'Warta Kota' hits the street

'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)