'Radio Australia' has loyal audience in Indonesia

'Radio Australia' has loyal audience in Indonesia

By Ida Indawati Khouw

JAKARTA (JP): Radio Australia will be greatly missed in
Indonesia if the proposal to close down its foreign services goes
ahead.

Several loyal listeners said during the weekend that closing
the Indonesian service would deprive them of a source of
information not only about Australia, but also about Indonesia.

Mudji Sutrisno, a lecturer of philosophy and an avid listener
of the service, described Radio Australia as a "mirror to look at
ourselves".

"We need the foreign media to tell us about who we really
are," Mudji, who teaches at the Driyarkara school of philosophy
in Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.

"For example it (Radio Australia) informs us that Indonesia
has problems with East Timor, with the local press. We could not
discuss any of these issues openly here," he said.

"I urge the Australian government to listen to the voice of
the station's listeners," said Mudji, who said he has been tuning
into Radio Australia since his senior high school days.

Abdul Halim, another loyal listener in Banyuwangi, East Java,
expressed great disappointment about the news of the planned
closure.

"The service is the most independent media. We can't believe
the local media," he said by phone. He said his favorite programs
are the station's news and features.

Lindsay Arkley, the station's executive news producer, said by
phone from Melbourne, that Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
the state agency which runs the service, has received letters
opposing the plan to close its Asian services.

One letter found its way into The Jakarta Post's "Your
Letter's" column from A.S. Dewana, a resident of Jakarta.

Radio Australia has been bridging both Indonesia and Australia
in any way possible, Dewana wrote. "It would be wise if the
Australian government reviews the decision."

The proposal to close down Radio Australia was made by media
consultant Bob Mansfield who was commissioned by the Australian
government to look into the operation of the ABC to save money.

Mansfield, a former chief executive of the John Fairfax media
empire, proposed that Canberra shut down the Asian radio and
television services and pare down ABC's extensive management.

No decision has been made, but Australian Communications
Minister Richard Alston said that if the Foreign Affairs
Department, which oversees the ABC, wanted to keep Radio
Australia, then it would have to pay for it.

Arkley said an independent survey found that there are 2.5
million Indonesians who regularly tune into Radio Australia. Last
year, the station received around 300,000 letters from Indonesia.

Earlier reports said the station has an audience of 4.9
million in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We think there will be many Indonesians who want Radio
Australia to keep going. We have received many letters since the
announcement and have sent the copies to the government," he
said.

Arkley said the Papua New Guinea government has offered to
take a cut in Australia's financial assistance to Port Moresby if
the money could be used to ensure the service's future.

The service is often the only source of regional news in the
country, he said.

King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia has also expressed support
for the station, he added.

Arkley said he had not had any comments from the Indonesian
government.

Two former announcers of Radio Australia, Atmakusumah
Astraatmadja and Debra Yatim, also lamented the move to close the
Indonesian service.

"Has the Australian government considered the political and
cultural aspects? Australia and Indonesia are so near
geographically and the station is a means of communication
between the two nations," said Atmakusumah, who worked for ABC in
the 1960s.

Atmakusumah, who now teaches at Dr. Sutomo Press Institute,
said Radio Australia's audience can be found in all layers of
Indonesian society, from the high to the low class.

Debra Yatim, who worked for the station in the 1970s and is
now a PR consultant, said Radio Australia is still sought after
by Indonesians who want an alternative source of information.

She recalled that during her time at Radio Australia, she met
with people in various parts of Indonesia who formed Radio
Australia listeners' clubs.

Debra could not pinpoint any particular reason the station had
won the hearts of many Indonesians. It could be because of the
package of books on English lessons which were sent out from
Australia to listeners in Indonesia, she said.

She lamented that money was cited as the reason to close Radio
Australia. "By closing it, Australia will lose its voice in the
region," she said.

Editorial -- Page 4