'TPI' and 'SCTV' to resume their normal airtime

JAKARTA (JP): TV stations TPI and SCTV will resume normal airtime tomorrow, after slashing airtime two months ago due to a significant drop in advertisers, station representatives said.

TPI public relations manager Theresia Ellasari said the station, which had suffered a 30 percent drop in commercial placements, had decided to resume its average airtime of 17.7 hours a day.

TPI will air for 17.5 hours on weekdays till 10:30 p.m., 18.5 hours on Saturdays till 1:30 a.m. and 18 hours on Sundays till 12:30 a.m.

Theresia said Monday that there were some morning programs, like new TV dramas and a female-oriented variety show called Mentari Pagi, that were receiving top commercial offers.

"Cross subsidies and a minimum of program shopping have helped us to make this possible again," Theresia said.

"Sony and Polygram will pay us a substantial amount for promoting their clips on the Musik Pop Barat music show ... there are new stocks of Discovery Channel documentaries that have not been aired."

TPI, with airtime formerly reduced from 18 hours to 14, advertises consumer products, with a half-hour of airtime costing between Rp 15 million to Rp 30 million.

In 1997, its advertising revenue ranged from Rp 8 billion to Rp 9 billion a month.

Beginning Monday SCTV will go on air for an average of 20 hours a day, with each hour of broadcast costing roughly Rp 20 million.

Yesterday, SCTV assistant public relations manager Haryanto said that programs formerly dropped, like news programs Liputan 6 Pagi, News Watch and telenovela Kasih Abadi, would be brought back due to popular demand.

SCTV cut its airtime from an average 21 hours a day to 12.5 on Feb. 16, following a 50 percent drop in advertisers. (02)