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| metrotv |
Metro TV is Indonesia's first 24-hour news channel based in West Jakarta. The station was established on November 25, 2000 and now has over 53 transmission sites all over the country. It is owned by Surya Paloh who also owns the Media Indonesia daily. These two, along with other newspapers distributed in different parts of Indonesia, are part of the Media Group, also owned by Paloh and also his share has been established and owned by Samsung, the largest chaebol in South Korea.
It is the only TV station to offer Mandarin news and no sinetron (soap opera) programs in Indonesia, although lately the station has also begun to broadcast entertainment programs such as a talk show called "e-Lifestyle", and the satirical news and current affairs show called "Republik Mimpi" (The Dream Republic).
Metro TV also offers one of its top programs called Indonesia Now. The program, which is broadcast worldwide, primarily gives information about Indonesia to the world.
Upon its launch in 2000, Metro TV has a different concept than the other stations in Indonesia; even this station broadcast 24 hour a week, it focused its programs only for news around the world. In later years, it also broadcast entertainment programs, except for banned entertainment programs such as soap operas, some kind of drama or TV series, foreign reality shows, anime, and even kids programming. The comedy was shown in mid 2007, but then banned to be broadcasted on Metro TV since 2008.
Metro TV also broadcast two English language programs, Indonesia This Morning, and also Indonesia Now. It also had a Chinese language programs such as Metro Xin Wen. It has also had IT and documentary programs. Additionally, it has a culinary program and a motivation program, Mario Teguh Golden Ways. It also shows business programming, which one of them is Bisnis Hari Ini (Business Today).
Metro TV also have an informercial block, usually residences, but sometimes, any price of product and techonology. The infomercial block usually air on networks and stations during morning on weekends. The block has no commercial breaks. This channel is owned by Media Group, which also owns Media Indonesia and Lampung Post newspapers.
However, Metro TV was not the first Indonesian channel to be broadcast in English Language. RCTI became the first Indonesian channel to broadcast in English language when showing Indonesia Today on February 26, 1997, and the English news program is made with a specific target audience with foreigners who want to know the latest news and more information about Indonesia, but was canceled in 2001. Metro TV later broadcast Metro This Morning and News Flash. Metro This Morning was ended on late March 2007. Metro TV was the only news channel in Indonesia until 2008 when Lativi was re-branded as TV ONE by dropping all of sitcoms as well as soap operas, focusing in news and sports programs.