'RCTI' directors replaced in shake-up

'RCTI' directors replaced in shake-up

JAKARTA (JP): The entire board of directors of private
television station Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI) was
dismissed on Tuesday and replaced by Nenny Soemawinata, former
general manager of another private TV station ANteve.

"This is the unanimous decision of PT Bimantara Citra and PT
Rajawali Wira Bhakti Utama, both owners of RCTI," RCTI public
relations manager Eduard Depari said on Tuesday.

PT Bimantara Citra is a publicly listed company, while PT
Rajawali Wira Bhakti Utama is a private firm owned by businessman
Peter Sondakh.

"RCTI needs fresh blood in this time of crisis," Eduard told
The Jakarta Post in reply to a question about the reason behind
the management shake-up.

He said Nenny was for the time being the station's sole
director, temporarily replacing president director M.S. Ralie
Siregar, vice president director and director of operations Alex
Kumara, marketing director R. Hardiyanto and finance director
Ishar Baharuddin.

"To my knowledge, RCTI shareholders are currently looking for
three other directors... let's see what happens next."

Two RCTI senior executives said the entire television crew
were "deeply saddened", particularly by the dismissal of Alex
Kumara.

Alex, who took part in establishing RCTI and had personally
conducted feasibility studies on the television station as a
business entity, had worked for the station for 12 years.

"He is an RCTI man. He is a man with a technical background,
the man for programming, for production and public relations.
This dismissal is just a cruel power play," said one executive,
who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"If Alex is not reinstated as RCTI vice president director or
given a more senior role at the station, his staff and crew
members are ready to quit."

The executive added that RCTI shareholders must take the
"warning" seriously.

Another RCTI senior executive said that Alex's dismissal was
the result of Ralie's nine-year campaign to "get rid" of Alex.

"Ralie has the backing of Bimantara Citra. From the very first
day Ralie stepped into RCTI nine years ago, he has been trying to
get Alex out of the way," said the senior executive, who also
spoke on condition of anonymity.

When asked why Ralie should be sacked as RCTI president, the
executive said that Ralie had recently been offered a seat on the
company's board of commissioners.

"Ralie will accept," the executive said.

He added that if RCTI investors made an offer to reinstate
Alex in his old position, Alex would seriously consider the
offer.

"Alex knows that he was the one who built the station from
scratch. He will consider it," the executive said.

Eduard also said that M. Tahril Sapi'e, a former member of the
firm's board of commissioners, had replaced former president
Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo as RCTI chief commissioner.

Yunardi, the incumbent director of GSM (global system for
mobile telecommunications) provider PT Excelcomindo Pratama,
which is owned by PT Rajawali Wira Bhakti Utama, replaced
commissioner Sugianto Himawan, Eduard said.

Old faces at the board of commissioners are entrepreneurs
Peter Sondakh and Edi Nalapraya.

"Those removed from the RCTI board of commissioners are
entrepreneurs Indra Rukmana, Peter Gontha and Rosano Barak,"
Eduard said. (ylt)