Creativity key in surviving new TV times
By Sirikit Syah
SURABAYA (JP): These are cutthroat times in the TV business as the five privately-owned broadcasting stations vie for choice pieces of the advertising pie.
Each is fattening its investments and turning up the creativity quotient of its programs to attract viewers -- the lifeblood of ratings points and advertising rupiah.
Ishadi Soetopo Kartosapoetro, a former director of the state- owned TVRI who last year joined TPI as director of operations, talked to The Jakarta Post recently about the TV business and strategies to beat the competition.
Question: Why did you join TPI?
Answer: I had devoted myself to working as a government official at TVRI for a long time (1967-1987) and I still wanted to dedicate my knowledge and experience to the public. When TPI offered me a job, I accepted it.
Q: What was it like at first?
A: Believe me, I experienced shock. I had been working in government TV so long. But now I have to learn about the business. I needed fresh investment. We made additional investment of about Rp 150 billion and reduced the number of employees for efficiency.
It was not big money actually, compared to SCTV which spent the same amount to regain its position taken by TPI (in the third ratings spot after RCTI and Indosiar). Indosiar even spent Rp 200 billion.
Q: What about TPI's programming strategy?
A: To maintain our audience in the mid to lower class segment, we will broadcast new programs and improve quality. We understand that we have a mistaken reputation as Televisi Pembantu Indonesia (Indonesian Maid Television), but we are going to alter it.
We have our strength in off-air programs, like Semarak Dangdut and Anugerah Dangdut -- two local musical programs.
Q: Is Lintas Lima, your information program focusing mainly on crime and accident, part of the strategy to survive the competition or is it merely an alternative?
A: It is a strategy and alternative at the same time.
Q: Is it impossible to produce a good information program on critical issues such as politics and the economy?
A: There is no such limitation. We just prefer to compromise to stay on air.
Look at RCTI's Seputar Indonesia. The packaging is good, but the content is actually similar to the TVRI news. We don't want to do that.
Q: What do you need to succeed in programming?
A: Instinct. I think I have that. When I was still at TVRI, we were offered to run Dora Emon for only US$1,500. I agreed, but it was not that simple. You know, bureaucratic procedures and too many meetings made it difficult to reach a decision. Finally, they went to RCTI and, you know, now they are paid Rp 80 million per month.
Q: It seems television has helped sinetron (TV dramas) to boom. Do you think it has good prospects?
A: Sure. To be in TV business doesn't mean that you have to work in TV. You can be successful and rich by producing TV dramas, like Ram Punjabi of Multi Vision. He has about 17 running on Indonesian TV per week. Each costs between Rp 35 million and 40 million (half-hour), and from Rp 90 million to Rp 125 million (one hour).
Q: Some people complain about morality and the quality of the TV dramas but many others love them. What do you think?
A: In general, people are happy with Indonesian TV programs. But we still have to improve them a lot. Otherwise, outside programs will enter this business. It's already happening, either through Indonesian TV stations or via the Internet.
I was told by Peter Gontha of RCTI that Indovision will launch a Direct Broadcast Satellite on Oct. 14, which allows people to reach 200 channels from home with a small sattelite disc.
Q: What about the outcry on banning dubbing on Indonesian TV?
A: I have two views on the matter. My business view says that this is bad. There are about 600 packages dubbed in Indonesian and some more will be dubbed. If one package costs Rp 10 million, it means we will lose Rp 6 billion to Rp 7 billion. Besides, we will lose audiences because it takes time to get used to reading subtitles than just hearing the words. Thanks go to Hartono (information minister) who agreed to a transition time for us (private TV stations) to adjust to the new regulation.
The idealistic part of me says this is fine. Actually there is government law No. 7/1995 which forbids TV stations from dubbing foreign films. Why is there dubbing? I don't know. The law has been broken.
Now, our new minister (Hartono) wants to put things in order. Personally, I see that dubbing has weaknesses: Bad Indonesian, bad intonation and no sense. It is not a good way to teach or motivate people to use Indonesian.
Q: What about freedom of the press in Indonesia?
A: I believe we have to look at the situation and conditions. In every country, there are laws and customs which might be different from those in another land.
People think the BBC is the most independent broadcasting station in the world and based in a free country of Britain. But, on one occasion, its directors agreed to cancel the airing of an interview with an IRA leader, because of many considerations. I believe even in the United States, there are several factors that would make news directors agree to cancel news items.
Q: How would we know when to compromise or not, as there is no standard here?
A: There is a code of ethics and public opinion, and there will be a broadcast law. There is good in the broadcast bill now being deliberated by the House of Representatives. If it is made into law, a programmer would be sentenced to seven years in jail if a program is proven to cause social unrest. A news director will be sentenced to eight years for broadcasting erroneous news. This kind of law will force us to work more professionally.
RCTI's' Buah Bibir is now better after public criticism. The program didn't have to be stopped, but it could be improved. We are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. The good thing is that when you realize you've made mistakes, you correct them.
Q: What is the weakness of our much debated broadcast law?
A: We need a law which gives us a chance to develop, not limit the broadcasting capacity or programming. This limitation will destroy competition because programming is the key to success of every TV station.
Q: What is the weakness of human resources in Indonesian TV stations?
A: Education. They lack education about TV. In the United States, there are about 200 schools on broadcasting with five years of study. Many of them have studios and broadcasting facilities. In Indonesia there is just one, at the University of Indonesia. There are also a few courses like the Center for Television Research & Innovation (Centris) in Surabaya and Multi Media Training Center in Yogyakarta.
Q: What kind of people does TV need?
A: We need experienced people with strong dedication, who are broadminded and skilled.
Q: What kind of skills?
A: More creativity than techniques. We know TV technology grows so quickly. It becomes more practical and efficient. Everything is automatic. In Germany, 60 percent of technical people at TV stations can be sent home. It will take some time in Indonesia. We need more creative people, not technical people, because the technology makes it easy to operate equipment.
Q: Is that why you laid off many of TPI's employees recently?
A: Sort of.