the latest shows available online, there are
no reruns. In my group of peers everyone discusses the latest and up to date
stuff like fashion. If you want to stay up to date and informed, you cannot rely on
the local television as it’s outdated. There is also more choice available online.
At home, my parents are not internet savvy and still rely on TV, but because I
can get everything online, I don’t have to wait my turn to watch it.” – CS, Male, 22
Discussing more in-depth about the programmes that the respondents watched, there
were various examples of international programming genres. The common theme

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across all respondents was that it was the latest content available or that the
programme genre or movie is not shown in Malaysia. The types of programmes
watched online included music videos, drama series, sitcoms, live sports and movies,
the latter four not very different from what was being watched on television. Music
videos on the other hand depended on the music preference of the individual. There
were also more instances of respondents watching short videos that were
recommended by friends through social media sites like Facebook. Content watched
was mainly sourced from the US, Korea, Japan, China and India.
“I watch movies that are not available on the TV especially teen movies starring
Hillary Duff or Lindsey Lohan and we can rarely get it on Malaysian TV. I watch
them on Youtube because it now has full length movies rather than just clips or in
part before. Sometimes I also download movies and watch.” AF, Female, 23.
“I watch movies and music videos to see what type of latest music is available
out there. I watch it on Youtube and also various movie sites. I like that some
video on Youtube are in HD quality. I like to watch high quality videos with similar
quality on DVDs and for music online it is the stuff that is not yet available in
Malaysia. Music on television is general and appeals to all, I like to listen to a
certain type of music and can find that online. Although there is some aspect of
piracy watching stuff online, I don’t download, I only stream because the internet
speed in Malaysia is good enough to watch stuff streaming.” – LW, Male, 26
“I watch movies and music videos, used to watch football online as well when I
was studying. I like to also watch cooking shows online like on Food Network
Channel or on Youtube. For football matches I just Google a particular match that
is playing at that time and will click on one of the many links available for live
streaming. I watch it online because I don’t want to go out to the Mamak. As for
the music videos, the genre that I like cannot be broadcasted on local TV and for
movies I just download it.” – MH, Male, 22
The discussion next focused on the sites that were frequented, technology and devices
used to access the programmes as well as internet access and viewing format

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preferences. The sites selected included popular ones across all respondents like You
Tube, Daily Motion and some country specific ones like Desi Tashan or Telly Nageri
from India and QVOD from China. The only Malaysian sites mentioned in the entire
focus group were tonton.com.my and local news sites that feature videos such as New
Straits Times or The Sun.
As for the type of devices used computers such as desk tops or lap tops, tablets and
smart phones were listed as the respondents’ main preferences. A couple of
respondents who valued the quality of the viewing experience admitted to hooking up
the computer to the home television for a bigger screen viewing. These were also the
same respondents that were interested in downloading material of a higher quality like
HD.
The home broadband connection was most commonly used among all respondents,
followed by school or public Wi-Fi. There was only one mention of 3G access, but it was
used as a last resort because it was expensive to use in large amounts. The format of
the programmes watched were either streamed or downloaded.
Comparing how different television viewing has become today versus their younger
days, the respondents agreed that the focus was now more on individual viewing, rather
than family time. Everyone, including some parents in their households had started to
watch programmes online. While children were inclined to watch programmes on their
devices at a very young age, most elders in the household still preferred the television
screen as they were not as technologically savvy.
Some of the respondents were inclined to multi-task - to watch a programme on the
laptop, while sitting in the living room with the television switched on, while others would
prefer to watch alone in their rooms. One respondent would sometimes invite his
parents to join him to watch an interesting programme on his laptop.
“My dad sometimes watches TV, but also streams online and watches stuff on
his phone. Everyone goes into their room to watch stuff on their laptop no one
sits in the living room anymore.” – YJ, Female, 22

