Take a pick of TV anniversary specials

By Sri Ramadani

JAKARTA (JP): It's probably more than you can watch. Just take your pick: Hollywood movies, Indonesian TV films, light comedies or music shows, all of them only a click away.

Three television stations -- Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) and, to a lesser degree, state-owned Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) -- are going all out in preparing special programs to mark their anniversary celebrations this Aug. 24.

Other television stations, like Indosiar and Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI), celebrate their anniversaries in January, while ANteve's has its anniversary in February.

Celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, the country's first private television station RCTI is polishing up old shows and presenting some new ones.

On Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m., the station is to broadcast a revamped version of its old dangdut music show Joged, featuring well-known singers Iis Dahlia, Ike Nurjanah, Rhoma Irama, Elvy Sukaesih and others.

The next day, comedians Parto, Komeng and Derry will host quiz and comedy shows which will appear briefly between programs from morning to night, offering two cars, several motorcycles and cash as prizes.

A special music and cabaret show titled RCTI Ku, RCTI Mu will be aired on the same day, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m., and will feature top celebrities Titi DJ, Peggy Melati Sukma, Titik Puspa, Nafa Urbach, Sahrul Gunawan, Farhan and musician Djaduk Ferianto.

RCTI's public relations manager Teguh Juwarno said the music and cabaret shows were not only about fun. Instead, they were intended to show concern for those suffering from poverty and diseases, as well as refugees and disaster victims.

Apart from airing special programs, RCTI will also organize charitable events in Bandung, Jakarta, Medan, Semarang and Surabaya. It has already distributed donations to school teachers living in remote areas in 30 provinces.

Private television station SCTV, which will celebrates its 11th anniversary, will air reruns of its successful TV films, better known as FTVs, every day from Aug. 16 to Aug. 26.

Two in-house production musical comedies, Joko Surya and 11 Jawara (to be screened on Aug. 24 from 7:05 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and Bek Stelij Bois, featuring the Padhyangan comedy group (to be screened three times: on Aug. 22, 23, 26 from 9 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.), should cheer up SCTV's audiences on the night's in question.

SCTV is also screening Hollywood blockbuster movies every evening starting Aug. 16 at 9:30 p.m.

Antonio Banderas will appear in Desperado (Aug. 18) while three James Bond movies -- Roger Moore's A View to Kill (Aug. 19), Timothy Dalton's The Living Daylight (Aug. 20), and Pierce Brosnan's Golden Eye (Aug. 21), will follow on. FBI agents Fox, Mulder and Scully brings The X-Files movie to the small screen (Aug. 22), while Sandra Bullock's The Nets (Aug. 23) should keep the viewers enthralled.

SCTV's public relations manager Budi Darmawan said in a statement that through its special program schedule, the station wanted to celebrate its anniversary with the people while showing solidarity at a time of crisis.

Apart from screening special programs, the station also plans charitable activities, including making donations to several orphanages in a number of cities, as well as to disaster victims.

Its limited budget, however, will prevent state television station TVRI from airing many special programs to mark its 39th anniversary. If everything goes as planned, it will screen a two- hour music show Gebyar Musik presenting popular entertainers like Titi DJ, Joshua, Iga Mawarni, Rama Aipama, AB Three, Tantowi Yahya, Taufik Savalas and Bunglon.

"We won't be putting on any other special shows except for Gebyar Musik because of our tight budget," TVRI's marketing and programming manager Suhadri Syalnas said on Tuesday.

However, he expressed optimism that TVRI would soon be ready to face its competitors. In order to lure more viewers, TVRI has decided that it's time to ditch some its old programs. Now it has new programs such as Halo Metro Indonesia, 30' with Anita Rahman, Kontes Suara, and RT-RW, and some entertainment news programs.

"TVRI has been on the air all day long and airing early- morning news every day since last month," Suhadri said.