Innovation boosts 'TVRI Yogyakarta'

Innovation boosts 'TVRI Yogyakarta'

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

The establishment of three private local TV stations,
namely JogjaTV, RBTV and TuguTV, here at
almost the same time has created tougher competition for state-
owned television station TVRI Yogyakarta, which turned 42 last
August.

Still, the station is optimistic it can win the
hearts of locals, saying it has numerous innovative and highly
rated programs to offer.

"We are confident we can survive because we have
existed for a long time. Besides, we also have a very good
relationship with many institutions, including local
administrations, businesses, universities and individuals," head
of TVRI Yogyakarta Bambang Winarso told The Jakarta
Post in a recent interview.

As a state-owned local TV station with a public mission,
TVRI Yogyakarta cannot be purely commercial, meaning
that commercials can never be its main source of income.

Law No 32/2002 on public broadcasting institutions stipulates
that only 15 percent of TVRI's broadcasting hours can be used for
TV commercials, of which 30 percent must be allocated for
public service announcements.

"That means we can never compete with commercial TV stations.
We need innovative programs to survive -- otherwise, due to our
limited budget, we will have to replay the same programs over and
over," Bambang said.

Currently, the government pays only the salary of TVRI
Yogyakarta employees who have the same status as civil servants.

Of 284 employees, 257 are on the government's payroll. For
operational costs, which amount to some Rp 2.5 billion a
year, TVRI Yogyakarta must generate its own income.

"Generating such a large amount of money is no easy task. We
have to really work hard for it. Alhamdulillah (Thank God) we can
cover it (operational costs) this year. We hope we can next year
too," said Bambang.

One of the approaches that TVRI Yogyakarta has adopted to keep
producing new programs is a production-cooperation scheme.

Through the scheme, the station is looking for partners or
sponsors willing to pay for the production and broadcasting of a
program.

The scheme is offered mostly to local administrations -- at
both provincial and regental levels -- as well as educational
institutions or companies.

"We also have extra time slots, which the sponsor can use for
broadcasting their own material, if they pay the applicable fee,"
said Bambang, adding that interactive programs presenting local
government officials or figures as guest hosts were usually
produced via this scheme.

An interactive dialog program, Ceplas-Ceplos, for example, has
been broadcast since 2003, in cooperation with the Bantul
administration.

Used as a medium for publicizing the new policies of the
Bantul administration, the program often features Bantul
administration executives, including Regent Idham
Samawi.

According to Bambang, the station is mostly concerned with
maintaining its audience through the provision of quality
programs.

Many programs are considered local favorites, such as
Kethoprak (Javanese traditional drama), Bangun Desa (drama
presented in Javanese), Obrolan Angkring (comedy presented in
Javanese) and Plengkung Gading (interactive program presenting
local government or public figures as a source).

Also popular are Harmoni (interactive health consultation),
and Yogyawarta (news presented in Javanese).

To make a program more attractive, as well as income-
generating, TVRI sometimes runs competitions. Currently, for
example, it is running a contest through the Kethoprak program in
cooperation with a local bank. It is also broadcasting a weekly
live dangdut music show, Jos, in cooperation with a leading
cigarette company.

Off-air programs are also made to generate income. One of the
most lucrative of these is Otobursa -- a used-car market, held
every Sunday in the TVRI Yogyakarta compound on Jl. Magelang.

Some 700 used cars are marketed every week, giving TVRI
Yogyakarta the additional income of some Rp 5 million per week.

"We just prepare the parking space and collect Rp 8,000 from
the car owners. We don't take any commission for sales made
during Otobursa," Bambang said.

Bambang, however, realizes that TVRI Yogyakarta needs to
broaden its horizons to profit. A commercial channel is currently
being established by the station as a money-earner, much like the
Programa 2 channel of state-owned radio station RRI.

TVRI Yogyakarta currently earns some Rp 100 million per month
from commercials alone.

By operating the commercial channel, a higher income will be
generated to subsidize programs for the public TV channel. "That
way we can survive more easily," he said.

TVRI Yogyakarta currently airs programs on two channels, (8
VHF and 22 UHF). The 22 UHF channel is set to become its
commercial channel.

On its 8 VHF channel, TVRI Yogyakarta
can only transmit local programs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The rest
of the airtime is for national broadcasting. Local programs that
are broadcast after 5 p.m., therefore, are on 22 UHF.
channel.

The coverage of TVRI Yogyakarta extends to Yogyakarta
province, except parts of Gunungkidul, as well as parts
of the neighboring Central Java regions of Karanganyar, Wonogiri,
Klaten, Boyolali, Muntilan, Temanggung, Wonosobo and Purworejo.

"We are preparing to have a transmitter at Pathuk
Hill, Gunungkidul, to widen our broadcasting coverage
in and around Yogyakarta," said Bambang.

Bambang also said that, although the emergence of new
local TV stations in Yogyakarta meant competition for TVRI
Yogyakarta, in the end it was the public and the advertisers who
would decide from which station they would gain the most benefit.