Reality TV fuels dreams

Reality TV fuels dreams

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A week before the country hosts a regional meeting on the
Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, a survey found
that more Indonesians are watching reality TV shows with the hope
that their lives can dramatically improve like those on the
shows.

Nielsen Media Research (NMR) said the highest rated reality TV
shows were Uang Kaget and Bedah Rumah, in which guests on the
shows receive millions of rupiah and have their houses renovated
for free.

"More young Indonesians want the change to appear on such
shows. In conclusion, many of them want to improve their lives
dramatically," NMR executive director Irawati Pratignyo said on
Thursday.

Many of those watching such shows and dreaming of a better
life are among the 36.1 million people, or 16.4 percent of the
population, officially classified as poor.

They are also like to be among the 10.3 million people who are
unemployed, or 9.9 percent of the workforce.

These millions of poor and unemployed Indonesians might not
notice that the country is preparing to host an Asia-Pacific
ministerial meeting on the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) in Jakarta from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5.

Participants at the meeting are expected to discuss strategies
to help the region meet the MDGs by 2015, particularly reducing
poverty and improving living standards.

The NMR survey also found that reality show viewers may also
want the chance to shine in life, as their next favorite reality
shows are star-search contests.

Shows such as Indonesian Idol, Akademi Fantasi Indosiar and
Akademi Pelawak TPI give ordinary people the chance to change
their lives 180 degrees by becoming singing stars or comedians.

Irawati said that in the first half of the year the number of
reality shows increased by 53 percent, while the number of
viewers went up 10 percent from the same period in 2004.

In contrast, the January to June period of this year saw the
"dying off" of horror and mystery programs, with viewer numbers
dropping by 30 percent and the total number of episodes of such
shows down by 37 percent from the same period last year.

Nielsen did not explain this new trend, simply saying that
horror and mystery shows remained the most popular for TV
audiences.

In terms of popularity, children's programs and entertainment
shows, including reality shows and celebrity gossip programs,
followed horror and mystery series.

Reality shows apparently provide a glimmer of hope for
ordinary people, but most of them will probably never get their
big break to appear on these shows.

In the meantime, it is the government's job to "produce" the
massive reality show of achieving the MDG on poverty reduction.

It will not do this by handing out money as on Uang Kaget, but
by allocating enough money from the state budget to promote
quality growth, extend opportunities for the poor, ensure good
governance and invest in social services such as education and
health.