MPR Special Session keeps the media busy

JAKARTA (JP): Some of the people who have been expending the most energy during the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly are from the media.

Whether they are from the print, electronic or broadcast media, journalists compete with each other to present the latest developments in the political situation.

While television may be the most popular form of media, especially now that there is the 24-hour news channel Metro TV, many people in the capital also rely on the radio for the latest information.

Erwin, who owns a cigarette kiosk on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta, says he never turns off his radio because he wants to stay on top of the latest news.

"I usually listen to Elshinta," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, referring to the all-news radio station.

The radio is also the most reliable news source for many office workers and people who move around a lot, like taxi drivers.

Daya, an employee at a foreign oil company, said he preferred the radio to television.

"That's because I can still listen to it while I'm driving. And sometimes, the information is faster than television," he said.

Of the dozens of radio stations in the city, there are two that focus mainly on news: Elshinta 90.05 FM and Jakarta News FM, which broadcasts on 97.4 FM.

During the Special Session, a historic political moment for the country, both stations have been fielding all of their reporters to cover the event from every angle.

Aulia Ariani, or Ola, the program coordinator at Jakarta News FM, said most of the station's 14 reporters were dispatched to "hot spots" like the State Palace and the Assembly building.

"Others are doing their usual beats, like at police headquarters. But we still focus on the Special Session. There is also one reporter who floats around the city," she told the Post.

The reporters, Ola said, were working on two shifts, but this depended on the situation.

Meanwhile, Elshinta has 20 reporters who works on four shifts.

Budiman, one of the program directors at Elshinta, said the station's 20 reporters were not enough to cover all of the events taking place.

"There are so many important invitations, but unfortunately we can't cover all of them," he said.

The station, Budiman added, also recruited correspondents in Surabaya, Pasuruan and Blitar, all in East Java, the base of former president Abdurrahman Wahid's most loyal supporters.

According to Ola and Budiman, their listenerships had increased greatly during the Special Session.

"At least based on the telephone responses. Just now, we conducted a poll of possible vice president candidates and just in an hour there were over 150 callers," Ola said.

The radio stations are also enjoying rising revenue from advertisers.

Budiman said there was a waiting list for companies wishing to advertise their products.

"Many commercials have to be delayed because of breaking news. For example, we were going to have a quiz but then (former) president Abdurrahman issued a decree so we delayed it," he said.

Fortunately, he added, their clients understood.

"A couple of years ago, or even last year, when the political situation was quieter, our clients usually complained. But now they don't," Budiman noted.

He also asked listeners to continue phoning the station with information and breaking news.

"We really thank our listeners because they always call us so we are never late in covering a story, like the recent bomb blast," he said. (hdn)