Talking about the publishing crunch<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Breakfast and the ride to the office is just not
\nthe same now with thinner newspapers to read. The publishing
\ncrisis is spilling over to affect readers and the printing
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Reporters, readers and a small-scale printing entrepreneur
\nshare their losses:<\/p>\n
Dede Isharudin, 29, a reporting coordinator for the suspended
\nRaket tabloid:<\/p>\n
After the suspension of Raket a while ago, all of us in the
\neditorial division were given a three-month transition period
\nwith no salary cut. Medical and family allowances are provided
\nexcept for transportation and meals.<\/p>\n
Although no decision has been made yet, there is the
\npossibility we will be moved to other subsidiaries of the Kompas
\nGramedia Group. But if the situation continues to remain
\nunresolved, it's possible that we could lose our jobs.<\/p>\n
The main problem for us is... some sort of demoralization as
\nwe no longer write articles or rush to catch up with the deadline
\nlike we used to. The waiting is so stressful.<\/p>\n
We are also looking for new investors to finance the tabloid.<\/p>\n
...if every alternative fails to bear fruits for us, we might
\nopen a restaurant to support our lives.<\/p>\n
Zara Zuaraida, an English lecturer at the University of
\nIndonesia and subscriber to Media Indonesia:<\/p>\n
It's just a pity that I cannot find my favorite subject of
\ntourism, a supplement which used to be published regularly in
\nMedia Indonesia.<\/p>\n
I understand the current situation faced by the press
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
The most important thing for me is the information. I also
\nused to buy Femina magazine but I cannot afford it anymore. The
\nprice is just too expensive for me now.<\/p>\n
The current monetary crisis has caused a lot of problems for
\nme and my family. I would buy three books every month before the
\ncrisis hit the country, but now I can afford only one.<\/p>\n
Paul Senadi, 31, a resident of East Jakarta who runs a design
\nand lay-out service firm:<\/p>\n
I have not bought Kompas daily since late January as I cannot
\nafford it anymore. Things are getting worse for me.<\/p>\n
Previously, I could get four to seven orders a month to make
\ndesign and layout of books or booklets. But it seems that book
\npublishers, who are facing the crisis, too, have stopped
\npublishing. This is killing my business.<\/p>\n
Things are getting worse for me as the price of ink has soared
\nby almost 500 percent. In early January, a roll of ink plate was
\naround Rp 200,000. Now it costs me between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1
\nmillion. This has caused a big headache for me.<\/p>\n
Bob Permadi, a senior reporter at ANteve:<\/p>\n
... We have seen a drastic fall in commercials aired on our
\nstation, as most corporates have cut their advertising budgets.
\nThe decline in commercials really affects our cash flow, which
\nultimately reduces our budget allocation for satellite
\n(transmissions) and imported films.<\/p>\n
For efficiency ... We've cut airtime and prepared more local
\nnews programs, which of course, require less budget because we do
\nall things ourselves. All of this is aimed at replacing several
\nexpensive imported programs.<\/p>\n
Thank God there are no layoffs so far and no salary cuts,
\nexcept for high-ranking management members. If things get worse,
\nI personally think that cutting reporters' salary would be much
\nbetter than cutting more airtime. What are we, the people in the
\ntelevision industry, offering viewers, then, if airtime is cut?<\/p>\n
Teuku Sahir Syah Ali, DFM MM, operations manager at Jaya Ancol
\nOceanarium:<\/p>\n
I regularly bought local magazines like Gatra, SWA and
\nEksekutif in addition to the Kompas and Bisnis Indonesia dailies
\nI subscribe to. I have been forced to stop buying those magazines
\nnow.<\/p>\n
...I would not mind if paper publishers had to increase the
\nsingle copy price as it is the best way for them to survive the
\ncurrent situation. Cutting back the number of pages is not a
\nproblem, either.<\/p>\n
As a reader, I fully understand that such measures are taken
\nto cope with the crisis. (team)<\/p>",
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