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)