Political talk shows: Rebel without a pause

Political talk shows: Rebel without a pause

By Antariksawan Jusuf

JAKARTA (JP): They may not have the mass appeal of news
programs broadcast during the recent turmoil, but television
political talk shows have apparently stolen many people's hearts.

The programs provide the audience with differing views on
interesting topics through lively and entertaining debates.

Guest speakers include experts and intellectuals not only from
the government's side but also critics, who clearly state their
arguments and objections.

They speak bluntly without any hesitation, revealing facts and
ideas.

And why not. There is strong demand for freedom of expression
in the spirit of reform and there is no fear of speaking out, as
once was the case.

Andreas Ambessa, head of Indosiar public relations, however,
hopes that the speakers will apply self-censorship.

"We have a policy to give every guest the freedom to speak
their mind, although we hope that they don't attack government
institutions, groups or organizations, and avoid discussing SARA
(tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups)," he
said.

Some television political talk shows were known for their
critical stance against the government long before the current
era of reform.

Host of SCTV's Dibalik Berita (Behind the News), Riza Primadi,
recalled that in January 1997, chief editor of Media Indonesia
daily Surya Paloh called on the people to directly express their
wish to oust former president Soeharto when he was a guest on the
show.

"Why should people use such rhetoric. If they don't like Pak
Harto, why don't they just say so," Paloh said.

Riza went into hiding for two days after the program was
aired. "I was so scared at the time. It was the most frightening
moment of my life," Riza, a former BBC reporter, said.

Riza is a fast learner. He was summoned by police following an
earlier program which unveiled alleged dirty business in the
police force.

Dibalik Berita is not the station's first critical talk show.
In March 1994 it began to air Perspektif, a program which became
both popular and notorious for the down-to-earth criticism
expressed in dialog between the host Wimar Witoelar and his
guests. The program was taken of the air in June 1995 after the
government put pressure on the station.

The show now extends its charm to fans through Perspektif
Live, a version of the show held in hotels, shopping malls, cafes
and campuses. For followers in other parts of the country, the
separately organized Perspektif Baru can be heard on several
private radio stations. A text version also appears in at least
four newspapers and Perpektif On-line can be browsed through by
those with access to the Internet.

Wimar now hosts a similar but less serious program called
Selayang Pandang, where he meets his guests in the setting of a
cafe. However, fans of the presenter feel that the relaxed
setting has blunted the edge of Wimar's famously provocative
questions which often cornered his guests into giving
controversial off-the-cuff responses.

Finger-pointing, considered taboo in traditional Javanese
society, appears in many talk shows, including Aspirasi (TPI),
which came on the air in January 1997.

The live show features a host and various guests, mostly top
government officials such as governors, mayors and prominent
public figures including former ministers. The host invites
viewers to phone in and express their opinions about current
issues. Callers are allowed to condemn bad practice and voice
complaints on a whole range of formerly sensitive issues,
including bad service from the government.

The show is very daring because in Indonesia the government is
viewed as being the master to be served, not the public servant.

"My show is very open and free. We have always discussed
everything live. We began having live discussions a long time
before pressure for freedom of speech began to mount, but I never
received calls from government officials," Haris Jauhari, who is
responsible for Aspirasi, said.

Televised political talk shows are now considered to be a
surefire and inexpensive way to uplift the image of a television
station and boost ratings.

Each station in the country, including state-run TVRI,
broadcasts at least one.

"It's just a form of entertainment which allows people to
express their thoughts at the same time," Haris, a former Pikiran
Rakyat reporter, said.

Haris and Riza agree that talk shows are targeted at an
educated audience and do not cater to mass tastes. The programs,
they say, only help to widen the horizon of people who are
already critical of the status quo.

Guests aside, there has not been much change to the format and
content of talk shows since the government relaxed its stance on
the media.

Dibalik Berita, which insists on airing the show as it was
recorded or not at all, last year had to drop two programs in
which highly sensitive issues were discussed. One program
discussed the former Portuguese colony of East Timor and the
second held a debate on national succession in which a guest
directly called on then president Soeharto to step down.

"Now we are free to invite critical voices such as Muchtar
Pakpahan, Sri Bintang Pamungkas and Megawati (Soekarnoputri),"
Riza said.