TV viewing tastes find unity in diversity<\/p>\n
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
If it's Palembang and Saturday night then it must be time to head
\nfor the couch, put your feet up and sit back for one of the
\nvariety shows featuring dangdut, the hybrid of Malay, Indian and
\nArab music.<\/p>\n
Then again, every night is pretty much dangdut night in the
\nSouth Sumatran capital: eight of the top 10 shows recorded in the
\nperiod July-September of this year featured sultry singers
\nshowing their moves.<\/p>\n
It's not the same story for Jakarta, where slices of life
\nabout Betawi (native Jakartan) families continue to hold sway,
\nwith Kecil-kecil Jadi Manten (Young but already married) having
\nfollowed on from the success of Rano Karno's long-running Si Doel
\nAnak Sekolahan.<\/p>\n
If anything, the results of Nielsen Media Research's survey of
\neight cities in the country -- Greater Jakarta, Medan, Pekanbaru,
\nBandung, Semarang, Greater Yogyakarta, Makassar and Denpasar
\n(monitored since September) -- show that it's hard, if not
\ndownright impossible, to put your finger on a uniform, "national"
\nTV identity for this country.<\/p>\n
Dangdut is a constant success in the ratings -- the percentage
\nof viewers tuned in to a program at a particular time compared to
\nthe number of households with TVs -- and accounts for six of the
\ntop 10 shows for all segments and all times.<\/p>\n
Yet, the true viewing colors come out when it comes to
\nindividual cities.<\/p>\n
Bidadari 2, private station RCTI's sacchariney children's
\ndrama of a guardian angel for a hard-done-by young girl (shades
\nof the U.S. show Touched by an Angel?), ranks third in all
\nratings, top for Jakarta, first for kids aged 5-9 and 10-14, as
\nwell as making it into the female 20+ segment.<\/p>\n
For the two areas of Central Java monitored, the provincial
\ncapital of Semarang and neighboring Yogyakarta, mystery shows --
\neither about historical legends (Nyi Roro Kidul) or those taking
\ncelebrities around haunted sites -- made their presence known
\namong the mostly dangdut offerings.<\/p>\n
Mystery shows, along with a couple of soaps, were also the
\nonly variation from the music fare in the East Java capital
\nSurabaya, but Medan in North Sumatra and Makassar in South
\nSulawesi the favorites ran the gamut, from soap operas, films to
\nspecial events.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the Miss Indonesia pageant figured in the top
\ntwo ratings winners for both cities, and was also the most
\npopular show among adult female viewers.<\/p>\n
For Bandung, two in-depth examinations of the deaths of
\nstudents during hazing at the Public Administration Institute
\n(STPDN) located in the city were standouts among a top 10
\ncomprised of five dangdut shows, two mysteries and one film.<\/p>\n
Nielsen Media Research, which announced the results in mid-
\nNovember, also measures particular segments, including the
\nphenomenon that is dangdut singer Inul Daratista.<\/p>\n
From her amazing debut earlier this year, when her gyrating
\n"drilling" dance moves caused a sensation, raised the ire of
\nformer dangdut king Rhoma Irama and made her a popular hero as
\nthe small-town-girl-made-good, Inul has been everywhere on the
\nairwaves, in music shows "pitting" her against other singers and
\nher own drama, Kenapa Harus Inul? (Why Did It Have to Be Inul?).<\/p>\n
Still, while she has her loyal fan base, it might be a case of
\nInul overload for some viewers, with Nielsen noting that the
\nratings for her shows declined during the third quarter.<\/p>\n
In other findings, upper bracket (A1) viewers' tastes ran
\nmainly to films (The Fugitive, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves,
\nScream, Armageddon), although they also tuned in for the
\nretrospective concern of singer Chrisye.<\/p>\n
Nielsen Media Research emphasized that its research was a
\nquantitative measure, and was no reflection of quality. While
\nmost of us would have figured that out, the presence of all those
\ndangdut show and the ubiquitious Bidadari 2 also indicates that
\nmost of us are seeking an escape from what is going on around us.
\nAnd, in that respect, those shows fit the bill.<\/p>",
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