Wimar opts for show business not politics
Wimar opts for show business not politics
This is the second and last part of The Jakarta Post's interview with Wilmar Witoelar, a former student activist who became a management consultant and then host of the Perspektif TV talk show. The critical show was canceled by SCTV last year under pressure from the government. The first part appeared in yesterday's issue.
JAKARTA (JP): Q: Aren't you interested in plunging into the political arena?
A: No. We don't have any manual of Indonesian politics. I can't work with uncertainty.
Q: People say politics is foul.
A: Not always. During the revolution, politics was not foul. There are many excellent politicians who help people. But yes, those who have bad intentions might work harder because they have their own agenda.
Q: Back to your talk show. Don't you want to air it live?
A: Very much. It is only a matter of time. But technically, how can we prevent people from saying baseless things, which can have a adverse effect on us? And usually our hosts are very busy. I wonder if they will have time to be on air live. But let's see.
Q: Larry King can do it.
A: His salary is US$400,000, and the budget for his show is millions of dollars. Ours is zero. I get Rp 700,000 ($335) a show. There is yet to be a business dimension here.
Q: SCTV dropped your show. Haven't you learned your lesson?
A: I learn lots of things every day. Maybe there were individuals who didn't like the talk show and abused their power to make the TV station drop it. But there were cabinet ministers who expected me to come back soon.
Q: I hear that you might feature Minister of Information Harmoko on your show.
A: If he is willing, why not? He will be more than welcome to join the show -- live on television.
SCTV said they would restart the talk show. I am still waiting for their decision.
Q: Who is your next guest on the radio talk show?
A; Ebiet G. Ade, a musician. One of many Indonesians who are innovative, tough and successful -- both artistically and financially. The show will hopefully inspire the public.
Perspektif is not a political show, it is not meant to shoot people. We are soft and positive. We present fresh perspectives through clear communication, to enable people to express their positiveness without a communication barriers.
Q: How do you prepare for interviews?
A: I have never pre-arranged questions. I just want to know their ideas and let them present their ideas as they are.
Q: Do you censor yourself?
A: There is no conventional self-censorship. But fundamentally, every time we take a step, we censor ourselves. There is natural ethical mechanisms and there are also political ethics. I have lived in Indonesia a long time and have interacted with the this condition. Of course, we will not scold people violently. But basically, everyone censors themselves. I have my own limit and my guest has his. If he is more brave than me, I will not restrict him. I ask him questions and how he answers the questions depends on him.
Q: Aren't you afraid the people who don't like these statements might get you in trouble?
A: I will be afraid if I break the law. We have to go through the process of communication dynamics. If there are a lot of restrictions we won't be able to have clear communication. But we have to be careful not to say things which are baseless, which are not supported by facts.
Q: What makes you popular?
A: I came into a world in which people like to control others or be controlled by the others. And then there was me, a naive man, like Forrest Gump. People like to watch me, to watch someone who is a little bit nuts or unpredictable. So, it is not because of the quality of the show, it's because the public need something entertaining and refreshing.
Q: How do you like Larry King?
A: I like his program, but not his character. He is ketus (grim), unfriendly, not gentle. But I like his consistency. He can accept guests from various fields and he has interesting questions.
Q: Do you agree that most programs aired by local television stations are stupefying?
A: Unfortunately, yes. We have five private channels, big investment and plenty of air time. But there are only a few programs worth seeing.
Q: Don't private television stations have a few good news program?
A: They are better than other programs. But don't get spoiled. Don't go too far with crime stories. But yes, the programs depend on the market. We need to improve the market mechanism. Private television stations exist because of commercials. Commercials are based on a rating system, but the rating system can not catch the real waves. Perspektif's ratings were low, but I am sure that millions of people watched the show.
There is something wrong with our ratings system. It fosters the wrong impression about the audience. Television producers think that the audience is stupid and not critical. There are many people who are sick of telenovela (Spanish TV dramas), but they do not speak out and it isn't monitored. It is clear that there is market which is not identified by the surveys. As a result, television stations cater to those with bad taste. There are probably business networks which can operate without being sensitive to their market.
The answer to this problem is not censorship, but the opening of a market mechanism.
If the government is concerned with this problem, they can study the market's interest.
Q: We already have Survey Research Indonesia.
A: Yes, but in some ways it is inadequate. There are conventional programs and ground-breaking programs. Programs like Perspektif are not strange to Americans, but they are new to Indonesians. You can't use conventional monitoring requirements.
Private television stations have to become more professional. People who are in the business are new. The owners are big businesspeople who are more interested in business than television.
The audience must be more responsive, too. (sim)