# Indosiar

PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri, commonly known as Indosiar, is an Indonesian over-the-air television broadcaster, established on 19 July 1991, with test broadcasts commencing on 18 December 1994, and officially launching on 11 January 1995. It has been owned by Emtek since 2011, and later operated under its subsidiary, Surya Citra Media (owner of SCTV) since May 2013, with the network's original owner, Indosiar Karya Media, absorbed into SCM. The name "Indosiar" is derived from two words, namely "Indo," which refers to Indonesia, and "siar," which comes from the word siaran, meaning "broadcasting" in Indonesian.
Its claimed audience share for September 2008 was 16.2% of viewers, then shrunk to 11.6% in December 2009. Indosiar broadcasts Indonesian association football matches such as BRI Liga 1, and the Indonesia President's Cup. along with other world sports broadcast.
Indosiar currently uses an HDTV 16:9 and SDTV 16:9 as the main aspect ratios replacing 4:3 from 30 November 2021, following an HDTV service which started in 2017. The channel also had DVB-T2 nationwide broadcast feeds on the encrypted-transponder over the Telkom-4 satellite since 2021.
Its broadcast tower, 395 m (1,296 ft) tall Indosiar Television Tower, located in West Jakarta, is the tallest structure in Indonesia and was the eighth tallest in the world.

## History

Salim Group's interest to venture into the broadcasting industry began when the Indonesian government issued the permit for RCTI to be established as the first commercial television broadcaster in Indonesia in 1989. The high profits from the commercial TV business and the Salim Group business empire that expanded into various sectors created a "necessity" for them to have their own television company.
A joint venture between the Salim Group and the Semarang newspaper Suara Merdeka to build a local television station, under the name Merdeka Citra Televisi Indonesia (MCTI). The establishment permit for MCTI was issued on August 21, 1991, with 60% of the shares controlled by the Salim Group and 40% by Suara Merdeka. To prepare for it, Salim then collaborated with Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) of Hong Kong which was placed at the MCTI head office in Semarang. In addition, Salim also planned to build another television station in Batam, in collaboration with the Ramako Group (owned by Bambang Nuryatno Rachmadi) called Ramako Indotelevisi (RIT TV).The establishment of the two local TV stations was due to the government's attitude at that time which only allowed one commercial television station in each region.
However, Salim later decided to change his approach by establishing a national private television station. During lobbying efforts in Europe, Anthony Salim proposed the creation of a television network focused on economic issues, particularly rural economics, in discussions with President Soeharto. At the same time, another proposal emerged from Eko Supardjo Rustam (son of former Central Java Governor Soepardjo Rustam) and the Minister of Home Affairs. They envisioned a television station based in Central Java that would highlight Javanese culture. President Soeharto ultimately decided to merge both ideas into a single company, PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri. The station was designed to broadcast programs centered on rural economics and cultural themes. PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri was officially established on July 19, 1991, and received its broadcasting license on June 18, 1992.
Because the station had a specific purpose, namely broadcasting rural cultural and economic programs, Indosiar initially had the status of SPTSK (Stasiun Penyiaran Televisi Swasta Khusus, Special Private Television Broadcasting Station). This status allowed it to broadcast nationally from the start, unlike other private television stations, which were only allowed to broadcast locally. Before broadcasts officially commenced, on January 30, 1993, Indosiar, along with 4 existing private TV stations (RCTI, SCTV, TPI and ANteve) was allowed to broadcast with a changed status, namely SPTSU (Stasiun Penyiaran Televisi Swasta Umum, General Private Television Broadcasting Station). For other television stations (except TPI), this decision allowed them to broadcast nationally. However, for Indosiar, it also freed the network from the obligation to air specific programs tied to its SPTSK status. This flexibility enabled Indosiar to focus on entertainment programming from the very beginning of its broadcasts.
Building on the cooperation established during the initial plans for MCTI, Indosiar formed a partnership with Hong Kong-based TVB, a well-established player in the television industry. The goal was to leverage TVB’s expertise to enhance the skills of Indosiar’s workforce. TVB was chosen for its cost-efficient operations, strong in-house production capabilities, and its "Asian" programming style that closely matched Indonesian audience preferences. As part of this collaboration, Indosiar followed TVB’s model by constructing four state-of-the-art studios for in-house production in Indonesia. Additionally, the network hired 1,000 local employees and brought in 150 foreign workers—many of whom held key positions in production, planning, and direct marketing.
However, the decision to employ 150 foreign workers quickly sparked controversy. Critics argued that this move could threaten national culture, especially amid concerns that Indosiar would produce "800 foreign imitation series" or many series that resembled East Asian and Western productions without acknowledging Indonesian culture. The policy was also seen as potentially violating government regulations. In response to these concerns, Indosiar’s management decided—just a month before its official launch on December 18, 1994—to cut the number of TVB employees to just 30. Over time, the number of foreign workers was further reduced through increased training for local staff, and by 1996, almost no TVB expatriates remained at Indosiar. Some speculated that the backlash stemmed from resentment toward a major non-native businessman successfully entering the broadcasting industry.
The collaboration with TVB influenced Indosiar in several ways, including its logo, which closely resembled TVB’s, and its programming lineup, which featured a strong selection of Asian drama series in its early broadcasts. Financially, the establishment of Indosiar required an investment of 200 billion rupiah.
Indosiar was officially launched on 11 January 1995. The next day, the first independent film to be premiered on the channel was Sesal, directed by Sophan Sophiaan. Two years after, Indosiar began to air the musical series Melangkah Di Atas Awan (A Walk in the Clouds).

