Indonesian TV, competitive, fast and evolving is using various format TV programmemes to keep its audiences’ attention fixed squarely on the box. But it’s not just a cut and paste job, Indonesian producers are now tailoring their shows to meet local styles and tastes, Ron Corben explains. Indonesia television has come a long way since its early days of a single network and a handful of foreign bought shows and ‘sinetrons’ from India. In 1989 private TV channels entered the market, and today there are a dozen networks and more 20 local channels all vying for a slice of a more savvy and discerning local audience. Major stations now include RCTI, TPI, SCTV, antv, Indostar, Metro TV, Trans 7, Trans TV, TV One and Global TV. Among the major satellite stations are Indovision, TOP TV, TelkomVision, Yes TV, Aora TV and OkeVision. Philip Rich, a media consultant based in Jakarta, says trends have shifted significantly. “It’s a very competitive market because there’s so many free to air television stations looking for a competitive advantage and so many people are looking for content, whether it’s Indonesian or from outside Indonesia,” Rich said. Rachmah Ida, an author on media studies noted in an academic paper, that in the 1990s, TV began to change from standard U.S TV shows, to more Asia-centric themes. Hong Kong’s TV productions led the way for other East Asian programmes from Korea, Japan and Taiwan to get airtime in Indonesia. Rachmah noted that there was a greater acceptance in Indonesia of foreign and non- Western media. “Almost all national private TV channels continue to run the so-called Asia Mandarin and Asia non-Mandarin TV serials, series and single movies in their everyday programming pattern,” she said. Indonesia’s TV format at its core largely centres on TV drama followed by TV specials featuring live entertainment and then reality and game shows. But as the TV industry has grown, production houses are eager to create formats closer to Indonesian culture and ways of life. FramantleMedia Asia’s chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Schult said to ensure success, production houses need to avoid being dependent on one format. FremantleMedia Asia made its debut in Indonesia in 1995 with Family Feud. The success of FremantleMedia Asia’s cornerstone Indonesian Idol, set to run its seventh season in 2011, triggered a need to ensure diversity in programming. “There was a time in 2006 where we were increasingly worried our business was far too dependent on Indonesia Idol. So through 2008 and 2009 we pushed very hard to diversify our business,” Schult told TVAPlus. In 2011 they are looking to bring in the X Factor and MasterChef. “We’re continuing to make sure we’re not vulnerable on one genre. If not for the fact that we are always looking ahead for new trends and preparing to capitalise on them, right now one could be fearful that the game show business, which is lucrative and great for us, presents itself as a vulnerability” he added. Taking a calculated risk, FremantleMedia launched dating show Take Me Out this year, to the Indonesian market. “Obviously, we produced it very carefully and we went for it and it was an absolute blockbuster,” said Schult, adding that it was one of the top shows in Indonesia at the time. He said some formats however, will simply fail in Indonesia. “The secret is finding the right balance. There’s a lot of shows in the world that an Indonesian audience couldn’t be bothered watching. Being localised; it’s not that difficult really,” he said. Endemol Asia also sees a lot of potential in Indonesia’s local format market. This year it will debut Show Me What You’ve Got on PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri (IVM). The high-octane variety game show format has already proven to be a hit with other Asian audiences, with two successful series broadcasting in Vietnam. Last August it launched the global hit game show 1 vs. 100. The locally produced show remains a top performer in its prime time slot. The quiz and non-drama ‘king’ of programming in Indonesia, Helmy Yahya, CEO of production house, PT Triwarsana says even as TV drama remains the leader, game shows and reality TV are well placed due to their lower production costs. But being on the outlook for new formats is a challenge. “Some format changes are very fast because the Indonesian market is very unique due to the number of free to TV stations,” he told TVAPlus. This keeps producers under pressure. “I’m very lucky I have many formats that have a very long duration in terms of being on air.” Helmy’s successes date back to 1989 when he began with producer, Ani Sumadi on programmes such as Berpacu Dalam Melodi (Racing in Melody), Aksara Bermakna (Meaning of Characters), Siapa Dia (Guess Who) and Tak Tik Boom. The highly popular Bedah Rumah, or Home Improvement, has been running for seven years. His recent shows include The Last Man Standing, centred on a household of people without outside communication and elimination of a contestant each week. Helmy said that totally foreign formats generally fall short in Indonesia now. “It’s better to make our own version…featuring cultural and domestic content, that’s the key if you want to penetrate the Indonesia market,” he said. Success with oher Asian programmes has been seen in those especially from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. “It’s a matter of culture, it’s a matter of tradition,” Helmy said. But similar traditions and culture do not always translate to success. Helmy said his family’s background, they were both street vendors, has helped him understand the market. “Indonesia has a lot of poor people. The format that is very popular is about helping the poor. To understand the market you have to understand the population,” he said.