0 '0 "J w

.

t

Thank you,

to everyone who rolled away the stone

blocking the path to freedom in 1998.

To our friends at Utan Kayu,

for enabling KBR 68H to grow.

Waves of Freedom Radio News Agency KBR 68H

Author : Santoso Cover Design : Jitet Kustana Layout : Yudi Paul M. Nuh Photos : KBR 68H Archives Translator : Ruth MacKenzie

ISBN: 979-97012-8-7

Published by KBR 68H

Table of contents

Table of Contents ...... ............. ... ... .. .... ..... .. ... .... ........ ....... i

Foreword ........ ..... .. ...... .... ...... ..... .. ............. ...................... v

'\ Friend in the Transition toward s Democracy

feh/asH/ v

In the Broadcasting Mix, KBR 68H is a Breath o f Fresh Air

S. J il1ansan' IX

Chapter 1. A beginning .. .... ........... ..... .. ... .. .. .. .. ........... ... 1

Chapter 2. Networking ........................... .. ... ................... 9

ot all plain sailing .................. .... ...................... ... .. ......................... 16

Growing together ... .. ... .. ...... ...... .. ..... .. ............. ............ .. .... .. .. .. .......... 18

N ot only in Indonesia 20

Frllits oj FreedoJJ1 ................ .. ................ ... .. .............. ...... .... .. ................. 34

Chapter 3. Public radio in spirit ....... ....... ............... ..... 39

Breaking out Billetin Jore ... ......... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .... .. ............................... 42

Three programme catego ries 44

ii iii Waves of Freedom

Joint programmes 53

54A player in global information

Asia Calling 55

58Radio Utan Kayu

Chapter 4. From dispatch rider to satellite ....... .. .... ... 63

The KBR 68H Logger .. ..... .... .. ..... .. .. ............ ....... .......... ..... ....... ..... . 72

Chapter 5. Training and training .... .......... .... ..... .. .. ...... 77

N o shame in learning ...................... .. ...... ......... .. ... .......... ...... .... .... ... 78

79Motivating others to train

83In house training and internships

84Training in election coverage

86Literature vacuum

Chapter 6. The social market.. .... .............. .. ................ 93

Reaching displaced people ............ .... ...... ....... ............................ ..... 94

\

Anti violence .... ...... ...... .... ... 96

97Policy communication

98111itra Daerah (Regional Partners)

Direct general elections 100

101Ill iteracy

Chapter 7. To the ends of the country ..................... 103

Radio Merbau, Bintuni, Irian Jaya Barat .... .. ........................... .. .. 104

R adio Matoa, Manokwari, Irian Jaya Barat .............. ...... .... .... .... 107

R adio Gelora Ta l'llI/, Tual, Maluku Tenggara .. .................... ...... 110

114Radio Bincrya, Masohi, Maluku Tengah

117 Radio Rana, Namlea, Pulau Buru

Kabar Maltlkll 120

Table of Contents

Starved of information, Yahukimo goes hungry 125

Chapter 8. Rising above the tsunami .... .. ..... ............ 129

Building radio stations 131

Distributing transistor radios 137

Kflbar Aceh 139

Training 142

- Management Training ...... ..... ... ...... ... ........ .. .... .. .. ... ....... ............... 142

- Journalism Training 144

- Technical Training 145

Martunis 146

Building wells 147

\,\lhen public services grind to a halt 149

Chapter 9.Transformation : from NGO to media

business ... ... .................................................... ...... ... ... 153

The formation of a company 154

Learning to sell 156

General meetings of sharehold ers 159

Creating a dream 162

\.u spicious times 164

E fficiency 166

Knowing our listeners 168

A step forward 172

A trip down memory lane .. .......... .. .................... ......... 175

E ni Mulia : It's great being paid juSt to talk .... .......... ........ .. .... 175

E ko Sulistyanto : Failed to make the editorial room

pre sentable 176

Ade \Vahyudi : Surprised how far .....ve've come 177

iv Waves of Freedom

Ging Ginanjar : Tuteng and the Rengasdengklok kidnapping ..

179

Epilogue ............ ........................ .. .. .. ....... .... .... ... .. ....... 185

A Challenging Transformation

Faisal BaslY' 185

Foreword

A Friend in the Transition towards Democracy

b\' : lchlasul Amal

Chair, Pn:ss Counc il

E nsuring that democracy manages to pass through a

transition period likc this is the biggest challenge of all for reform

ac ti,-ists and supporters of democracy_The experiences of several

countries show that transformatio n from an authoritarian po litical

~ystem to a democracy invariably mean s going through a period

of deep uncertainty. Uncertainty over where it is all head ed.

Therefore, democratic fo rce s mu s t be consciou s of the

irnpo rtance o f being o n guard against shifts in directio n, which

ma~' even turn full circle back towards an authoritarian sy~ ll. m.

