Suggestions for 'Metro TV'

Suggestions for 'Metro TV'

From Koran Tempo

By my record, quite a few TV programs have English titles, particularly in Metro TV. I wish to suggest Metro TV and other TV stations to use the Indonesian language for the names of their programs. There are good Indonesian equivalents for, for example, Headline News or Today's Dialogue.

I wasn't making this suggestion out of a high sense of nationalism or a national language pride, but rather out of pity for foreigners, who maybe feel deceived, wrongly believing that the programs concerned are in English, while, in fact, not as suggested by their English titles, they are in Indonesian. It's no joke and has really happened. Some foreigners have commented like this: "Perhaps Indonesians do not realize that the Indonesian language, which uses Latin letters, has the potential to become an international language."

We have many language experts capable of translating English terms or phrases into Indonesian. When properly translated, these phrases will become not only shorter and more meaningful but also pleasant to the ears. I am sure the use of the Indonesian language for program titles will not lower the prestige of TV stations. Their image will even become better.

AMIR KARAMOY

Jakarta