Local tv

Does anyone really watch local free-to-air television channels? Is it any wonder why paid satellite tv operator Astro is doing well? Is it any wonder why pirate dvds are selling like hotcakes?

Let's face it; local tv programmes are crap with only a few exceptions. Look at the shows aired by RTM1 & 2 – absolutely crap. There seems to be forums everyday where self professed armchair 'experts' discourse at length on some social issue. Dullsville! No one in their right mind will watch such programmes unless they want to expire from an overdose of boredom. But I can't really blame RTM for producing such crappy shows as it probably operates under a tight budget. After all, forums are the cheapest programmes to produce – just decide on a topic and invite some tom, dick or harry to talk at length. Probably don't even have to pay him, he'd be more than happy to pose his ugly mug in front of the camera. Low cost but it is a doubled edged sword; if fewer people watch the programmes, then advertising revenue will be lower. The vicious circle continues, without any prospect of improving. Even the broadcast quality pales in comparison with the other channels – RTM broadcasts on the VHF band while other stations use UHF which sends out better broadcast signals. The colour and resolution just don't look right; in short it makes you want to channel surf away to another station. Even the newsreaders look boring; obviously RTM doesn't have much of a budget for attire as well. It would have closed shop ages ago were it not a government owned concern. We must also remember that we don't pay for a tv licence nowadays.

The commercial stations worth a bit of watching is Ntv7 and 8tv; especially the serialised crime and action shows from the US. Tv3 is slowly leaning towards more local content; hence you see more and more local dramas.

You must have noticed by now that there seems to be a pact among the different stations to break for commercials at exactly the same time. Of course it is easy to arrange this, after all Ntv7, Tv3, 8Tv and Tv9 are all owned by Media Prima. So much so that even RTM has caught on to the trick, breaking at about the same time. Viewers are forced to watch the irritating commercials; you can't be going off to the loo every 12-15 minutes, can you? Big problem if you do. It must also be said that such programmes would be impossible to watch for free if there weren't any advertising revenue.

The government has been encouraging more widespread usage and literacy of English. Yet even cartoon shows originally in the English language are dubbed in Malay. How are the young, especially Malay kids going to get more exposure in English? Something is not right here. It just doesn't measure up. It is understandable if shows originally in Japanese or other foreign languages are dubbed in Malay but for goodness sake please leave the English programmes alone. At this rate, English language literacy will actually go down instead of improving.

Ah well, the show must go on ............