Build Early Warning Broadcasting System from Learning Track between the Supermarket and Department Store of Disasters (A pragmatic enquiry)

Indonesia, being “The Supermarket of Disasters” according to the comment of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, was praised by the 6th Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for hosting the First Asia-Pacific DRR Media Summit. It showed the success of bringing broadcast media commitment to the DRR process in there (endorsed by Jakarta Statement). Once the victim of India Ocean Tsunami 2004, assisted by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.) and Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications (so called the region as liked the department store of disaster) three-year till now, Indonesian broadcasters turned out to be second to NHK in implementing early warning broadcasting system within Southeast Asia region. The article proposes a pragmatic enquiry to technology and knowledge transfer from Japan to Indonesia concentrated on the issue of early warning broadcasting solution. Apart from the theoretical interest in DRR subject, the research will clarify the Taiwan situation in lacking of early warning broadcasting system for ten-year long even facing the same threats as the ones they tackled in recent years. No only for the sake of knowledge, the pragmatism should guide one local research to achieve the desired planning result through “the others did something, something else will happen” approach. For this purpose, the topic will address Indonesian case into profiles of population, media at large, roadmap for digitization, standardization, business model, regulation, authorized institution. Comparing those findings with Taiwan, a conclusion is proposed for our nation moving beyond the obstacle of DRR implementation on broadcast media. It will illustrative the value of pragmatic enquiry by bringing the human desire and purpose (saving life in here) in the front to rejuvenate the dormant proposal of EWBS in Taiwan. Moreover, a sounding Taiwan strategy should be facilitated to overcome the disinterested and counter-argument toward EWBS in realizing the “simple is better” positioning. In a media-saturation environment, a broadcasting solution is still a must for surviving under extreme weather and catastrophe practically as the proof of this study.