TV chiefs have airtime on their hands By Marselli Sumarno JAKARTA (JP): Viewers may be happier nowadays with fewer commercials interrupting their favorite programs, but television station managers are, needless to say, upset. Airtime has dropped from 20 hours to as low as seven hours. Private TV here is still young; the oldest among the stations, RCTI, will soon enter its 10th year in existence while the youngest, Indosiar, has just celebrated its third anniversary.

Utut to compete in three grandmaster c'ships JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Grandmaster Utut Adianto has been invited to compete in three grandmaster tournaments in India and the Philippines. Utut will first compete in Bombay, India, from March 5 to March 17 and two tournaments in the Philippines, from March 17 to March 30 and from April 1 to April 10. The tournament in India is in commemoration of the 50th golden anniversary of India.

ASEAN to form economic surveillance system JAKARTA (JP): Finance ministers of the Association of Southeast Asians Nations (ASEAN) agreed here yesterday to form immediately a surveillance mechanism to improve financial transparency and prevent future economic crises. The ministers also agreed to expand trade activities among the nine member countries, including through the use of ASEAN currencies based on bilateral agreements.

Queensland's Gold Coast draws investors By Dewi Anggraeni MELBOURNE (JP): If you asked 10 people who knew about Australia, in particular the state of Queensland, what the name Gold Coast conjured up for them, six would say: "Tourism and property"; and the rest: "Property and tourism." The Gold Coast is indeed the tourist capital of Australia. In 1997 alone, 3.9 million tourists visited the area.

Bali gallery takes lead in promoting sketches By Putu Wirata DENPASAR (JP): The recent opening of Bali's first gallery promoting sketches and drawings should help these art forms, often derided by the local arts community. Its name, Bali Mangsi, is from the Balinese word mangsi, referring to a local type of ink traditionally containing soot from oil lamps.

Sarwono doesn't expect to be reappointed JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said yesterday that he did not expect to serve another term as a cabinet minister. However, the final decision would lie with the next president, Sarwono said at a media conference held in his Jakarta office. "My point is that I don't make a fuss.

Crisis-hit SE Asia a paradise for tourists By Alexandra Borchardt and Thomas Lanig FRANKFURT/SINGAPORE (DPA): For tourists with hard currency, many parts of crisis-ridden Southeast Asia are a veritable bargain-hunter's paradise. At a modest cost you can sleep like a king, dine like a prince and shop like a big money-earner.

Golkar rejects rights restriction claim JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Secretary-General Ary Mardjono denied yesterday the ruling faction was curtailing its members' rights by insisting they individually declare their support for the candidacies of Soeharto and B.J. Habibie as president and vice president respectively.

TV today TVRI 6:45 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:00 Live Reports: The General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly 2:00 p.m.

MPR Session expected to voice people's aspirations and concerns JAKARTA (JP): The 1,000 people gathered today at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) building are Indonesia's representatives, whose task is, among other things, to make sure that the interests of the people are served. The people themselves, including those on the streets, have their own say on the five-yearly General Session of the Assembly to elect a president, vice president and approve the State Policy Guidelines.

Historical outpost os Islam survives on west coast of Bali By Jean Couteau DENPASAR (JP): Where it meets the horizon, the sea melts into the sky. At the shore, a yellowish liquid current exudes from the river mouth into the gaping ocean. Aligned along the shore is a series of boats, streaked in blues, reds and yellows, each with an unusual miniature mosque atop their masts.

A day in the life of Jakarta's military chief The man assigned the daunting job of safeguarding the capital for this year's General Session is Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who until last September was the Command's chief of staff. Ivy Susanti of The Jakarta Post joined the commander and his entourage on one of their rounds to inspect his subordinates' preparations.

Getting your vehicle a cheap face-lift on Jl. Kramat Raya By P.J. Leo JAKARTA (JP): Driving along Jl. Kramat Raya heading toward the Senen area in Central Jakarta, and chances are you will be confronted by people weaving between traffic and gesturing wildly. "Come over here, Sir! We guarantee quality!" They are all in the business of giving face-lifts to battered cars.

Profiles of the prominent players in the MPR General Session JAKARTA (JP): No one would mistake the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly for any sort of game, but it could certainly help one understand the process if one looks at it that way. The General Session is indeed a political game, and each player's strength can be read by many people. Golkar is the dominant force, enjoying the support of its formidable allies: the Armed Forces and the regional representatives factions.

Elite trops display their mettle JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) put on a military exercise over the weekend in the Glodok area of West Jakarta to assure the public that it was ready to handle any disorder aimed at disrupting the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

This will be Soeharto's last term: Son JAKARTA (JP): Bambang Trihatmodjo, President Soeharto's second son, said yesterday that this year's presidential election would be his father's last. Speaking to reporters after a plenary meeting of the Golkar faction at the People's Consultative Assembly, Bambang said he expected that nobody, including the Golkar faction, would renominate Soeharto in the 2003 presidential election.

Heavy security for General Session By Budiman Moerdijat JAKARTA (JP): Behind the scenes of the weighty deliberations that start today in the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the military and the police have beefed up security to ensure a smooth meeting. The Army, Navy, Air Force and the police have readied 25,000 of their personnel to safeguard the five-yearly meeting which will endorse the 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines and elect a president and vice president.

'TPI' better off with heavy local content JAKARTA (JP): Television station TPI could be described as a station that differs from its competitors. Unlike other TV stations, it advertises low-cost consumer products and airs programs that are "more Indonesian than anything else", according to TPI representative Theresia Ellasari. Most importantly, while other TV stations suffered sharp drops in commercial advertisement rates averaging 50 percent, TPI only experienced a 30 percent drop in January.

A trip down the memory lane of MPR General Sessions By Sri Wahyuni JAKARTA (JP): Although it formally opens today, the 1998 General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) already holds a special place in history. Compared to its five predecessors during the New Order era, it begins against a unique backdrop of economic turmoil and amid a growing chorus calling for reinvigoration of the social, economic and political fabric of the country.

TV stations can programs as advertisers pull the plug By Yogita Tahil Ramani JAKARTA (JP): Taxi driver Sugeng does not ask for much. When he gets home at midnight from his exhausting 16-hour shifts behind the wheel, he only wants his wife to give him two things. Dinner, and a full update on the plot of a favorite Hindi- language teleserial on private television station TPI.

MPR session opens under pressure By Dwi Atmanta and Santi W.E. Soekanto JAKARTA (JP): When House Speaker Harmoko bangs his gavel and opens the five-yearly General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly this morning, the curtain rises on the immense responsibility that each of the 1,000 legislators bears on their shoulders.

People's welfare From Merdeka In the run-up to the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in March, security forces have been reinforced and police have checked identification cards in various locations, mainly on the border of West Java and Jakarta. It gives the impression that there is an ongoing "big party" that is putting everything at stake. However, many people believe that the success of the General Session is a foregone conclusion.

Malaysia, Brunei discuss economic cooperation KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad met yesterday with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and discussed plans for regional economic cooperation amid fears of a possible exodus of illegal immigrants from badly hit economies. "Generally we are interested on how we can help each other to get over this problem. Not only in Malaysia but also of the ASEAN region," the 72-year-old premier said.