Rock music programs leave different traces
By Ivy Susanti
JAKARTA (JP): Since the beginning of this month, two television stations have been giving viewers a reason to shed their "I don't like Monday" attitude.
Private stations RCTI and TPI are airing music programs that should help satisfy the musical appetites of youngsters, seniors and everyone with a youthful spirit.
The two programs take different approaches in addressing the generations, and it is interesting to note that the programs are also delivering some nonmusical messages beyond the entertainment aspects of the shows.
RCTI's A Mild Live on TV at 10 p.m. is hosted by Nadya Hutagalung, a former MTV Asia VJ, while TPI's Classic Rock Specials at 10:30 p.m. is brought to the public by the lesser- known Micko Atmoko and Reno Sarah.
Nadya guides viewers through a series of videos featuring one group or musician, such as U2, Vanessa Mae and Mariah Carey. She provides information about the featured artists, going over their career highlights, latest albums and current tours.
This is not much of a stretch for the half-Indonesian, half- Australian Nadya, who rose to fame at MTV Asia and is now pursuing such interests as launching her own jewelry line, opening a champagne bar and campaigning for the preservation of endangered species.
Those familiar with MTV-style music programming (and the Singapore-based 24-hour music station has gained a broad audience here, in large part due to ANteve, which carries some MTV programming) will find nothing new in A Mild Live.
The ideas for the program no doubt come from its producer, Soundbuzz music media company, a group of professionals from the music, Internet and finance worlds many of whom, not surprisingly, are also former top executives at MTV Asia.
However, MTV Asia is more informative and keeps viewers awake in front of their TV sets with interviews and some interaction with the artists (remember the Artist of the Month program?) rather than merely featuring their videographies.
The only thing that viewers may remember at the end of the half-hour A Mild Live is the "Others can only follow" advertisements and the product's distinctive white-and-red lines serving as a backdrop to the foxy Nadya. (This raises the question of whether a cigarette company is actively targeting the youth market by sponsoring a music program on TV).
The programmers over at TPI, apparently catching the wave of nostalgic music programs that has swept local TV stations, have come up with Classic Rock Specials.
This rock program features artists from the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The program has so far turned its spotlight on Queen, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and The Who, with the Scorpions, Genesis and Eric Clapton waiting in the wings.
After one or two songs, hosts Micko and Reno discuss the groups and their members with a music observer or radio broadcaster invited to take part in the discussion.
Though the guests usually have never met or worked with the featured artists, they are still able to share personal memories of the group and the music.
For example, during the Queen show Deddy Isman was the guest. He was a guitarist in a local Queen tribute band, and he talked about everything from Queen's music to the late Freddy Mercury's famously tight pants.
When it was Uriah Heep's turn, Imran Amir, who saw the group perform when it came to Jakarta in the mid-1980s, was invited on the show.
Classic Rock Specials gives viewers a closer look at rock musicians through the eyes of special guests. The drawback is that viewers cannot share their own memories during the 90-minute show because it is not interactive.
A Mild Live and Classic Rock Specials have certainly made Monday nights a bit more livelier and should help viewers get over those beginning-of-the-week blaahs.