Bandung radio stations threatened by network radio

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung

Shanti Marhaen, 30, does not worry about missing the latest news when she visits her parents in Bandung every weekend.

Shanti, who is single and works for a foreign media firm in Jakarta, keeps abreast of the news in the capital by listening to Jakarta-based radio stations on her cellular phone or in her car when she is in Bandung.

"It is very helpful because many Jakarta-based radio stations have opened branches here. You just have to tune in to the right channels to get the info you need," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

Thousands of Jakartans who spend their weekends in Bandung and the surrounding area now have easy access to their favorite Jakarta radio stations in Bandung.

They can monitor traffic in the capital as they head for home thanks to their favorite Jakarta-based radio stations, including Elshinta, Trijaya, Delta, Female and Pas, individually referred to as network radio stations.

The arrival of Jakarta-based FM radio stations in Bandung began when Elshinta began airing news and talk shows in the city in 2002.

Several other stations based in Jakarta quickly followed suit in an effort to capture the radio listening market in Bandung.

At a glance, this trend would seem to be nothing but positive, giving radio listeners in Bandung more choice and the opportunity to keep up to date with happenings in Jakarta. However, the losers have turned out to be Bandung stations, which have been losing advertisement revenue to the Jakarta stations.

Nearly all of the radio stations in Bandung cater to adult listeners, focusing on news and talk shows.

"They (the network radio stations) are one step ahead in selling advertising space because at their head offices in Jakarta they can claim they have a larger market than local stations. Unfortunately, there are more advertising agencies in Jakarta," said Fitriadi "Benny" Alibasyah, the off-air manager for Maraghita Radio in Bandung, which recently celebrated its 36th anniversary.

Maraghita, found at 106.7 on the FM dial, has positioned itself as an adult-oriented station focusing on news and talk shows covering local topics concerning Bandung residents.

Advertising revenue at the station has been stagnant for the past two years due to the arrival of the Jakarta stations, said Benny.

The station has had to resort to new marketing strategies to remain on the air. Besides on-air meetings with listeners, the station also has increased its off-air meetings through various discussions on the problems being faced by Bandung residents, inviting officials such as Mayor Dada Rosada to take part in the events.

"If you want to call it a strategy, this is probably what we have to do to build listener trust," said Benny.

Benny and his colleagues have formed the Teras Radio Mara community to accommodate group discussions.

A different strategy is being followed by another adult- oriented station, Rase 102.3 FM. Rase marketing manager Shanti Affilawati said that to gather listeners' opinions on the presence of network radio, her station had organized group discussions with loyal listeners.

"The main thing is that we have improved and have prioritized local content out of dedication to our listeners in Bandung," said Shanti.

She predicted that the trend in network radio would continue for the next five years.

The chairman of the West Java branch of the Indonesian National Private Radio Station Association, Daddy Ahmad Ruswandi, said there were at least 70 local radio stations in Bandung, 35 of which were members of the association. All of these stations must compete with network radio for a share of the advertising pie.

He said the presence of network radio stations, which are more adept in marketing and product management, had indeed forced local radio operators to adapt.

"They must improve and become more professional so that advertisers will look at them. I have noticed that most of them have ignored product innovation. They have been lulled by outdated family management methods," said Daddy.

The association has prepared special training courses for its members to help them compete with network radio.

Daddy added that network radio stations should also be required to increase local content in their broadcasts, in line with Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting.

Article 31 of the law states that private broadcasting stations can only broadcast over the station network system within a limited zone.

"So if they want to enter the local community, they cannot relay 100 percent from Jakarta, but have to include local content, which would probably be their weakness," he said.