Irian Jaya to get its own TV station

The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The privately-run Papua Television Network will start operations in Jayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya (or Papua) province, on Feb. 5, 2002 to serve the people's need for information.

Jimmy Tampi, the station's operations director, said in a press conference here on Monday that the TV station, the first in the province, was established to help accelerate development throughout the province.

"The TV station has been long-awaited because the current TV stations, which are based in Jakarta, cannot cover all the remote areas in the province. We will instead have relay towers in all regencies in the province so that all the people can enjoy its programs," he said.

He said the launching ceremony would be conducted in Jayapura and attended by local officials as well as the TV networks' president Santosa.

He declined to name those who have invested in the TV network but said some of the investors were from Jakarta and other cities in Java and Sulawesi.

He said the network's maiden broadcast would be on the anniversary of the first arrival of Christian missionaries to the territory, which took place on Feb. 5, 1855.

The Irian Jaya administration has declared Feb. 5 as a holiday in the province.

According to Jimmy, Papua Television will have its headquarters in Jayapura, with offices in each district of the province and in a number of other cities throughout the country, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Makassar and Surabaya.