Local TV stations slaves to 'idolatry'

Local TV stations slaves to 'idolatry'

Tony Ryanto, Contributor, Jakarta

It's not exactly the battle of the Titans but starting April 9,
Indosiar has had to compete fiercely with RCTI, the number two TV
network, in searching for an "idol" for Indonesia.

RCTI has the Demam Indonesian Idol (Indonesian Idol Fever) and
Indonesian Idol programs aired respectively at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
every Friday. After the elimination rounds, Demam will be held
daily from Monday to Friday and the Indonesian Idol shows will be
extended to 90 minutes.

Only a few months ago, RCTI had to change the slot for its
most popular soap, Kecil Kecil Jadi Manten (The Green Bride), as
it wished to counter the popularity of Indosiar's all-powerful
AFI, short for Akademi Fantasi Indosiar, which won top ratings
for a couple of consecutive weeks.

For about two years now, both networks have alternately
occupied the first and second positions in terms of audience
share percentage.

But what makes RCTI think it get the better of Indosiar's AFI?
Because it is the first Asian network to hold the American Idol
franchise.

Just like its Idol sister, in Indonesian Idol, a panel of
judges selects 10 semi-finalists out of 21,000 superstar
aspirants from throughout Indonesia, according to RCTI's
spokesman Nanang Gani.

AFI is patterned after the popular La Academia, which is
presented by Azteca TV in Mexico. The Malaysian version, named
Akademi Fantasiana and transmitted by Astro, is similarly very
successful and currently in its fourth season.

In Singapore, American Idol is as popular as AFI in Indonesia
and Akademi Fantasiana in Malaysia. Gani said India, Malaysia and
Singapore were pondering plans to be Asia's next American Idol
franchisees. The Philippines hasn't come up with a concrete
decision yet.

It is hoped that Indonesia will send one idol to the World
Idol competition to be held at the turn of the year.

In 2003, a Norwegian plumber Kurt Nilsen was the surprise
winner of World Idol 2003-2004, showing that it was indeed the
talent and personality, not merely the looks and money, that is
likely to make one an idol, at least by Western standards
nowadays.

Nilsen beat contestants from 30 or so American Idol franchise
holders.

William Hung, 21, a U.C. Berkeley engineering student with an
unusual, once-seen-never-to-be-forgotten face was not a favorite
of the American Idol judges but fans like him tremendously and
perhaps for this reason he signed a deal with Fuse Music Network
and Loch Records. Hung's case clearly indicates the immense
impact American Idol can have on one's dreams of becoming a star.

In the U.S., American Idol is still the number one TV
attraction. A Nielsen Media Research report says 25.48 million
viewers saw the program, which started as the TV phenomenon Pop
Idol in the UK, in the March 1 to March 7, 2004, period.

Number two on the list is Survivor: All Stars (CBS, 23.3
million) followed by CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) (CBS, 22.74
million), The Apprentice (NBC, 20.22 million) and CSI: Miami
(CBS, 19.9 million) respectively.

Local contestants

In Indonesia, it was actually Trans TV that started the Idol
look-alike program. It was called Popstars but was unfortunately
short-lived.

TPI's Bakal Beken (Would be Famous) has scored slightly better
but is dwarfed by AFI, whose weekly contests every Saturday night
are bolstered almost every day by Diari AFI shows.

AFI fever rages throughout the country, including rural areas.
Viewers idolize AFI champ Veri Affandi, and second and third
runners-up Petrus Kia Suban and Mawar Dhimas Febra Purwanti.

At one stage, RCTI was also airing American Idol, but it did
little for the station's ratings, and had nothing to offer that
could equal AFI.

Indonesian Idol, though, has definite promise because, like
AFI, it involves Indonesian youngsters.

In Singapore and many other countries, the principal
attraction of American Idol is Simon Cowell, one of its judges. A
multi-hit record producer and head of A&R at BMG Records, the
wooden-faced Mel Gibson look-alike is best known (or most hated?)
for his biting and sarcastic criticism that frequently brings
contestants, mostly female, to tears.

At the same time, nobody can dismiss the fact that Cowell has
huge talent-scouting power. Other judges are Paula Abdul, music
superstar and choreographer, and Randy Jackson, a producer and
Grammy recipient.

What is it that makes AFI so popular? Not the severe judges,
but the ever-strong relationship, primarily based on emotion,
between the contestants and viewers.

Now, is there a difference between AFI and Indonesian Idol?

The answer is "yes". AFI, so some people say, puts top
priority on popularity. An AFI champion, therefore, must be
extremely popular, which means that contestants with huge talent
and good voices do not automatically become winners.

Believe it or not, a number of female students at two private
universities said Kia was a better singer than Veri.

If Indonesian Idol were to follow American Idol's criteria,
which it should, popularity is not the order of the day. This
means that an Idol champ must be a great vocalist.

Once again, Hung's success is not because he is an American
Idol champion but because he is a popular contestant, so popular
that the audience idolize him.

Talent vs popularity

A considerably large number of Indonesian families have
welcomed the AFI and Indonesian Idol programs, which people say
are the quickest way of gaining fame. The motto is "from zero to
hero" in only a few weeks or a couple of months.

A lecturer at the Pertiwi Tourism Academy, Nuraini Kusuma
Wardani, says she wouldn't mind her children participating in an
Idol program. "That is to say, if the programs are well
organized, are in good hands and have constructive objectives.

"If I were to choose between talent and popularity, I would
prefer the former because it is lasting, while the latter is
not."

Daisy Sutjipto, another lecturer at a private university in
Jakarta, shared Nuraini's view.

"I wouldn't like to see my kids taking part in either the AFI
or Indonesian Idol programs. But if they feel they are talented
and stand a chance of winning, I wouldn't prevent them," she
said.

Osmena Suryoputro from the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)
said that the programs could be educational if they were hosted
by professional musicians and people with musical backgrounds.

"What is of great importance is that both programs are in good
hands, meaning that the contestants are guided by professionals
who are themselves loving parents to their own children. This is
my personal view," said Osmena, a secretary at the MUI's Food,
Medicine and Cosmetics Assessment Section.

What Osmena, Daisy and Nuraini consider of great importance
are ways to ward off the adverse consequences of instant fame and
riches. Personality changes might lead to alienation and
ostracism.

The bottomline: In the past, parents wanted their children to
be doctors, engineers, lawyers or economists. With the passing of
time and the advance of technology, however, more and more
fathers and mothers do not mind their offspring becoming idols,
actors or vocalists.