'Warta Kota' hits the street

JAKARTA (JP): Kompas, Indonesia's leading daily newspaper, launched on Monday its new city journal -- Warta Kota -- which will target the middle and upper classes in Greater Jakarta.

Banu Astono and Henry Ch. Bangun, chief editor and deputy chief editor of the newspaper respectively, said on Monday that their media was intended mainly to give a kind of "info- tainment".

"The new daily is aimed at filling an empty space of need for local information, guidelines and entertainment despite the fact that many newspapers have already used the capital as the base for their news reporting," Banu said.

That is why the new newspaper, the first ever launched by Kompas, will not steal the customers of other dailies, he said. The Kompas-Gramedia Group already publishes many magazines and tabloids.

Only about 10 percent of its content will possibly overlap with those from other newspapers, he said, adding that the paper will be sold at Rp 1,000 per copy.

Monday's first edition was four pages, Tuesday's will increase to eight and Wednesday's promises to be its entire 12 pages.

"Thirty percent of the newspaper content will consist of crime news and another 30 percent of public services and city economy. The rest will consist of local politics, laws and metropolitan lifestyles," he said.

On crime news, Banu said, the newspaper will try to present reports intended to prevent readers from getting in the same predicaments. "It will present crimes not as 'entertainment', but rather as a preventive measure," he said.

Banu explained that the business news would deal with activities at the city's major trading districts, including Kramat Jati, Kelapa Gading, Ciputat and Mangga Dua and Glodok markets.

It will not only report about dollar and share price fluctuations, but also monitor the price changes of eggs, cooking oil, rice, etc., he said.

"We will talk about micro problems without necessarily leaving out macro issues, especially with the government policies affecting local people," he said.

He said the newspaper would present the metropolitan lifestyles for Jakartans who were frequently confused on how or where to spend their spare time and who ended up establishing various clubs, including the cigar lovers club.

The newspaper, launched with an investment of Rp 5 billion, will fill its pages with various columns such as: cafe, restaurants, theaters and music.

Last but not least it will run schedules for business and executive trains, flights, hospitals with emergency units and ambulances as well as car workshops which can be contacted any time, he said.

Warta Kota, the office of which is located at Jl. Hayam Wuruk 122, West Jakarta, is manned by about 55 reporters, including those recruited from Kompas and other media under the Kompas- Gramedia Group.

Ant. Kardjono, business manager of the newspaper, said the launching of his media was utilizing the momentum of the current press freedom.

"It's better to launch the paper now while the government has agreed to give us a press license," he said.

Earlier this year, about 1,000 press licenses including more than 630 new ones were issued after the downfall of the New Order government in May 1998.

By comparison, there were only 289 press licenses across the country in 1995, when the country celebrated its golden anniversary. (hhr)