### Launch and early development

Despite this, Indosiar continued its operational plan by conducting trial broadcasts (called "pre-premieres") starting on December 18, 1994 (postponed from its initial plan in July and August 1994) at 19.00 to 21.30 WIB (or 22.00 WIB/22.30 WIB if there is a TVRI relay) in the areas of Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Medan, and Ujung Pandang. Its trial broadcasts at that time each day only broadcast a selected independent film and two relayed news broadcasts from TVRI (Berita Malam and Dunia Dalam Berita). Indosiar officially went on air on January 11, 1995 and was inaugurated by the Minister of Information Harmoko in the Pesta Semarak Indosiar, Indosiar's launch event, which was broadcast live on the channel, starting at 19.30 WIB. The first independent film to air on Indosiar was Sesal, which aired the day after its first broadcast.
Indosiar's broadcasts initially only lasted for eight hours per day, from 16.00 WIB (later 15.30 WIB) to 24.00 WIB. Since June 16, 1997, its broadcasts have started since the morning (except for weekends, which since the beginning of broadcasting have started from 06.00 WIB). At the beginning of its broadcast, Indosiar immediately made a splash with various entertainment programs, especially Hong Kong dramas, such as the series Return of The Condor Heroes (starring Andy Lau) and New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre or To Liong To (starring Tony Leung) which were both quite popular among viewers. In order to satisfy the audience's desire for many foreign programs, Indosiar even immediately launched a new technology, namely NICAM, which produces clear sound. Not only that, Indosiar at that time was also equipped with the latest technology such as digital master control, digital tapes, and was even prepared for digital and HDTV broadcasts, long before the start of digital television in Indonesia.
On August 12-20, 1995, in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, Indosiar made a new breakthrough in the world of Indonesian television with the "Spectacular Indosiar 24 Hours Nonstop". This was the second time a television station in Indonesia broadcast 24 hours on a special occasion besides RCTI and SCTV, which did the same thing jointly together in the framework of their respective 2nd and 1st anniversaries on August 24 to August 25, 1991. The two channels fully began broadcasting 24 hours in the early 2000s.
In addition, Indosiar emphasizes cultural programming. One of the cultural programs that is always broadcast is a wayang show on Saturday nights, and the Srimulat comedy, inspired by traditional Indonesian culture but packaged in a modern style. The broadcast of these programs was a direct realization of the President's original vision when Indosiar was founded in 1992—to feature programming deeply rooted in culture, particularly Javanese culture.
In general, Indosiar at that time targeted the family market, and had planned to broadcast many local programs/films from the beginning, plus in-house programs (even preparing an internal production house). However, at first the programs were still 70% imported compared to 30% local.
As its programming evolved, Indosiar introduced Indonesian soap operas in the musical genre (starting with Melangkah Di Atas Awan), as well as romance and family dramas (beginning with Tersanjung). The network also aired quiz shows such as Kuis Siapa Berani? and Family 100. Additionally, Indosiar featured a variety of animated series, including Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Digimon, and Chuggington, which were broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
These programs helped establish Indosiar as a popular television network in Indonesia, achieving a market share of 34-38% in 1999. By 2002, Indosiar had the highest advertising revenue among its competitors. Between 2004 and 2007, its popularity was further boosted by reality singing competitions such as AFI, StarDut, Mamamia, and others, many of which engaged audiences emotionally and encouraged participation through SMS voting.
In 2005, Indosiar won an Asian Television Award for its special Christmas programming in 2004, including a live Christmas Eve mass from Sendangsono, Yogyakarta and the musical event The Bells: A Christmas Concert, featuring performances by AFI Junior (Samuel, Tata, Albert, and Damai), Christopher Abimanyu, Ruth Sahanaya, and the Choir of Jakarta Cathedral. Additionally, long before TVRI set a record for the largest flag-raising ceremony for Indonesia's Independence Day in August 2020, Indosiar had already organized the largest flag-raising event in Southeast Asia, hoisting a massive flag on its transmitter tower in Joglo, West Jakarta.

### Decline and acquisition by Emtek

By the late 2000s, it seemed that the singing contest programs were no longer attracting many viewers, so Indosiar began to utilize more FTV drama programs and colossal soap operas produced by Genta Buana Paramita as well as several programs such as Take Me Out Indonesia. The adoption of various soap operas and drama programs further signified Indosiar's change into a television for "lower class" viewers. Initially, many of Indosiar's colossal dramas, such as Tutur Tinular Versi 2011 were quite popular, but then Indosiar became the subject of gossip on social media considering that the drama programs and FTVs produced by Genta Buana tended to be of low quality, the stories sometimes deviated from the history they should have been, and used animation effects that were still below standard. The things that became the subject of gossip, such as the flying dragon animation and the superhero character Jayapati (who resembled Batman) in Tutur Tinular 2011. Indosiar's rating declined (only occupying position 6), which was perhaps one of the reasons for the sale of Indosiar from the Salim Group to Emtek in 2011.
Some time after the transfer of ownership under Emtek's management, Indosiar began to make a number of adjustments to its programs. These changes, such as eliminating all serialised soap opera programs (since 2013, but since 2021 they have been aired again) and colossal soap operas and promoting more in-house dangdutreality shows, such as D'Academy and Liga Dangdut Indonesia, Indosiar seems to have become a "dangdut television" and has even produced many new dangdut stars, such as Lesti Kejora and Evi Masamba. Indosiar also often airs off-dangdut reality programs such as Golden Memories, Akademi Sahur Indonesia and Stand Up Comedy Academy. In addition, Indosiar has also increasingly established FTV programs with religious nuances (since 2014) such as Azab, Suara Hati Istri and Pintu Berkah (produced by Mega Kreasi Films). These programs are quite successful in attracting the lower-class market, but are sometimes criticized by some upper-class people because the core of the story is always monotonous and the details of the story are too far-fetched. During Emtek's tenure, Indosiar also increasingly broadcast football programs, such as Liga 1, the Indonesian President's Cup, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

## Programming

The station has a strong focus on cultural programming, such as a wayang performance (which no longer airs) and dangdut talent shows.
Indosiar showed some Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese dramas, including Goblin, Hwang Ji Ni (or Hwag Jin Yi), Jewel in the Palace(Dae Jang Geum), Princess Hours (Goong), Prince Hours (Goong S), Full House, Boys Before Flowers, My Fair Lady, No Limits, Style, Brilliant Legacy, Great Queen Seon Deok, 18 vs 29, all from Korea; One Litre of Tears (or One litre no Namida), Ultraman Mebius, Detective Conan, and Hanazakari no Kimitachi e from Japan; and Romance in the White House and Starlit from Taiwan.
Indosiar also aired some native Indonesian cartoons, including Keluarga Somat (Somat's Family), broadcast since June 2013. The station had aimed for more popularity through reality shows, such as Take Me Out Indonesia, a dating show started in 2009. In 2014, Indosiar broadcast the new variety shows Dangdut Academy, Comedy Academy, D'T3rong Show, Goyang-goyang Senggol, Liga Dangdut Indonesia, Bintang Pantura, and Pop Academy. In 2013, Indosiar broadcast religious-themed television series from Mega Kreasi Films, and soap operas from Amanah Surga Productions, broadcast together with SCTV. Nowadays, religious-themed series become the station's most featured daytime programming, while dangdut talent shows are airing for evening program. These programs are broadcasting daily. Other popular Indosiar programs include singing competitions, such as Akademi Fantasi Indosiar, the most popular singing talent search show in Indonesia; Supersoulmate Show; Mamamia; and Stardut. Supersoulmate Show was hosted by Eko Patrio and Ruben Onsu; Mamamia was hosted by Denny Cagur and Onsu; and Stardut was hosted by Choky Sitohang. As of 2018, Indosiar removed all Korean dramas, Indonesian cartoons and Japanese anime in favor of religious-themed Indonesian dramas, such as Kisah Nyata (lit: True Stories), Azab (lit: Punishment), Pintu Berkah (lit. Door of Blessing), and Suara Hati Istri (lit. The Wife's Conscience).

