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TV channels in race for audience numbers over Ramadhan
As the largest Muslim majority nation, Indonesia always sees Ramadhan and Idul Fitri as a festival for all
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A
s the largest Muslim majority nation, Indonesia always sees Ramadhan and Idul Fitri as a festival for all.
Most banks, offices, shopping malls and stores deck out their buildings with accessories related to the festival, play religious songs and ask their front office employees to wear Muslim attire.
Ramadhan is in the air, and it is on the air too as most TV stations offer various religious-related programs for their audiences. Some TV soap operas, which have nothing to do with Ramadhan, insert glimpses of the Islamic fasting month into the stories.
Of course, there are also productions made specifically for this special month, too.
Harsiwi Achmad, SCTV’s programming and production director, said her station had brought back the programs that had received positive feedback last year. Programs like TV series Para Pencari Tuhan (The God Seekers) Season 5 and Gema Ramadhan, a combination of musical performances and preaching, are the same features that were aired last year.
However, the TV channel is trying to offer a different flavor by featuring a different ustadz (Muslim preacher) and a different story for the TV series.
“We want to have high-rated programs at certain times, but it turns out that Sm*sh Ngabuburit, Cinta dan Uya Spesial Ramadhan and Gema Ramadhan have received extraordinary responses from our audiences,” she told The Jakarta Post over the telephone recently.
Sm*sh Ngabuburit is a program which features members of the boyband Sm*sh traveling from one city to another visiting popular places, buying food and talking about historical sites.
Ngabuburit refers to the various activities people do while they are waiting to break the fast.
A number of entertainers, such as Dedi Mizwar, the main character in Para Pencari Tuhan Season 5, Sm*sh members, magicians Cinta and Uya Kuya and Muslim teachers Solmed and Quraish Shihab have become the spearhead of the TV channel, Harsiwi said.
Solmed is the host of Kata Ustadz Solmed, while Quraish Shihab hosts Mutiara Hati, a discussion about Islam, three times a day.
Meanwhile, another local television channel, RCTI, presented Sahur Semua Sahuuur, an afternoon cinema special about Ramadhan, Master Class Ramadhan, Cerita Anak Langitan, Kultum, soap opera Dari Sujud Ke Sujud (From Prayer to Prayer), Tabligh Akbar and a Ramadhan concert.
Comedian Komeng appears on the TV channel this year, hosting Sahur Semua Sahuuur, a live program that combines humor and quizzes. His was previously popular on other TV channels, including Trans 7 and Trans TV.
Performing a live show for RCTI was a fresh thing to do, he said, adding that landing a big fee was not his main consideration when accepting jobs on TV.
“Payment is not a big deal because I would rather opt for something more refreshing. I will not accept a contract if it does not fit my timetable. The most important thing is that I can enjoy the job,” he said.
Komeng is a popular comedian who annually appears on sahur (pre-dawn meal) TV shows. He said the only time he had taken a break from such programs was in 2004 when he accompanied his wife when he was giving birth.
“I like doing live shows for sahur, but I wish they could move the program to 7 a.m.” he said jokingly.
Sahur Semua Sahuuur also features familiar RCTI hosts, including Raffi Ahmad, Olla Ramlan and Jessica Iskandar. The three also host the live music program Dahsyat in the morning.
Comedians Isa (left to right), Melky and Aden of Bajaj in a scene from Para Pencari Tuhan. Courtesy of SCTV
Production department operational manager Untung Pranoto said the three were included in the sahur program because they were the TV network’s icons, and they can do comedy.
“We had better nurture our own icons rather than use other celebrities. We use them as long as they can blend with others in the program,” he said.
Meanwhile, Metro TV’s approach to Ramadhan has been a little more serious. The network offers several religious programs, including Kultim Ramadhan, Inspirasi Ramadhan, Tafsir Al Mishbah (Koran discussion), a talk show titled Ensiklopedia Islam (Islamic Encyclopedia) and a dialogue titled The Light of Indonesian Islam.
Kultim stands for Kuliah Tiga Menit (Three minutes lecture), which addresses various topics, such as honesty, repentance and being needed.
The Indonesian Independence Day, which fell on Aug. 17, was not forgotten by the TV programs. Some stations aired local films related to nationalism. SCTV aired Darah Garuda (Blood of Eagles) part one and two and RCTI aired Sang Pencerah (The Enlightener).
