Page 367 - Proceedings Collega2023

The Education Ministry's DidikTV KPM notched an impressive average viewership of four million
viewers a month. DidikTV KPM-NTV7 chief executive officer Seelan Paul said videos on DidikTV KPM's
social platforms, meanwhile, reached almost 30 million views. He also stated that the programme was
very well received by the local community and that it was the result of a concerted effort on the part of
the teachers, interpreters, the Ministry of Education and the DidikTV KPM staff. In addition, parents have
lauded the special education programs that are offered via DidikTV KPM as an effort to complement the
country's schooling system that has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and therefore are
highly regarded.

Discussion

DidikTV was born for the education of the masses in school; it stands out compared to the longer
running Astro TutorTV due to its availability on public television. The pandemic ensured that the
viewership for the education television kept increasing; students were house-bound, thus they needed
other forms of education that was readily available. With internet connection still being a luxury for a small
number of people, public television access was the easier route to get education to the students compared
to human labour.

Television as a platform allows for creative ways to broadcast school modules, increasing the
chances of viewership if DidikTV was able to create an engaging platform for these young viewers. By
leveraging the strengths of television as a platform and creating an engaging and educational programming
lineup, DidikTV can increase the chances of viewership among young students, ensuring that they have
access to quality educational content even in challenging circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The popularity of DidikTV as an instructional television channel in Malaysia can be discussed from
several angles such as government initiative. DidikTV was a government initiative in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Its launch was aimed at providing a structured platform for educational content,
especially when physical schools were closed. As a government-backed program, it enjoyed a certain level
of promotion and support.
Furthermore, accessibility is one crucial aspect of DidikTV's popularity. It was made available
through various platforms, including terrestrial television, online streaming, and YouTube. This multi-
platform approach made it accessible to a wide range of students across the country, regardless of their
socio-economic backgrounds. The accessibility of DidikTV in Malaysia refers to how easily and widely the
educational television channel can be reached and viewed by its intended audience, which primarily
consists of students and educators. DidikTV was made accessible through various platforms to cater to a
diverse audience.

These platforms include terrestrial television, online streaming, and YouTube. This multi-platform
approach allows students and educators to choose the most convenient way to access the channel. the
accessibility of DidikTV in Malaysia was designed to be broad and inclusive, taking advantage of both
traditional terrestrial broadcasting and modern digital platforms. In this way, educational content could
reach as many students and educators as possible, regardless of geography or technology.

International Conference on Local Wisdom of the Malay Archipelago (COLLEGA 2023) Page - 354 -