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“My parents only watch TV but if it’s interesting I will recommend them a
programme and they will join me in my room to watch it on my laptop. I may join
my parents in the living room only for news. My sister on the other hand will
always be in the room watching her stuff on the laptop.” CS, Male, 22
When it comes to discussing programmes, with the emergence of the internet this is
now done more frequently on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Most
videos have managed to become popular overnight because of how they spread like
wild fire with people sharing on the social media sites. All the respondents agreed that
they have shared or recommended a video they liked online though social media at
some point. However most of them still continue to discuss programmes that they
watched online with their friends and family face to face.
“Yes we discuss online programmes as well, especially when someone sees
something interesting and posts it online, then everyone has to say something to
say about it.” KT, Male, 24.
“For me it depends on the type of programmes, I will talk about different things
with different people. For movies I will discuss it with my friends face to face, right
now I am into “Parkour”, if there is a new video available I will share and discuss
with my friends online and when it comes about cooking I will speak to my mom
about it.” – MH, Male, 22
There was no longer fear and disappointment when missing a programme in today’s
age and time, all the respondents were very confident that they were going to be able to
find what they missed online as there are many sites offering programmes online. Some
respondents mention that there is an increased amount of repeated programming on
Astro so catching up is not difficult even on television these days, while others mention
the Astro PVR technology that enables you to record a programme so you won’t miss it.
The two older respondents who previously said that it doesn’t matter if they had missed
a programme also ended up now catching the programmes that they miss online.
In the past, television timing and viewing patterns were very rigid and scheduled. When
asked the favourite time to view a programme today, the main responses were “when I

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am free” and “randomly”. This generally shows how TV audiences are more aware of
their time and when given the opportunity will gravitate towards something that suits
their time preference rather than scheduled viewing. The only other time preferred by
the majority of the respondents was late at nights because the internet was less
congested then.
The amount of time spent watching television online was much less than the time that
was spent watching television conventionally. Reasons given by respondents were due
to work, study, other commitments and other entertainment distractions such as games,
social media and socialising, which have now been introduced in the respondents’ lives.
On average everyone spent between 2 – 3 hours of online viewing.
I would like to add that watching programmes on smaller screens may possibly be more
strenuous to the eyesight and less comfortable. Plus with less commercial interruption,
they could view their favourite programmes in a shorter time span. There were no major
shifts in viewing patterns during weekdays and weekend the hours spent were
consistent throughout, compared to when they were viewing as young kids where the
weekends were spent watching much more television.
In discussing influences of online programmes on each respondent’s lives, the majority
of them found online media to be a source of entertainment and knowledge. As for
influences, one older respondent said that she was already set in their ways and values,
thus they found online programmes to be less influential. She, however, was previously
influenced by the television which she saw as a source of good values.
“Watching television taught me the good from the bad and I always wanted to do
the good things because the good people always won at the end of a
movie/drama. So it changed my thinking to be able to differentiate the good from
bad.” – AK, Female, 38
“Online television is just for entertainment, a pass time. It does not influence me
because I am already set in my values.” -– AK, Female, 38

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The younger respondents approached online programmes as an avenue of new ideas
and knowledge. Most of the younger respondents, sourced for videos tutorials or
reviews, while others watched trailers before deciding whether a movie is worth
watching in the cinema. They go online to look for information or verify certain
information to help them make a decision.
“When I want to buy something, I will look for product reviews online. I
sometimes see products online and it may influence my buying behaviour. Like in
the series House everyone uses Apple products so I got one too. I also
downloaded a fitness app that I saw in a programme online and recommended it
to my friends.” – CS, Male, 22
“Yes, what I watch on programmes influenced the course that I chose to study. I
am studying psychology and it was influenced by Criminal Minds. Now I realise
that in the real world that’s not how things work, but I can’t help it now that I have
selected the course.” – YJ, Female, 22
Continuing about influences, although they were alright watching and sourcing for
material online, the majority of the respondents thought that online television and
programmes had a negative impact on children. If given a choice between television
online and the television they had as a child, almost all of them preferred their childhood
television. They felt that there was a balance in life when they were young and that kids
today are no longer active because of the large range of online entertainment available.
Although the respondents do admit to watching a lot of television, they also perceived
themselves to be more active.
4.3 Television of the future
In discussing the future of television, besides looking at the impact that online television
may pose to society and culture, possible technological advancements were also
explored. A creative exercise involving a wish of what the respondent would like their
future television experience to be like, showcased audiences wanting a lot more
interaction with television in the future.

