TV stations get your act together

TV stations get your act together

I read in the entertainment section of The Jakarta Post on
Sunday, Aug. 13, that TV stations take into account letters from
the public. This seems only half-hearted to me. There appears to
be no response to comments made about their daily TV guides
published in local papers. It is a waste of time reading a TV
guide that gives empty promises to the public. On many occasions
a program is switched with a live show or something else. This
certainly makes for frustrating viewing and in the end it is far
easier to hire a movie and watch in comfort.

Another comment unheeded by the stations concerns the type of
movies. Isn't it important to the TV stations to take into
consideration that not all viewers have the same taste in movies?
It is a mixed community of people living in Indonesia. In
newspaper listings, can't they establish that the movie is
Indian, American or British?

Also why can't TV stations show a little more professionalism
in promoting their daily airings? If the program is news, give it
its title. If it says its a miniseries, state its name. If it is
documentary, the same. After all, people watch TV for relaxation
and information.

Another matter of great concern, which seems to be avoided,
more than likely due to the fact that it helps ratings, is the
airing of graphic and bloody scenes -- a man disfigured by a bomb
and decomposed bodies for example. These heart-wrenching and
blood thirsty incidents are not aired in other countries. In
Australia, for example, people aren't bombarded with visual and
graphic shots as they are here. I am led to believe this is
exploitative and encourages life's 'negatives'. We could be given
this kind of news verbally, and the visuals could be handed to us
with a little more compassion to the public. Seeing crime and
devastation only encourages further violence. We should be
informed, but exposing the tragedies doesn't have to so bold and
coarse.

C. PARRY

Jakarta