Don't let TV control your life: Expert

JAKARTA (JP): Television is beginning to take control of the lives of many Indonesians, leading mass communications expert Alwi Dahlan warned.

Most TV stations in Indonesia were giving out "useless information", Alwi told Antara yesterday. Alwi launched his attack as three local television channels prepare to celebrate their anniversaries this weekend.

"We should control television, not the other way round," he said. "But now, many people turn on the television the moment they get up in the morning and spend long hours during the day goggling at the box without reaping any real benefit."

The state-run TVRI and private commercial stations RCTI and SCTV mark their anniversaries tomorrow. There are three other commercial stations operating in Indonesia: TPI, ANteve and Indosiar.

Alwi said that neither TVRI nor the commercial networks had been able to provide information considered really useful for the public.

"Many channels air foreign programs that are not necessarily suitable for the nation's character," he said. "And they give little consideration to education in their programing."

"I get the impression that we're being flooded with information and programs from abroad that are nothing but garbage."

Alwi pointed to Chinese martial art films which simply portrayed violence and revenge, while Indian and Mexican melodramas portrayed "dance, song and plenty of tears".

He suspects that these programs were chosen by the stations because they were inexpensive compared to the cost of producing their own programs. As a result, these programs have became popular among Indonesian viewers because they had no other choice.

Alwi said the challenge facing Indonesia's television industry was producing popular cultural programs that were useful.

For this, TV stations should strengthen their human resources, he said, noting that imported programs currently account for 60 percent of all programs aired by local stations.

A government-sponsored bill on broadcasting, now before the House of Representatives, proposes to limit the portion of foreign programs on Indonesian stations. (emb)