TV talk is cheap<\/p>\n
Public confessions by adulterers, gigolos, prostitutes and
\ndrug addicts -- favorite topics on many tawdry American TV talk
\nshows -- have now hit Indonesia, although they are packaged
\ndifferently. One is RCTI's Buah Bibir -- a weekly talk show
\ninvolving an anonymous offender, experts on the subject and the
\naudience; the other is Potret, an investigative journalistic
\nprogram by SCTV which examines the many dark sides of life.<\/p>\n
Among the more controversial subjects that Potret has explored
\ninclude stories about \"mall girls\" and shop assistants who are
\navailable for sex after work. Potret also invites confessors onto
\nthe program with their identity obscured, and asks viewers at
\nhome to phone in for comments.<\/p>\n
Both Buah Bibir and Potret, which have gained popularity, are
\nin trouble after the influential Moslem group Muhammadiyah and
\nMinister of Information R. Hartono, who oversees the country's
\ntelevision industry, blew the whistle.<\/p>\n
Hartono's chief objection is that these programs are too
\n\"graphic\", such as when one of them showed a person injecting
\nhimself with morphine.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah's vice chairman Lukman Harun feels that both
\nprograms are not fit for the general audience. He said that while
\nthe problems they exposed exist, the problems are being blown out
\nof proportion, giving the impression that they are widespread in
\nsociety. He fears these programs may justify the behavior they
\nportray, and encourage viewers to be led astray.<\/p>\n
Hartono and Lukman's arguments are valid, although scrapping
\nthe programs altogether is not the right approach.<\/p>\n
The programs raise subjects which were once considered taboo.
\nBut with the advance in information technology, such subjects,
\nwhich for a long time were only discussed in limited circles of
\nmostly experts, can no longer be hidden from the public.
\nIndonesian viewers will learn about such subjects from foreign
\nmedia anyway. There is nothing worse than allowing foreign media,
\nwith their biases and different set of values, to explore
\nproblems in our society. Since the nation can no longer sweep
\nthese subjects under the carpet, the best course therefore would
\nbe to allow and encourage open discussions on the topics.<\/p>\n
Television, because of its wide reach, is probably the best
\nmedium to discuss these problems, if the intention is indeed to
\nencourage public participation. If we agree on this, then it is
\nonly a matter of how we package a program that does not appear
\nvulgar and does not encourage others to pick up the habits in
\nquestion. This is the difficult part.<\/p>\n
Despite rapid modernization, Indonesia has continued to retain
\nmany of its traditional values, including those inculcated by the
\nmajor religions. Our society is not, and probably never will be,
\nready for the full blown no-holds barred discussions of
\ncontroversial topics the way they are portrayed on some American
\ntalk shows.<\/p>\n
Lukman's fear that discussions on the problems could send the
\nwrong signals to viewers should be examined. If his assertion is
\nright, a new survey on adultery would probably be merited. In
\n1988, a Jakarta magazine's survey found that two out of three
\nmarried men in Jakarta were cheating on their wives. Going by
\nLukman's theory, then a new survey would probably find that,
\ntoday, three in four husbands are unfaithful.<\/p>\n
There is also the danger that such programs are leading to
\nstereotyping by society: that all \"mall girls\" are out for a good
\ntime, and that all shop assistants are available for sex at the
\nright price after work.<\/p>\n
It is up to television stations to package their programs so
\nthey discuss the problems in the right proportion without sending
\nthe wrong message to their audience. Unfortunately, judging by
\nthe presentation of controversial subjects in Buah Bibir and
\nPotret, ratings, rather than a genuine concern of finding
\nsolutions to society's problems, govern these programs.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian television industry is still operating under a
\nseries of government regulations. The Broadcasting Law passed by
\nthe House of Representatives in December has not come into force
\nand therefore the broadcasting code of ethics, mandated by the
\nlegislation, has not been drafted. It would be wrong for
\ntelevision programmers to take advantage of this situation. If
\nthey fail to instill self-discipline, they will have themselves
\nto blame if society, through the government, decides to impose
\nharsh rules on their activities.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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