'ANteve' prepares new programs in place of 'MTV'

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Losing a popular music television program, MTV, is quite a challenge for local station ANteve. Not only will it have to replace the 32.5 hours worth of programs a week, but also to retain the approximately 16 million viewers MTV has brought to the channel.

First aired in 1995, MTV has become the most popular music channel in Indonesia according to a survey by AC Nielsen. But its pullout from ANteve is inevitable, according to the station's corporate communications manager Zoraya Perucha.

"We have grown apart physically, and both (MTV and ANteve) want to develop different things. It is the only thing we want to do," she said.

Zoraya said that MTV has been moving for more airtime as the channel's popularity continues growing in Indonesia, while ANteve has, for some time, wanted to expand its viewers beyond the younger generation targeted today.

"We won't be shifting our viewer segment, but rather expanding it. We want to include the whole family as our viewers rather than only the teenagers," she explained.

MTV will re-emerge in May on a new local channel Global TV for a 24-hour music program, while MTV's children's program Nickelodeon will still be aired six hours a week on ANteve.

In replacement for MTV's other programs, ANteve has prepared new programs that will be aired beginning April 1, including an interactive entertainment show Campur-Campur (assortment) hosted by noted presenter Rina Gunawan, Karaoke Dangdut hosted by famous dangdut singer Mila Rosa, and Brazil TV drama Escrava Isaura.

Escrava Isaura was one of the first TV dramas, otherwise known as telenovela, aired in the country in the late 1980s, then on TVRI.

"We feel that it is timely for the series to make a comeback, especially because many people had been fans of the show back when it was aired on TVRI," Zoraya said. The TV drama will be shown for half an hour at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

In addition to Escrava Isaura, in April the station will also air Indian movies for the fans of actor Amithab Bachchan including Kohram (The Explosion), Indrajeet, Insaniyat, Hum, and Ajooba, every Monday beginning at 7:30 p.m.