'SCTV' management sacks debate producer

'SCTV' management sacks debate producer

SURABAYA (JP): The producer who brought together two rival
politicians in a highly controversial television debate last
month has lost his job at SCTV.

Supandi Syahrul, the producer of the debate between Latief
Pudjosakti and Sutjipto of the Indonesian Democratic Party, said
he was arbitrarily sacked and would sue SCTV management.

"The management's letter (on his dismissal) is vague and there
is a lot of injustices in their argument," Supandi told The
Jakarta Post yesterday.

The dismissal letter stated that Supandi was fired because he
had criticized SCTV's talk show Behind the News that aired the
debate.

It specifically referred to an article written by Supandi for
the Surabaya-based Surya daily. The article, published on March
30, stated that the talk show rated very low in a recent survey.

The SCTV management says Supandi presented misleading analysis
to the public about an internal matter of the mass media company.

Supandi, who has worked at the private station for five years,
said he believed his dismissal had to do with the interview. The
debate was almost canceled after some officials reportedly
objected to it because Sutjipto was critical of the government.

A reliable source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
told the Post that a director and a shareholder of SCTV were
angered by the Latief-Sutjipto debate because it could sour
relations between the company and the government.

SCTV spokesperson Dini S. Rahim declined to comment on the
producer's dismissal.

Supandi's lawyer, Trimoelja D. Soerjadi, said he would file
the lawsuit soon. He described his client's firing as "one sided"
because Supandi was never given a chance to defend himself.

"He had been asked on several occasions to resign. Of course
he refused," the lawyer said. (15/pan)