TPI (Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesian Educational Television) was first founded as an educational television network by Tutut Soeharto, the first daughter of former president Soeharto and the wife of Bimantara Citra's co-founder and RCTI's then-commissioner Indra Rukmana [id] on 23 January 1990 via her company PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada.

In 1995, TPI moved to Gate II Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta, with the opening of new studios as part of the celebrations of 50 years of nationhood.

TPI's broadcasting of the Tom and Jerry series is considered to be a cult classic for Indonesian fans, but it also controversially and excessively viewing and teaching cruelty to animals behavior to anyone who watching it, thus destroying the educational television images on the eyes of society.

In early January 2002, TPI announced that it would broadcast Formula One auto racing, replacing RCTI from 2002 season.

In 2009, TPI was placed into bankruptcy after it failed to pay obligations to Crown Global Capital Limited, due to be paid in 2006.

[2] The bankruptcy, as decided in October that year by Jakarta Commercial Court,[3] was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court in March 2010, following several legal battles, in which Tutut Suharto was accused by MNC management to have backed Crown Capital in order to regain control of the channel.

[4][5] After the bankruptcy was overturned, on 20 October 2010, TPI rebranded to MNCTV,[6] amidst objections from Tutut Soeharto.

[7] The name change was done on suggestion by marketing agency MarkPlus Inc.[8] In 2014, Tutut announced plans for relaunch of the original TPI,[9] although it has yet to materialize.