Local TV stations sell program abroad to survive<\/p>\n
By Antariksawan Jusuf<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although still seen by some as just a penny-
\nmaking industry, exporting television programs looks promising
\nfor local stations at a time when advertising revenues continue
\nto free fall.<\/p>\n
It could help contribute to the growth of local program
\nproductions. The question is, of course, whether the producers
\nand stations are ready for wider markets and consider them an
\nopportunity.<\/p>\n
Bob Malkan, of the Indonesian educational station TPI
\ninternational sales department, said selling Indonesian programs
\noverseas may not be the bread and butter of stations but could
\nserve as a way to overcome the drop of advertising spots at
\nstations.<\/p>\n
\"It could provide cross-subsidy for the increasing costs of
\nlocal programs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The average cost of a 60-minute Indonesian program ranges from
\nRp 50 million to Rp 125 million (US$5,000 to $12,500). The
\ninternational rights of programs could sell for between $1,000
\nand $2,000.<\/p>\n
Television sources said the economic crisis has caused a
\ndownward spiraled of advertising revenue -- the backbone of
\ncommercial stations -- to more than 50 percent. The five
\ncommercial stations, RCTI, SCTV, TPI, ANteve and Indosiar, are
\nscreening reruns, including locally produced series to avoid
\nfurther losses. They are also reviewing their scheduling and
\npurchasing plans for local programs, which has badly affected
\nseveral production houses.<\/p>\n
Malkan said the key to overseas markets was, \"how to lobby and
\nget to know the clients and their needs in programming.\" Malkan
\nrefused to disclose the hourly fee for the international rights
\nof TPI's programs.<\/p>\n
Besides opening a booth at the annual regional television
\nprograms market MIP Asia in Hong Kong in 1996, TPI has
\ndistributed its offered programs directly to potential buyers in
\nAustralia, Africa and Europe.<\/p>\n
TPI has sold its music-based game show Kuis Dangdut to Japan's
\nNHK; the drama series Desaku Bumiku to a Malaysian cable station;
\nand a children program Klab Klip and a 60-minute series developed
\nfrom a popular dangdut song Balada Dangdut to Singapore's TV12.<\/p>\n
London Week Television of the UK purchased from TPI a talk
\nshow on supernatural phenomenon, Serambi. At home, the show was
\nabandoned by the station due to a protest from the Indonesian
\nUlemas Council (MUI), which claimed the show was against the
\nteachings of Islam.<\/p>\n
TPI is currently negotiating to clinch a deal for its
\nclassical series developed from the radio drama Kaca Benggala
\nwith an Indian distributor for territories including Bangladesh,
\nIndia and Nepal.<\/p>\n
Instead of dubbing the programs into English, TPI provided
\nEnglish dialog sheets, translated from the original, and
\nbrochures.<\/p>\n
RCTI has sold the first six episodes of drama series Si Doel
\nAnak Sekolahan (Doel, The Graduate) and cooking program Selera
\nNusantara to TV12 Singapore, and its religious series Kubersujud
\nand Selera Nusantara to Malaysian cable station Measat.<\/p>\n
RCTI has turned down a request from an English station which
\nwas interested in purchasing its drama series Halimun, which
\nfeatures Paramita Rusady. The reason given was that the station
\ncould not provide an English-dubbed version of the series.<\/p>\n
SCTV, which is currently considering exploiting its potential
\nin overseas markets, has exported its talk show Dunia Bintang to
\nTV12 of Singapore.<\/p>\n
Even though RCTI and SCTV have marketed their programs
\noverseas, they do not seem to have as a high an interest as TPI.
\nMost of the successful deals for the two stations were at the
\ninitiative of the buyers.<\/p>\n
Both Indosiar and ANteve, whose international rights of their
\nlocal series are held by production houses, do not have records
\nof selling their programs overseas.<\/p>\n
Indosiar's head of public affairs, Andreas Ambessa, said the
\nstation was currently more interested in strengthening its
\npresence at home than developing overseas markets.<\/p>\n
Market<\/p>\n
Each overseas market has its own unique challenge.<\/p>\n
China, which has some 350 million households with televisions,
\nneeds programs related to Indonesian culture. A source at a
\nproduction house which has a distribution affiliate in China
\ncited Anak Seribu Pulau (Children of the Archipelago) and other
\ndocumentaries on Indonesians as examples of programs in demand.<\/p>\n
With a population of over one billion, China is the world's
\nlargest potential television audience market, as reported by Asia
\nTelevision magazine in December.<\/p>\n
A source at RCTI said Brunei Darussalam \"welcomes all programs
\nwhich have a religious touch\". However, as a wealthy country, it
\nrefuses to broadcast reruns which have been enjoyed by viewers.<\/p>\n
\"They want to have fresh new programs that they have never
\nseen on Indonesian television,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
Skeptics such as RCTI's director, Alex Kumara, and Raam Soraya
\nof Soraya Intercine Film have said that Indonesian programs are
\nnot attractive for global markets. Indonesian series do not
\ndepict a typical Indonesian culture, Kumara said as quoted in Pos
\nKota daily.<\/p>\n
He also said that several Indonesian series were rejected
\nbecause they were considered \"inappropriate\" because the way
\nmiddle-aged women in the shows dressed was not in accordance with
\nthe common dress code in neighboring Southeast Asian countries
\nsuch as Brunei and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Even the high-rating achiever Si Doel Anak Sekolahan failed to
\nportray Indonesian culture, except for its Betawi dialect, Kumara
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soraya said low prices of international rights fees are in
\ncontrast with the high cost of dubbing. Soraya, who produces the
\nsitcom Hantu Sok Usil and horror series Janda Kembang, said most
\nforeign stations require Indonesian series to be dubbed into
\nEnglish before they make a deal.<\/p>\n
\"The cost of high-quality dubbing is more than the rights fee
\nthey are willing to pay. Say the rights cost is $1,000. The
\ndubbing costs could reach up to $3,000 to $4,000.\"<\/p>\n
During the peak of Indonesia's movie producing era, from 1987
\nto 1992, Soraya exported several movies, including Pembalasan
\nRatu Pantai Selatan (Lady Terminator), Bercinta Dengan Maut
\n(Dangerous Seduction) and Ranjang Setan (Satan's Bed) to more
\nthan 15 countries.<\/p>\n
To reverse this situation, Indonesian holders of international
\nrights of television programs should realize that foreign markets
\ncould also be another source of revenue.<\/p>\n
They should form a common sales force. The government may help
\nset up this sales force and lobbying group but it must not give
\nadditional bureaucratic tables which could jeopardize the
\noriginal aim.<\/p>\n
The writer works for a private television station.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-tv-stations-sell-program-abroad-to-survive-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }