Why do you call ‘Cek & Ricek’ infotainment?
Infotainment is a generic term from overseas. In foreign countries, it does not refer to any specific kind of show or content. There’s a study that says that infotainment is a marketing strategy. My disclaimer for “Cek & Ricek” is that it’s a medium to air information about celebrities’ careers and personalities and a platform for them to clarify rumors. Is producing infotainment a profitable business? Yes. It is very easy to sell advertising slots for an infotainment show. What are the ups and downs of the infotainment business? When the monetary crisis hit Indonesia in 1998, I thought, “What did I get myself into?” I was a journalist for print media, and suddenly I was making TV shows that required big investments. In 1998, I created the “Cek & Ricek” tabloid as a safety net. But I think we are doing well. It’s been 15 years and “Cek & Ricek” is still on the air. With the money it was making, other players started to get interested. They didn’t understand that the show was produced b
