'TVRI' takes the plunge into public television

'TVRI' takes the plunge into public television

By Antariksawan Jusuf

JAKARTA (JP): After years of heated debate, state-run
television station TVRI finally declared as a nonprofit company,
posing a larger challenge for its employees to meet insistent
public demand for quality public television.

The new status was granted through Presidential Decree No.
36/2000, which was issued on June 7. Under the decree, TVRI is
now a Perusahaan Jawatan, a nonprofit state firm under the
authority of Ministry of Finance.

Since its founding in 1962 to broadcast the Asian Games held
in Jakarta, TVRI has been run by a foundation under the now
defunct ministry of information.

With its new status, the era of the old TVRI is gone. In the
past, TVRI was notorious for its monotonous programming and was
often criticized for being the ruling government's mouthpiece.
This image cost it a great deal in terms of popularity.

But the new decree clearly bars all government institutions
from burdening TVRI, outside its given role and function.

"Aside from directors and the board of commissioners of the
state company, other parties are forbidden from interfering with
the management of the state company," Article 53 of the decree
says.

According to TVRI's director, Chairul Zen, the biggest
challenge brought by this new status is changing the attitude of
its employees from a bureaucratic to corporate culture.

"It will take time," Chairul said.

He added that in an effort to achieve a corporate culture, he
has proposed training programs for employees in management,
financing, marketing and programing.

"We will show the public that TVRI can be a reliable public
television station," Chairul said.

Changing TVRI, it seems, will not be an easy task, since there
are many problems which must be solved.

Communications expert Ashadi Siregar said TVRI was likely to
be an object of intense competition between the remaining
followers of the former New Order administration still active
within the present government, and the market forces, which were
ready to grab up the station's assets.

However, if it is run professionally, TVRI, with its 7,158
employees and 395 relay stations in 26 provinces, may become a
powerful media. According to Chairul, TVRI reaches 81.5 percent
of the country's total population, or more than 169 million
people.

Ashadi, however, saw TVRI's new status as a setback. "It's new
status is another form of forced decision by the government.
Besides, it's financed by the government so the chance of being
dictated to by the government is even bigger."

Ashadi is one of the patrons of the newly established non-
governmental organization Community for Public Television
Indonesia (KTVPI), whose members include high-profile names such
as director Garin Nugroho, communications expert Yasraf Amir
Piliang of the Bandung Institute of Technology, former SCTV
production adviser and lecturer at the Jakarta Arts Institute RM
Soenarto, Teater Utan Kayu curator Ahmad Sahal and a number of
journalists.

In terms of financing, there will be little change for TVRI
despite the change in its status.

TVRI's budget includes subscription fees from television set
owners and money from the state budget. Annually, the government
provides Rp 362 billion for TVRI, with the rest of the station's
revenue coming from advertising.

Chairul said there was also the possibility TVRI could run
other legal business entities, such as providing services as a
production house and news agency. TVRI also has a reputable
Yogyakarta-based multimedia training center.

Meanwhile, Garin Nugroho, when announcing the founding of
KTVPI, said the independent group aims at developing TVRI into a
credible public television station. TVRI can be shaped into a
media to promote democratization, regional autonomy, appreciation
of multicultural values and civic education.

One of the first items on KTVPI's agenda is to conduct
research on the public perception of TVRI, Nugroho said.

The group is also planning to perform a comparative study in
six countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom,
South Korea and South Africa, and to hold dialogues with members
of the House of Representatives, as well as conducting seminars
and workshops on various issues, including the source of funding
for public television.

Chairul Zen welcomes KTVPI's move. "We hope ... KTVPI can be
our partner, and that it can also provide us with suggestions and
criticism to help create Indonesia's public television station."