'ANteve' begins airing 'Boleh Contest'

Boleh Contest; ANteve, 5:30 p.m., Sunday

JAKARTA (JP): One of the many local dot-com companies, bolehmail.com, launched Boleh Contest, a TV program linked to bolehmail's ongoing Cyber Model 2001 Contest, last Wednesday at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Central Jakarta.

Under the banner of its operator, PT Boleh Net Indonesia, the program will be aired between March 18 and June 10, 2001.

Boleh Contest will be the first program in Indonesia that combines electronic (television) and digital media (Internet). The objective of the program is to create fun and excitement through TV and Internet, while taking into consideration educational aspects.

Darma Putra, bolehmail.com's marketing manager, promises that Boleh Contest is a unique combination between the Internet and television. The Internet users can watch the program on TV to see their favorite participants' compete while the TV viewers can log on to the Internet to communicate with the participants via e-mail.

Last year, the cyber model contest which ran from May 15 until June 24, was participated in by 346 boys and girls aged between 15 and 25 from all over Indonesia.

"We have to make this contest better than the previous one", said Darma Putra during the launching.

Putra said that the response to last year's contest was "fantastic". That is why bolehmail is cooperating with TV media in the making of Boleh Contest to choose the winner of the Cyber Model 2001 contest. Registration starts on Feb. 15 and ends on April 20.

The program is a quiz participated in by selected Cyber Model 2001 contestants of which there are 118 girls and 252 boys registered on the cyber model site.

Episodes 1 to 12 of the 13 episodes consist of the prequalification round. In each episode, there will be a winning pair who will be selected to join the grand final.

Over 12 pairs of cyber model nominees will compete in the grand final which will be held in a cafe in Jakarta.

The winner will be chosen by a jury that consists of public figures, fashion journalists and senior cyber models.

The grand final selection will also depend on the results of polling at www.bolehmail.com where browsers can select their favorite models.

The selected models are qualified to compete with other prequalification winners in the grand final, which will be aired in the 13th episode.

Produced in cooperation with technology-based company PT AITI Investment, production house Acha Production, private TV station ANteve, the program is hosted by well-known MC and TV presenter Jodhy.

Jodhy, who usually partners with TV presenter Edwin, is to present a full-fledged entertainment program to viewers during the half-hour show. He was selected for his skill in telling jokes.

Nothing special

There is nothing wrong with the Boleh Contest concept, which is taken from the ongoing bolehmail's Cyber Model 2001's program.

Unfortunately, the boleh Contest show -- as shown in Wednesday's preview for the press -- does not feature glamorous models or the lifestyle of trendy celebrities.

The program offers nothing special compared to other TV quiz shows. The show, which has four segments in each episode, is also different from model contest show, Super Model Asia (RCTI, Saturday, 5 p.m.) which features a talent competition instead of a quiz.

An ANteve's public relations officer, Amalia Ahmad, admitted that the show needed improvement and constructive criticism from TV viewers to make it an interesting program. ANteve has already prepared three of the 13 episodes to be broadcasted every Sunday afternoon.

As for the new program's show time, Amalia said that ANteve choose Sunday at 5:30 p.m. because most people are supposedly at home on the weekend.

At least this show can provide useful information for modeling enthusiasts, who are mostly teenyboppers. The show also provides good experiences for cyber model contest participants who dream of fame.

Cyber model Egidia Sawitri Dewayani, who won last year's contest, said that her e-mail address bunny_bunny@bolehmail.com has been flooded with daily messages from fans after she was named Cyber Model 2000.

The 21-year-old Egidia is a student of the school of law of Jakarta's Pancasila University. (Sri Ramadani)