'SCTV' prepares lavish events for anniversary

JAKARTA (JP): PT Surya Citra Televisi is celebrating its seventh anniversary on Aug. 24 with a series of lavish events even though it has not yet broken even.

Riza Permadi, the company's corporate secretary, said yesterday that SCTV had targeted to break even after nine or 10 years of operation. He said SCTV's expenditure is between Rp 15 billion and Rp 17 billion a month.

Quoting Survey Research Indonesia figures, he said SCTV's revenue was the biggest after RCTI. When it comes to the market- share, it is third, after RCTI and Indosiar.

There are five private TV stations in the country: SCTV, RCTI, TPI, ANteve and Indosiar. Aug. 24 is also the anniversary of RCTI, which turns nine, and the state television company, TVRI, which is 34 this year.

"Tight competition (with other private televisions) is the biggest challenge we are facing now," Riza said.

In celebration of its seventh anniversary, SCTV is organizing off-air events in addition to on-air programs. The off-air festivities include a cookery contest, a TV-star look-alike contest and an acapella singing contest. A season of blockbuster movies, with a total running time of 230 hours, will be screened from Aug. 4 to Aug. 22.

From Aug. 18 to Aug. 22, SCTV will broadcast Dunia Bintang (Celebrities' World) live from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Viewers will have the chance to talk to the celebrities by phone. SCTV guarantees there will not be a "traffic jam" on the phone lines because the show will use a system that can accommodate 730 incoming calls simultaneously.

"Only four callers will be on line, four others will be in the queue, while the rest will reach answer machines," said Munir, who is in charge of the show.

Planning manager Gatot Sugandi said, SCTV would show movies on demand on Saturday nights, from Aug. 16 to Sept. 27.

In this semi-interactive program, viewers will have the chance to pick their choice out of three movies offered by the TV station, and have the chance to win a prize. (sim)