Television Exposure and Needs for Appropriate Programs for the Elderly in Three Southern Border Provinces

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study the behavior of television media exposure and 2) to study the needs of television programs of the elderly in the three southern border provinces. It was a quantitative research and the sample group was 356 people from the age of 60 and above who live in the three southern border provinces. The instrument used in this research was questionnaires and the data were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The research indicated that the elderly in the three southern border provinces mostly have behavior in watching TV programs for more than 3 hours but not more than 4 hours in the morning (06.01 - 09.00AM.), the exposure to watch television programs with intended to watch by changing to see other channels during unattractive period. They mostly watched television programs with economic contents with the news program type and presented by news story. For the needs of television programs found that, the elderly have a need for news programs which is health program content, presented by news story including having a Malay language program to enhance the understanding for people in the area. The results mentioned above, Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center, and Free TV stations should make an experiment to make a list of television programs for the elderly in the three southern border provinces. Later, evaluate the lists in order to meet the needs of people in the area as well as in responding to the government's 20-year national strategy which mentioned the issue of stepping into the elderly society completely.