Trans TV, Raffi Is Not Our Prince!

FOR two days in a row with more than 10 hours on each, Trans TV Station broadcast Raffi Ahmad’s wedding ceremony, live. I have to antecede “live” with a comma, for this mode makes the show “Menuju Janji Suci”(Goes to Holy Vow) deservedly receiving more criticisms. A while ago, the wedding reception of Anang Hermansyah, a famous Indonesian musician, was broadcast live by RCTI for three hours without any decisive action towards this station.  No wonder, Trans TV confidently broadcast the similar show.

Why do I against those shows and become so fussy?

To begin, attending celebrities’ wedding through television set does not give any benefits for the audience. The only news value of the wedding live show is the involvement of famous persons. Yes, fame makes the news. Most importantly, publicis eager to know the achievements, thoughts, and works of their idols. However, a celebrity wedding can be reported in any regular gossip show.

Even, Anang’s and Raffi’s renowns are not much related to public interests. Despite their professions as artists, their decisions –whether they sign new contract with TV stations or music companies— will only bring an impact onthe ‘’escapist” world of citizens through entertainment.

Straightforwardly, even Raffi’s wedding cannot be compared with UK’s Royal Wedding also broadcast live for hours by BBC considering that Prince William someday will rule United Kingdom. His existence and fame here are important for English. In contrast,Raffi Ahmad is not a prince for most Indonesians but for his wife only! Indeed, both Anangs and Raffi’s wedding and other folk’s wedding are in resemblance: private activities.

Nobody can defend the informative and educational aspect of the show. I believe the only informationobtained from this show is merely on the trend of kebaya fashionin which audience can get through regular gossip shows or even from other mass media or online. Again, Javanese wedding ceremony itself, for example in the way how its philosophy and tradition must conform to modernity, was not the focus of reporting.

Seeing a wedding crowd, all glitterry fashions, and of course the attitudes of the weds, their families, and guests may be entertaining. However, we can stillbe entertained without taking all day long watching Raffi’s wedding. Unless, for those prying and snooping their idols, the show can feed their obsessiveness butI believethey are minority in numbers.Instead of beingentertained, Raffi’s live show invited much criticisms and big thumbs down from my surroundingsincluding a group of students from Bulgary I escorted days ago.

Second, celebrities’ wedding live show can still be broadcast live but not on nationally broadcastedJakartans commercial TV. Indonesia has a diverse cultural groups - not merelyaffiliated to Javanese culture. The live show of Javanese wedding nationally undermines that many other cultural groups in Indonesia do not have any primordial and emotional connections to Javanese traditions. This case can be solved if only Trans TV and other Jakartans commercial TV are willing to hold their appetites to dominate Indonesian sky with their commercial interests.

Third, those shows ironicallydo not give any benefits for the audience but the couples get money from the right to air they sell to the stations. Trans TV sells the large audience with a prediction to have more advertisers and to get an exclusive report by buying exclusive broadcast right from Raffi. Thus, Raffi can pay for the Anne Avantie wed’s gown which costs billions Rupiahs and gets the best documentary video ever!

Fourth, in many families, watching celebrities spending money on luxurious wedding can be very intriguing realizing that they might be the ones with low income and get entertainments only from television sets.

Fifth, radio frequency is public owned leading anyone to be unable to use it for the interest of limited members of the society. It is clear that the parties benefitting from the show is Trans TV, the weds, and the advertisers.

Sixth, TV shows invade the homes for being always available on air, and we cannot reject it unless shutting down the TV. Though we can shut it down, or change the channel, the TV station cannot program a show that might be usuitable for children. The wedding ceremony is not really suitable for children as it only covered the glamorus aspect of the wedding.

Last, as written by Remotivi Coid on its website, airing private wedding ceremonies, live actually has broken broadcasting regulations such as Pedoman Perilaku Standar Penyiaran and Standar Program Siaran (P3-SPS) states that “..the use of radio frequency as limited natural resources and public goods is directed for the benefits of the society.” As I argue that the show does not give any benefit and not based on the regulation, the show was not supposed to be broadcast for hours, whether live or rerun.

All in all, I do not reject the idea of broadcasting celebrities’ wedding ceremony live but it cannot be nationally applied for Trans TV or other Jakartans commercial TV broadcast. I believe many groupsof people still want to watch this all day but their interest ought not to dominate other audience’s interest. The solution for this is that Trans TV broadcast the ceremony by internet streaming, not by public frequency. It is hoped then that there will be a measure taken by KPI such as by banning the broadcast for a day in responding this --though KPI legally does not have any authorities to give a firm sanction to Trans TV. By so doing, similar show does not invade our living rooms without any knock-knocks.