ABSTRACT
In August 1985 a satellite in geostationary orbit above the Indonesian archipelago spun off course, plunging the Indonesian nation into a communications crisis. As the centrepiece of an intricate web of national telecommunications infrastructure, the Palapa B-l satellite electronically bound some 170 million people into a national community. Firstly, it allowed the people, businesses and government agencies of the far-flung island nation to communicate with one another via telephone and data services. Secondly, it acted as a key delivery and distribution platform for the nation’s single television network, Televisi Republik Indonesia – TVRI. As the monopoly national broadcaster, TVRI was responsible for delivering news, entertainment, education and development programming in the national language – Bahasa Indonesia – to a population renowned for its cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.
