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Indonesian viewers to miss a televised Olympics again
Niken Prathivi and Damar Harsanto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 07/05/2008 12:20 PM | Headlines
For the second time in a row, Indonesians will miss their chance to watch the Olympic Games live and free of charge, as no local broadcaster has made plans to air the Beijing Games next month.
After the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, when the country's TV audience enjoyed free coverage of the quadrennial event aired by private television station RCTI, viewers had to subscribe to cable TV Kabelvision to witness the glorious moment of Indonesian shuttler Taufik Hidayat winning the gold at the 2004 Athens Games.
"Unfortunately, no Indonesian broadcaster has yet taken the broadcast rights," said John Barton, director for sports at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), which represents 28 Asian countries in airing the Olympics.
ANTV, partly owned by worldwide TV STAR, said it had no plan to broadcast the world's top sporting event due to "pricey rights."
"It's too costly for us to run a program that attracts not many advertisers and viewers," ANTV's general manager for sports programming Reva Deddy Utama told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
"In 2000, the offering price was around US$2 million. This year, I believe it will be much higher," he added.
The rights for broadcasting the Beijing Games has reportedly soared to $13.7 million, but the ABU has declined to confirm the figure.
Deddy added that the event was not saleable since badminton is the only sport featuring Indonesian athletes playing well.
"And there is no package on offer to buy broadcasting rights per sport event."
According to Deddy, the biennial Southeast Asian Games was more preferred by his company's sport advertisers -- often cigarette and energy drink companies -- than the Olympics, since the former held higher chances of seeing Indonesian athletes win medals.
In Athens, Indonesia brought home one gold and one silver from weightlifter Lisa Rumbewas and two bronze from shuttler Sony Dwi Kuncoro and men's doubles Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault said earlier that Indonesia aimed to mirror the feat in Beijing.
"We will strive to maintain our tradition to bring home a gold medal during the Games," he said.
Voicing similar concern over the price, RCTI also said it had no plan to purchase the rights again.
"We cannot afford the expensive rights," RTCI manager Dini Putri told the Post
RCTI along with TPI and Global TV under the MNC Group aired the successful 2008 Euro soccer championship last month.
RCTI program director Harsiwi Ahmad added that RCTI would focus on some local major events in the next months and had no plans to buy the Olympic rights.
Separately, while refusing to reveal exact figure of the rights, ABU director John Barton emphasized that the price was not the only issue.
"The Olympic Games is worth something to many people, more than just money," he said.
He added that Indonesian broadcasters still had one week before the deadline to submit a proposal for purchasing the rights.
"It is still possible for Indonesia to buy the rights," he said.
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JohanP (not verified) — Sun, 07/06/2008 - 4:08pm
It's unfortunate that Indonesian citizens may not have the chance again to feel like a part of the world.
I'm not a huge fan of the Olympic Games and how they have primarily become money making venues, but, to many youngsters who are unaware of that fact, they again have no source from which they may spark some hope within themselves to achieve grand things in their lives through dedication and hard work.
Again, very unfortunate.
Johan
Yoyok (not verified) — Sun, 07/06/2008 - 3:25pm
Is it no surprise to be denied the Olympic coverage by the selfish broadcasters in our country?
It must be better to rot the brains of each age demographic with shallow sinetron and half-brained gossip programming. What benefit to children could there be by showing them a global event that could inspire them to become great national ambassadors someday?
It would be nice if the world could attach more to our beautiful country than things I am too ashamed to mention.
It's ok if the common people cannot see the Olympics. With enough elite snobs in the country, many companies will always turn a profit no matter what the cost to the average citizen.
May that be the source of their own awakening.
Tono
Janus (not verified) — Sun, 07/06/2008 - 3:04pm
Sad to see and read the answers of broadcasters in Indonesia, they prefer to spend huge amounts of dollars at pulp tv programmes called sinetron or very low standard show programs with presenters who think they are funny... There is a huge cry for better sport programs in Indonesia and I wonder what kind of surveys the channels do to get the right picture... Ask around in Bali and all will tell you BETTER SPORT PROGRAMS and BETTER NEWS PROGRAMS. Stop airing pulp programs or airing at night and with that you could save over 4 years time enough money to pay the rights for the Olympics...