Don't let TV control your life: Expert
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)