One kc\' element in this is the mass media. The media is a

pillar o f democracy. So, in this period of transition, alo ng with

oth er elements such as p rofessional associations and NGOs, the

media ha s the functi on of democracy building. The finan ces,

It:ga l en tity, and operations of media businesses mu st be

v

vi vii Waves of Freedom

independent of the state. This precondition is especially

important in countries with a history of author itarian

corporatism, like Indonesia.

In this country, the state has built, organi sed, introduced

licensing, provided funding , subordin ated and controlled all

forms of community-based and professional orga nisatio ns

(including media unoffici all y financed and controlled by the

government) for the purposes of cooptation, repression and

domination, rather than to regulate competition.

However, as we all realise, soc iety cannot be given an

unlimite?, uncontrolled degree of au tonomy. While au tonomy

is necessary for democracy itsel f, there do need to be li.mi ts. These

limits are essential to preven't tensions so great that they interfere

with the process of democratisation. The hyperactivity, persistent

confrontation, and social ills such as corruption and bribery that

are more and more becoming a part of society, could generate

despondency and apathy. This, in turn, might encourage state

intervention in the form of rules and regulations which have

little to do with meeting the need for the public sector to improve

people's welfare.

So, what role should the mass media take in solving this

dilemma? The behaviour and activities of people in a modern

democracy tend to be rooted in information that comes from

the mass media, especially television, newspapers and radio. For

years in many democratic countries, television and radio have

been public monopolies, owned by the state and opera ted by the

ministry of communica tions or by an indepe ndent state

corporation. Initiall y, only in the United States were most

electronic media mvned and operated by private companies. But

today, almost all democratic countries allow private firms to own

Foreword

and operate radio and television stations supported financially

by advertising sales. So, in many countries that adhere to the

principles of democracy, private broadcasters compete with

public broadcasters to provide information and influence the

public.

Sometimes, the private and public also influence each other

and produce a new media organisation hybrid . KBR 68H is one

such hybrid. This radio news agency is public radio in spirit, but

receives funding from the market. KBR 68H has imbibed a public

service ethos into its programmes, but at the. same time has not

alienated the market. It would be difficult to imagine a radio

news agency like this relying on government funding because

legally, to be called public radio and receive government funding,

there are certain qualifications. So, advertising and sponsorship

are the logical choice. The question is, from this market

perspective how can KBR 68H main tain its public service image?

How can it maintain its "Public Radio in Spirit" credo?

In terms of its output, apart from journalism based

programmes, KBR 68H also allocates a very large portion to

public education programmes. Examples include talk shows such

as Reformasi Hukum dan HAJ\I1 (Legal Reform and Human Rights),

Klil1ik Kesehatan (Health Clinic), Obrolal1. Ekonoml (Economic

Chat), Bumi Kita (Our Land), and Daerah Bicqra (Regional Voices),

or the programme on education, Gum Kita, and even Salmtek,

which discusses developments in scie nce and technology.

Programmes like these might be seen as having little commercial

yalue, as not having high ratings by market research standards.

But KBR 68H survives, and gets listeners. Sometimes sponS'ors,

too.

viii ix Waves of Freedom

It would be no exaggeration to say that KBR 68H positions

itself as a friend in the transition towards democracy in Indonesia.

People get informati o n they need, and have the chance to

participate in shaping this critical process of change. If that can

be main tained, a media like KBR 68H will be an important asset

for the advancement of society.

Yogyakarta, 23 March 2006

Foreword

In the Broadcasting Mix,

KBR 68H is a Breath of Fresh Air

by : S. Sinansari Ecip

\ ' icc Chai r, Indon esi;tll Broadcasrin g Commission

LCCru.rCf at J Iasanuddin University and rhe U ni"ersir)" of Indonesia

The broadcasting world in Indonesia is in a state of

uncertainty. Not all radio and TV stations have the broadcasting

licences required by Law 32/2002 on broadcasting. \'Iany of them

ha,-e only been "licensed" by the loca l gover nment

communications agency or monitoring agency, or by the governor.

Others are pirate stations, with no licence whatsoever. The

absence of clear regulations has been used by both sides, the

government and the broadcasters.

Government Reg ulatio ns

Seven government regulations in implementation of Law 32/

2002 were finally produced. Three of them more than a year

ago, and four in November 2005. Many of their provlslons

contradict the articles and spirit of Law 32/2002.

Of course, t}lere was a reaction to these regulations. The

Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KofJIisi Pe!lj'iarall Indolmia,

KPf) imm ediately rejected them. The first three were sub1J1itted

to the Supreme Court for judicial review but, one yea r later, the

court had done nothing but form the panel of judges. In the

near future, the KPI will also subniit the other four to the

Supreme Court, also for judicial review.

