TVRI Bandung requests Rp 10 billion in funds

TVRI Bandung requests Rp 10 billion in funds

Yuli Tri Suwarni
The Jakarta Post/Bandung

Financial problems confronting television station TVRI Bandung
has forced its management to put in a request for Rp 10 billion
in funding from the West Java provincial budget to cover its
operational costs this year.

Head of TVRI West Java-Banten, France Djasman, said he has not
received any assistance for operational costs from the central
office of TVRI.

On the other hand, the Rp 13 billion budgeted for operational
costs last year was already spent. The money was spent to pay
salaries of its 450 employees, while the rest was used to run its
programs.

"We are finding it hard to compete with private television
stations in getting advertising revenue because we only air
programs for three hours, from 2 to 5 p.m.," he told members of
Commission A of the West Java provincial council on Monday.

France said that as a limited liability company, its new
status as of 2003, TVRI has to raise its own money instead of
requesting assistance from the provincial administration.
Previously, it enjoyed financial assistance from the government.

TVRI Bandung, which airs in West Java and Banten, can only
raise Rp 150 million per month from advertising revenue. The
amount is much less than the operational costs of around Rp 480
million per month.

Commission A secretary, Syaeful Huda, said that in its
transitional period TVRI needs to be supported.

"Many people in West Java watch TVRI and 60 percent of the
provincial administration's programs are covered by TVRI so it's
natural if the administration helps in this matter," Syaeful
said.

On the other hand he said there was no plan to allocate funds
for TVRI while discussing the 2005 provincial budget.

"We'll talk about this request with the provincial
administration, and if necessary, we'll possibly suggest that the
administration takes the needed funds from that already allocated
for humanitarian aid," Syaeful said.