Cultural shows in the age of television

By Devi M. Asmarani

JAKARTA (JP): It is not hard to find out what 16-year-old Rio's favorite television shows are.

"Let's see, there's TV MTV, MTV classic, The X-files, Ricky Lake Show...," he lists, "Oh wait, I also like evening game shows like Famili 100."

Rio is a product of his generation, a trendy teenager born to one of Indonesia's new middle class families. And the trend in Indonesia's television programming has resulted in the emergence of an all-imported culture.

All the shows he refers to are produced in other countries or adapted from foreign programs.

But Rio is not alone. An affinity for imported culture is not the sole property of Indonesia's youngsters. Just take a look at the lineup of foreign shows on local private television channels.

From Latin American soap operas and Indian and Mandarin films in the morning, to American situation comedies, detective series, B-rated Hollywood movies and home shopping in the afternoon and evening -- all dominate the programming of the five private TV stations.

Even locally-produced programs such as game shows are adaptations of foreign shows.

Local teleserials -- supported by a list of famous, beautiful celebrities -- usually carry Western, melodramatic plots filled with violence and sexual intrigue, all of which are irrelevant to Indonesian culture.

Yet these are the shows which manage to glue audiences to their seats, boosting the TV stations' ratings.

It is hardly the TV stations' fault if they are more partial to shows derived from foreign culture.

Preserve

A universal source of information, television should be a medium to preserve some of Indonesia's seemingly forgotten traditional art and culture.

But can TV stations really promote something that seems old fashioned to many in their audiences?

At least two of the stations think they can. Televisi Pendidikan Indonesian (TPI) and Indosiar air traditional shows every Friday and Saturday night.

Both TPI and Indosiar broadcast three-hour-long shows of Javanese ketoprak (a musical drama) and wayang kulit (leather puppet), as well as wayang golek (Sundanese puppet) shows at around midnight.

Both of the stations admit these shows are not exactly a bait for financial sponsors.

"Ratings for our wayang shows are probably only between one and two," says Theresia Ellasari, a TPI public relations executive.

Despite the low ratings, however, the stations say the programs are their contribution for the small number of people who enjoy it.

"These are some of the shows which we do not expect to profit from," Theresia says.

Andreas Ambesa, a public relations officer for Indosiar, says the shows are watched more in smaller cities than in bigger ones.

"Our rating surveys are done in the five big cities of Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya and Medan," he said.

Are these areas really representative of Indonesian traditional culture?

The traditional shows represent only Javanese and Sundanese cultures. And even so, they are not without flaws.

Disappointment

The way television presents wayang kulit shows, for example, disappoint some die-hard wayang lovers.

"I used to like watching wayang kulit programs on TPI and Indosiar, but now I only listen to the sound to put me to sleep," wayang enthusiast Eko says.

In a true wayang kulit show, the audience only gets to see the silhouette of the puppets through a white sheet of material, he says.

On television, however, the camera keeps moving, focusing now and then on the puppet master, singers and musicians, instead of only on the shadows of the puppets, he says.

"This lessens the art of watching wayang."

Some TV stations think that promoting traditional culture does not only mean showing authentic dance or musical performances.

Public relations executive Budi Darmawan of Surabaya Citra Television (SCTV) says his station has its own ways of promoting traditional culture.

"We may not have purely traditional performances in our programming like other TV stations, but we promote Indonesia's ethnic spirit in teleserials," he said.

The station airs series adapted from folk legends, such as Nagabonar, a Batak (North Sumatra) legend about a former pickpocket who declared himself a general and led a fight against Dutch colonial authorities.

Budi says this kind of show is more attractive and popular than an actual traditional performance. "Ratings of the series are usually between nine and 10," he says.

Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI) spokesman Murdjadi Ichsan says his station has yet to find an appropriate programming package to promote traditional culture.

Modern technology

"We don't want to air wayang or ketoprak because it's already being done by TPI and Indosiar," Murdjadi says.

"We're thinking in the line of making one attractive package like ketoprak on the stage mixed with modern technology," he says.

Murdjadi says if RCTI aired such a program, it would be broadcasted during earlier hours. "We'd probably broadcast the program around eight at night so that everyone could watch it. A program that is aired at midnight is not really a program, it's like a filler," he says.

In the meantime, RCTI's current attempt at injecting a local flavor in its programming is through Dua Warna (two colors), a music show which marries ethnic instruments with popular music.

Some stations simply declare that traditional culture does not fit in their lineup.

ANteve public relations executive Soraya Perucha says traditional performances do not suit the station's target market. "Our audiences are new families, and these kinds of shows would not be enjoyed by them," she says.

Instead, ANteve, the local carrier of the MTV (Music Television) Asia, tries to localize its shows.

"Some of the MTV shows such as 100 persen Indonesia, for example, are localized versions," Soraya says.

State-owned Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) shows the most cultural programs. The station airs programs ranging from documentaries to art performances.

TVRI usually offers more than Javanese and Sundanese performances like on TPI and Indosiar. It often shows performances from other regions in the country.

The station's intention is commendable in its purpose to promote traditional culture. But time constraints and budgetary limitations may cause some of the shows to appear rather colorless and lacking in authenticity.