The stance taken by the KPI has the backing of Parliamentary

Commission I, ciyj] soc iety groups , and individua ls. Th e

x xi Waves of Freedom

commission wants these government regulations revised before

they are implemented, whereas the go"ernment wants to

implement them and then revise them if there are weaknesses.

This political pressure has no juridical implications, so the

government continued to implement these regulations. The KPI

objected and as a consequence they wer'e nor implemented.

The government seeks to control the broadcasting world,

which is why it is regulated so strictly. The most important form

of regulation is the broadcasting licences issued by the ministry.

According to the KPI, Law 32/2002 states that licenses are issued

by the KPI. "Administratively, broadcasting licenses are gran ted

by the state through the KPI." (Article 33 clause 5). The state in

this case is taken by the government to mean the government.

However, Law 32/2002 makes no mention of government

authority to issue broadcasting licences. The authority of the

KPI in this matter is defined in article 7, clause 3: "The KPI as

an independent state institution shall administer matters to do

with broadcasting." Therefore, saying that the state issues licences

through the KPI means that the KPI issues broadcasting licences.

Basically, the government does not want the Indonesian

broadcasting industry to have the freedom that the press enjoys

thanks to Law 40/1999. A cabinet meeting when Megawati was

in power suggested that the broadcasting world "not be liberated"

like the press. This policy has apparently been perpetuated by

the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono governmen t, despite its frequent

claims that democratic reforms are continuing, including, of

course, reforms in the world of broadcasting.

Because of government intervention in the regulation and

control of the broadcasting industry, the KPI has lost the

opportunity to protect the general public. This protection relates

Foreword

tbe need for diversity of content and ownership. The powers

that be and th e authorities in Jakarta mu st not be allowed to

monopolise the content and owne rship of broadcasters.

1ndonesia is not Jakarta. Likewise, a fair national broadcasting

S\'stem, as mandated by Law 32/2002, is not guaranteed . The

strong remain in power. The powerful Jakarta TV stations install

relay towers all over the place, even though it is the local

communities where these towers are installed that are entitled to

use the local frequency. They are allowed to work in cooperation

with big investors but the big investors are not allowed to use

the entire frequency.

Big investors in Jakarta must work with small investors in

regions that "have" local frequencies. They must establish

networks.

That is more or less what KBR 68H does. Information is

shared with group members. The public is strengthened and

empowered. The regions are not Jakarta'S objects but they, like

Jakarta, are subjects too. More than 400 radio stations in 300

municipalities/ districts are members of the KBR 68H network.

More than 2,000 people have received training, and there are

other forms of cooperation, too. There are eight million listeners.

That's impressive progress in the chaos and legal uncertainty of

the Indonesia broadcasting industry today.

Society must be protected

Regula tion of bro adcast content is necessary to protect

societ~- from damaging information, such as pornography and

yiolenc e. Negative br(ndcasts can affect the mind of the

individual. Society has to be protected from unbalanced

information, for example reports about a candidate in a political

xii Waves of Freedom

process (\Volfgang H o ffman-Riem, 1996: 272-280). rn Indo nesia, such co ncerns are widespread . T here is nor eno ugh protecti o n.

frequency is commonly O\vned, and ir mu st be used fo r rhe

comm.on good, too. Broadcasting media are no t allowed to use

thcir freyuenci es purely for th eir own commercial inte rests. This

must be given special atte ntion.

Unlike th e print media, the world o f broadcasting is ahya)'S"

a target for regula tio n. This is because the prim medi a is o riented

to operating according to m arket fo rces, while th e broadcasting

industry is a part of the public sector, \-\' hich requires pro tection

and regula tion . Since the 19205 in E urope, gonrnmen ts ha\'e

deemed tb at the broad cas t m edia need to be regulated ~cpa ra t el )'

fr o m th e telecommunicati o n s infrastructure. Th ere are two

reasons why thi s regulati on is necessary, acco rding to ] anb\"()ski

(1992:235) . I"i rst, regulatio n is needed because of th e limited

number o f a\'ailable frequencies. Second , because of the powerful

influence the broadcas t media has on people.

I n addition, r egula ti o n aims to fa cilita te access to the

br oadc as ting me dium. With pro per regu la ti o n , o bj ec ti ve

information can be obtain ed. It also fill s a gap by providing a

medium that o ffer s a va riety o f informatio n oriented to the public

interes t (\X!o lfgang Hoffm an-Riem, 1996: rO-27 1).

Compared with oth er media, broadcasting is seen as a sociall)'

acceptable medium . T he techn ology is such th ar it facil itates free

public access to broadcas ts.

Another reason fo r regulating broadcas ting is visual content .

In auth o rit arian and dem ocratic countries alike, th ere is a need

fo r appropriate regulatio n o f th e visual content o f broadcasts.

