'SCTV' shakes up board of commissioners

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following a change of ownership, PT Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) reshuffled on Tuesday its board of commissioners through an extraordinary shareholders meeting, appointing Lt. Gen. (ret.) R. Soeyono as the television station's new president commissioner.

The reshuffle follows multimedia firm PT Abhimata Mediatama becoming the majority shareholder in SCTV's holding company, publicly listed television and multimedia firm PT Surya Citra Media (SCM), and the resignation of the broadcaster's former president commissioner, Henry Pribadi.

Abhimata purchased 25 percent of SCM's total outstanding shares from PT Citrabumi Sacna on July 21 for Rp 580 billion (US$59.1 million), boosting its ownership in SCM to 80.86 percent.

In a media statement, Abhimata said the purchase reflected Abhimata's continued confidence in SCM's business and prospects in the media industry.

A survey by AC Nielsen ranked SCTV as third in audience share for all telecast hours last year, after Indosiar and RCTI.

SCTV has at present 32 relay stations throughout the country, covering 248 cities with some 158 million viewers.

Elsewhere, a shareholders meeting named Fofo Sariaatmadja, Eddy Sariaatmadja, Agus Lasmono and Siti Hediati Hariyadi as SCTV's commissioners and M.S. Budiarto as an independent commissioner.

Soeyono has served as president commissioner in various companies owned by PT Mahkota Teknologi -- Abhimata's parent company -- for more than eight years.