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

'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)