The X factors: (From left to right) UK X Factor host Dermot OâLeary and judges Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Simon Cowell, Mel B and Louis Walsh
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Looks and talent alone aren't enough ' only those with the X factor make it big.
Singer Ben Haenow has proven himself as the contestant with the 'X factor', being named the winner of the latest series of the UK X Factor during the season finale held from Dec. 11-12 at the SSE Arena Wembley in London.
The Jakarta Post was one of two Indonesian newspapers invited by RTL-CBS Entertainment to watch the live shows and experience the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of spectators packing the arena for two nights in a row.
The three finalists ' Italian student Andrea Faustini, singer-songwriter-fitness model Fleur East and Haenow, a former van driver ' showed off their talents before tens of thousands of spectators and an audience of 9.4 million across the country.
Guest stars, including previous X Factor finalists One Direction and Olly Murs, Meghan Trainor, Demi Lovato, Take That, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, highlighted the two-day finale.
This season introduced yet another gimmick, with the three finalists going on a campaign-trail-like tour on so-called 'Battle Buses' to different cities to garner votes ' just as politicians would do ' prior to the finale. The three of them also performed homecoming gigs in their hometowns ' where, presumably, they would collect the most votes.
The talent show, which was created by TV personality Simon Cowell, was reported as the second-most-watched show of the night in the UK after the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing semifinal results show, which drew 9.6 million.
Cowell ' named among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2010 ' is the magnet of the show. Despite his blunt commentaries and often controversial criticism, his charisma has proven able to keep viewers' attention on the singing competition for years.
London resident Anna, who watched the show live with her daughters, said that Cowell's personality was the factor that made the show stand out amid ubiquitous talent shows. 'He's crazy ' crazy in a good way. He cuts to the chase; he doesn't beat around the bush. He's just him,' she told The Jakarta Post.
Karl Sanchez, a Philippines-based surgeon who won a prize to watch the show live in London, shared the sentiment. 'Judges are a big part of the competition. We all know Simon Cowell is very good at finding, judging and nurturing the talents. Everybody can sing but it takes someone who is different to become a star,' Sanchez said.
While enjoying Cowell's comments, Anna said that popularity contests like the X Factor should not deny their limitations.
'I like genuine people who are really skilled and I think the choice should not be left to the public [because] not all people understand what music is all about.'
Sanchez, however, had different expectations of talent shows and the contestants. 'I expect them [the contestants] to become very popular artists like One Direction,' he said.
The UK X Factor is broadcast live on ITV for viewers in Britain, but fans in Indonesia can access the show, real time, on RTL CBS Entertainment channel on paid television KVision, a subsidiary of Kompas Gramedia Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in the country.
Amid fierce competition among terrestrial TV channels ' which offer arguably similar, mundane TV shows ' demand for alternative TV programs has steadily grown.
KVision executive director Harya S. Pratama said 250,000 users from Aceh to Papua had subscribed to KVision since its introduction in April 2013, and he was optimistic that the figure would triple this year.
'We aim for more than 700,000 new subscribers this year,' he said. The number of paid TV subscribers in Indonesia stood at 3 million.
A saturation of programs broadcast by TV stations as well as the quality offered by paid TV were among the factors that could boost the number of paid TV subscribers, Harya believed.
'There are currently at least 15 TV channels in Indonesia competing to offer something different [...],' he said.
KVision offers more than 100 channels for viewers with different preferences.
Popular American drama series House of Cards is exclusively broadcast on KVision through RTL CBS channel, while adrenaline junkies will enjoy programs on RTL CBS Extreme.
To lure Korean drama fans, KVision has KPlus, which relays the latest Korean dramas and has been available since September.
The company also offers various in-house channels. In December, KVision launched Kidsnesia, a channel designed for children between one and six years old, while a channel for women, Nova, is set to be launched by the end of January.
'Since November [2014], we have also started working together with [production house] MD Entertainment. We will launch a new channel, Pelangi, which will relay local movies from Multivision,' he told the Post. Harya said there were at least four new in-house channels set to be launched this year.
'There is a growing demand for quality pictures and programs,' he added.
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