45 | Page
A handful of respondents perceived technology to be a bad thing, inculcating laziness.
“I like what we have now, like MC says technology is not good and will increase
laziness, if I had a screen that moves around with me I would just stay put and be
lazy, can’t imagine what I will become. In fact I would like to reverse the time as
there was more family bonding time before.” – YJ, Female, 22
But still when probed about how they think people will watch programmes in the future,
one group wanted to emulate the cinema experience at home, especially when
watching movies. Technology like 3D, computer simulation, automated selection and
interactivity were listed as the top picks.
“I recently had a 3D cinema experience which was amazing, so I wish to have
the 3D technology with a big screen in my house. I also wish for my TV to have
an intelligent voice control that helps me select programmes according to my
mood, if I am sad it plays comedy programmes” – KT, Male, 20
“I wish there were a thousand channels on my television. And that it was
personalised to my needs so that when I it turn it on, it showed me what I like to
watch according to my preferences.” – RR, Female, 19
While another group delved a little deeper into the experience of viewing where they
could literally walk in the movie set, touch, sense, smell and feel things, this group were
driven by the sensory experience rather than the technology and comfort.
“I wish my whole room changes to a scene in the movie, like a 2D movie around
me. I wish to have the sense of smell so if there is a cooking show you can smell
the food being prepared.” – AK, Female, 38
Next we focused on the online technology itself and narrow down to what would be
some very near advancements in the industry. Suggestions of near technology included
5D technology with sense of smell and motion like Google Goggles or Nose; interactive
storyline of a series which can be narrated by the fans to which one responded added
that there are already producers who troll fan sites to look out for suggestions on twists
and drama to be added to serials that are written and produced weekly; a massive video

46 | Page
library where anything you want to watch is available like Netflix but bigger and
international; Cyclops Glasses where you wear them to watch videos, These are
already available in Korea. The respondents were very savvy about what is available
online and what is coming in the future, despite some concerns of technology being a
bad thing.
4.4 Preference, Social and Cultural Impact
In this section, the discussions were more general, such as the respondents’
preferences compared to both the online and television viewing, and the impact that
online television has brought to people around them, their family, friends and peers; if
online television has made audiences more social or isolated; if they say it as a risk to
culture and society and finally if there is a differences in viewing behaviour between
gender, age or social status.
Comparing what the respondents prefer to watch online versus the television, the males
were more skewed towards the quality of the viewing and preferred to watch the
television more, although throughout the focus group this behaviour was not apparent.
“TV is always my first choice for a better viewing experience. The laptop is only
alternative because the experience is not good” – KT, Male, 20
The younger females preferred to watch everything online because of convenience,
while one older female preferred the television due to comfort and resorted to online
programming mainly when she is mobile or in transit. Comfort also appeared to be more
preferred by the older folks. When reference was made to parents and the elderly in the
focus group discussion, they were most likely to be watching television conventionally.
“I would prefer TV compared to the internet. I only watch stuff online when I am
travelling like waiting at the airport or when there is nothing to do.”
Another observation that a handful mentioned was if the programme was not
appropriate to be watched among family, maybe it had rude jokes or sexual scenes, the