### Sports

In 2010, Indosiar obtained the rights to broadcast Serie A for the next two seasons starting from 2010-11 to 2011-12. And in 2012, Indosiar broadcast Bundesliga matches for 2012-13 season after TVRI took the broadcasting rights of Serie A until 2013-14.
Then in 2013, Indosiar joined SCTV to broadcast Premier League for three seasons from 2013-14 to 2015-16 thanks to their partnership with beIN Sports.
Indosiar broadcast the American NBA Finals from 2017 to 2020, Indonesian Liga 1 from 2018 to 2023, Indonesian President's Cup from 2015, and Southeast Asian Games for 2013, 2015, and 2017 editions along with Liga 2. Previously, Indosiar broadcast NASCAR Cup Series from 2003 to 2004, FA Premier League from 1998 to 2000 again in 2013-2016 (with SCTV), Serie A from 2005 until 2007 and in 2011, as well an Inter Milan-A. C. Milan match in 2014), as well as Bundesliga in 2012 and 2013. Indosiar also had rugby programming in Orange Top 14 and Kalbe Super Rugby. The channel also aired syndicated World Championship Wrestling programming from the station's inception until the promotion was purchased by World Wrestling Federation as well as local boxing matches under the title of Gelar Tinju Professional (Professional Boxing Title). Combat sports programming returned to Indosiar in 2013-14 when it aired the ONE FC; the programming would be later moved to the sister channel SCTV.

## Presenters
### Current

* Asran Shady (former Trans TV anchor)
* Danny Maulana (former Trans TV and Kompas TV anchor)
* Dinda Ayudita
* Ilham Ardiansyah
* Jeannette Lee
* Nurul Cinta
* Pratiwi Kusuma (former iNews and Sindonews TV anchor)
* Ryan Wiedaryanto (former Trans TV anchor)
* Sheila Purnama (former tvOne and NET. anchor)
* Utrich Farzah (former Trans TV and Kompas TV anchor)
* Zulfikar Naghi (former Trans TV anchor)

### Former

* Achmad Faizal
* Agung Hardiansyah (now at BTV)
* Alfina Damayanti
* Arni Gusmiarni (now an executive producer for news programs on Indosiar)
* Brigita Manohara (now at tvOne)
* Budi Sampurno
* Budi Utami (now a news producer for Indosiar)
* Bunga Harum Dani (now at TVRI)
* Des Hanafi
* Diaz Kaslina
* Erwin Dwinanto
* Farma Dinata (Produser AntaraTV 2010–2011, Produser ANTV 2011–2023, sekarang Anchor Radio Elshinta)
* Fella Sumendap
* Fitri Wahyuni
* Fristian Griec (now at BTV)
* Haryz Wijaya
* Jemmy Darusman
* Jenny Tan
* Lena Sari Aristianti
* Muhammad Agung Izzulhaq (now at tvOne via its program Religi Damai Indonesiaku)
* Nike Kusmarini
* Ninok Hariyani
* Rana Rayendra
* Rania Shamlan
* Rara Munzir
* Resa Aruan
* Reza Marta Fawzy
* Sheila Baladraf
* Suhartono (now a news producer at Indosiar)
* Timothy Marbun
* Tina Talisa (now a commissioner for tvOne)
* Tirza Bonyadone
* Togar Sianipar
* Undang Suhendar
* Wandha Dwiutari (now at Trans7)
* Ziza Hamzah
* Zuwina Zabir