Television in Indonesia

Indonesia was the third country in Southeast Asia to create a state-run station, TVRI which began broadcasting on August 24th 1962 during the opening ceremony of the 1962 Asian Games. TVRI held a television monopoly in Indonesia until 1989 when the first commercial station, RCTI began as a local television station and was subsequently granted a national license a year later. Indonesian television is regulated by both Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) for frequency matters and Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for content matters.

Each of the networks have a wide variety of programs, ranging from traditional shows, such as wayang performances, to Western-based programs such as Indonesian Idol, Family Feud, MasterChef, Top Model and The Voice, as well as Filipino-based programs such as Eat Bulaga! and It's Showtime.

One typical television show common to almost every network is called a sinetron. A sinetron is usually a drama series, following the soap opera format, but can also refer to any fictional series. Sometimes it can be comedic, like the popular Bajaj Bajuri series, featuring a bajaj driver and the people he drives around.

There are a number of awards given for excellences in Indonesian television, notably Panasonic Gobel Awards (defunct) and Indonesian Television Awards (since 2016), as well as Anugerah KPI held by the KPI.