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respondents would prefer to watch it in privacy. To this statement others added that
previously television was a controlled medium, as such access to illegal or inappropriate
material was limited. Now with the freedom of the internet anyone at any age can
access anything, a small number of the respondents felt that the government should be
stricter and impose bans on inappropriate sites.
“I would watch informative programmes on TV like documentary but for online
television I would watch my own preference like Movie parodies, sometimes the
jokes are not suitable for the family so I watch it in my privacy.” MH, Male, 22
Respondents were next asked to talk about their observation of how their peers or
family watched television online these days. The overall sentiment was similar: the
younger ones watched more programmes online, and people within the same social
group watch similar programmes. The mid age group tended to try to follow trends of
getting the latest gadgets or watch programmes online, while the senior citizens due to
technological illiteracy still just watched the television conventionally.
“My peers watch stuff online, and relatives because of certain channels and
programmes on Zee TV are introducing themselves to online technology, while
the older folks in their 60s or 70s are contended with the TV.” – RR, Female, 19
Some respondents said that their friends downloaded the latest programmes for their
family members to watch on the television, while other friends did not even have
internet access and had to resort to watching conventional television.
Two young male respondents mentioned that in their social circle, no one watched
television and very few watch online programmes. This group of peers were most likely
to go out socialising, meeting at the Mamaks or watching movies in the cinemas
“Most of my friends say that they no longer watch TV, my older family still just
watch TV. My friends and I also love to watch programmes in the cinema
because it’s a social experience hanging out with friends and the quality is much
better in the cinema.” – KT, Male, 20

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“Some of my friends and peers watch TV at home because there is no internet
access and sometimes they may go to the cybercafé to watch stuff online. Some
of them prefer to watch movies in the cinema because of the quality.” MH, Male,
22
The majority of the respondents agreed with the statement that online television
promotes viewership in isolation. Only one respondent thought that it may bring the
family together if the downloaded content is watched on the television, then it acts as
just an extension of the television, like instead of buying a DVD, you are downloading
the programme from online. The matter is said to be made worse by the multitude of
personal devices that everyone has today. Another respondent added how her grandma
recalled that before the entire village would share only one television, and it brought
people together. The change in today’s environment with personal mobile devices is not
good and encourages selfish behaviour.
When the question focused on the culture, identity and international influence, there
was a mixed reaction from both groups and individuals within a group. But every one of
them brought out children as an example of the culture deteriorating.
Some were proponents of culture and identity being at risk, with children these days,
who are always on their iPads, missing out on the culture of “childhood”. For years
children have grown up playing physical games like tag, hide and seek or football in the
local field, but nowadays you rarely see this happening.
There has been a risk to language. There are many Chinese and Indians who no longer
speak their mother tongue anymore and most of them converse in English and Malay
only.
“Yes the culture is at risk, kids these days are more exposed to English cartoons
and programmes that they grow up becoming a “banana” and can’t speak their
mother tongue. They are also reluctant to learn it.”
While others were concerned about censorship online, since kids are now equipped
with the latest devices they are able to access exactly the same materials as adults.

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There is no supervision unlike when the respondents were younger when the parents
controlled what could or could not be watched.
“Yes, with online TV there are no limitations or boundaries for kids. They can
watch anything that they want online. On Malaysian television everything is
censored and kids are only exposed to what is showing, while online there is no
control. There is a lot of entertainment online and each has its pros and cons, I
believe that online television poses a risk to all of us.”
With kids, one respondent saw the exposure to world culture as a benefit, and in fact
the television, both online and traditional is just an idiot box at the end of the day. For
this respondent, parents should play a strong role in moulding a child, and inculcating
positive knowledge.
While one respondent strongly believed that the television has already infiltrated the
world long ago, since every urban city dweller looks the same, dresses about the same
and does similar things. The television would have been a culprit but it’s already
happened.
Another respondent discussed the point of TV being an opinion-based media and
everything that is shown is the voice and thoughts of the producers or director of a
particular programme. Malaysians have elevated television to a status that we agree
and see television as a teaching tool and we subscribe to it. If we see something on TV
we take it as the absolute truth. It is seen as a higher authority because of the nature
that it has been in our life since we were young.
On a more positive note, another group of the respondents argued that because of
technological exposure, young minds can open up to learn much more and in return it
will help them build confidence. Online programmes are also seen as bridging the
cultural divide. They are commonly liked or shared across the world and also help bring
people together internationally, through fan clubs and sites.
Next the discussion was focused on the difference of exposure and influences of online
television by age (old vs. young), region (urban vs. rural) or gender (male vs. female).

50 | Page
The young and old divide was very clear, the young were very comfortable with
technology watching programmes online, downloading and streaming of no issue, while
the older folks depending on the age group may dabble with the online technology,
while the senior citizen were content with conventional television.
“Both young and old are influenced by TV, it bridges the generation gap because
everyone can watch and be attracted to the programmes at the same time.” –
LW, Male,26
“The older folks are trying to catch up with the younger ones. They try to get the
same technology and get the latest mobile devices and watch things online like
the younger people do.” – RR, Female, 19
For the urban rural technological divide there was an equal balance of what the
respondents thought it would be, but this was possibly because some of them were not
exposed to the rural areas, so they had no foundation to base their suggestions on. Half
of the group said that the urban have more access to online television because the
internet infrastructure here is good, while the other half believed that some rural places
also had as good an internet infrastructure and access to online television.
Maybe the rural folks may have limited internet coverage and in urban areas the
adults are busy so in terms of consumption they would probably be the same as
the rural areas. – MH, Male, 22
I don’t think there is any difference in urban and rural infrastructure it depends on
individual households and different preference. – RR, Female, 19
When it came to gender divide in viewing online television, almost all the male
respondents perceived that the females spent more time watching programmes online,
while the female respondents thought the divide is equal. According to the Asia Digital
Marketing Association the ratio of Malaysian females online is higher than the males.
I think the female watches more because the males work and the females have a
lot of free time at home – MH, Male, 22

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Both males and females watch the same amount of television but they watch
different content – LW, Male, 26

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5. Conclusion
This study was based on the notion that there is a shift in the Malaysians television
audience moving online to source for the programming content that was traditionally
viewed on conventional television. Some of the questions I wanted answering included
the influences of why online television was becoming popular and how this audience
migration was going to impact the culture/society, the audiences themselves and the
broadcast and telecommunication industry.
For an in depth understanding, the focus group was conducted on a group of urban
Malaysians who consume their programmes online. They informed us about how their
television behaviour has changed, what the influences they face are and how they think
this new media will shape up in the future. To ensure that the discussion took into
consideration both the conventional media space and the online media space, an equal
amount and number of questions were posed to compare and contrast both mediums
so that the responses can be as real and as accurate as possible.
The majority of the respondents were mainly in their early twenties and a quarter were
above the age of thirty. All of them appeared to have had the best experience of both
worlds. They were mainly brought up in one coloured television home, with fewer than 5
channels available when they were young. And they grew up to a selection of hundreds
of channels on TV today, with an even bigger library of online content.
Their lives revolved most around the television compared to any other earlier
generation. They also had the opportunity to experience outdoor games, fun and
excitement, as well as indoor on screen entertainment. This experience probably
influenced the way they socialise and consume media today. Although there were shifts
from the amount of time spent with the family now compared to their younger days, they
are very aware of this change. The influence of online television and any other form of
individualistic entertainment, however, has not substituted their socialising behaviour.
The male respondents are fond of watching sports matches in a group in a social
setting, while the female respondents never miss a chance to discuss their favourite
programmes among friends.

EVOLVING FROM CONVENTIONAL TELEVISION TO ONLINE TV A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN URBANITES by Jasbir Kaur

EVOLVING FROM CONVENTIONAL TELEVISION TO ONLINE TV A STUDY OF MALAYSIAN URBANITES by Jasbir Kaur

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