Bas icall y, comm u nica to r s h av e the rig ht to free d o m of

communicat io n , but th e rights of the r e ceive r s o f th a t

Foreword xiii

informatio n need to be consid ered too. I t is not o nly about the

freed om to communica te, but also abou t receiving som ething

that bas an intrinsic value to the recipients, ensuring that th ere is

a balance of interes ts.

Two Co ntrols

According to Stan Le Roy Wilson , to prevent uncontrolled

freed o m o f the press and broadcasti ng tha t has a n egative

intlu ence o n the public, the re are two main kinds o f control

needed: philosophical control and legal control. Philosophi cal

control o f the media is internal control o f the medi a, including

an understanding of press theo ry and press and broadcas ting

ethics . Included in thi s co nc ep t are the in terna l rul es and

regulati o ns o f a media in stitutio n. Legal control refers to the

various rules used to limit the irresponsible use of freedoms by

the broadcas ting industry (\X!il son, 1993: 49-73).

Wolfgang Hoffman-Riem (1996: 28 1), says that in principle

there are two types o f regulation and control. T he fi rst model is

called imperative regulatio n. This type o f regulation takes the

form of cont rol o f conduct (ethical control or codes o f conduct).

This type has to do with direct regulation th rough guidelines,

reg uircm en ts, prohi bi tio ns, and related matters, viola tion of

which would attract direct penalties. ] ':xamples include sanctions

for nega t ive broadcas ts contai ning , fo r exampl e, vio lence,

witchcraft , an d pornog raph y. The seco nd typ e is structural

Control. In this model of regulation, the government es tablishes

a structur ed broadcas ti ng fr am ewo rk tha t h as an indi rec t

influence over the b roadcas ting industn' and o ther organi sa ti ons

related to the broadcasting secto r. In this way, certain standard s

can be set, including standards relating to basic financi al structure

xiv xv Waves of Freedom

and types of funding, or special rules can be made concerning

the organisation of the broadcasting industry or the procedure

for establishing and managing the broadcasting industry.

Every media needs rules. Rules, in principle, are made as

guidelines of what is needed, wha t is prohibited, and for how

things are done. Rules regu late a situa tion for the purpose of

security, propriety, efficiency, or appropriateness. According to

the German phi losopher, Immanuel Kant, rules are divided into

two. First, constitutive expression, or rules that allow human

thought and action to make pre-interpretations in certain ways

about the world, through constitutions, exp lanat ion s, or

i ll ustrations ba sed o n the soc ial rea lity. Generally, these

constituti on s imp licitly require us to und ersta nd existence,

~ta nd ards by which things are measured, and relation ships.

Second, regulative expression. These regulate social behaviour

within a structure. They generallv set standards or sanction human

acti\city in some way. This type of regulation is more formal and

explicit Games Lull, 2000: 75-76).

Indonesian Regulations

Indonesia already had the 1997 broadcasting law. But because

its conten t was not in keeping with the general fee ling emerging

at that time, it was replaced by Law 32/2002 on broadcasting.

Law 32/2002 explicitly assigns the task of making regulations

on the conduct of broadcasters and the content of broadcasts

to the KPI, giving birth to wha t is known as the Guidelines of

Broadcasters and Programme Standards (P3-SPS).

The conduct of broadcasting station crew need s to be

regulated in a code of ethics (P3). The code sets out what they

are and are not allowed to do.

Foreword

The content of broadcasts also needs to be regula ted in the

form of rules established by the KPI pursuant to the provisions

in La\\' 32 / 2002. Violation of these programme standards may

lead ro a warn ing or even to withdrawal of the perpetrator's

broadcasting licence.

O n j\Iarch 14, 2006 in Jakarta, a code of journalistic ethics

\\'as introduced to replace the code of ethics for Indonesian

journalists established in Bandung in 1999. The code also applies

to journali sts employed in the broadcasting industry. The Press

Council has the final say on breaches of the code, and journalist

organi sations and/or th e media company where the journalist

works are expected to imp ose the necessary sanctions.

La\v 32/2002 does it self contain sections th at contain

warnings on broadcast content. Fines and imprisonment are the

penalries for contravening these provisions. Unfortunately, the

police have not take n action against TV sta tio ns that have

commi tted breach es. The police should not wait for a complaint,

but take direct ac tion against the perpetrators. The KPI, in th e

near future, will be forwarding complaints from the public to

the police, in the hope that th ey will be processed through the

courts.

Yen' few radio sta ti ons have committed breaches of the

Guidelines for Broadcasters and Programme Standards, so the

KPI does not monitor radio stations continually, as it does the

big TV stations in Jakarta , which are monitored and reco rded 24

hours a day.

The media has very broad positive and negative impacts.

The negative impacts can be minimised. Duping listeners is a

form o f violence, as is encourag ing consumerism th rough

pnwocatin advertising. There can be mass mobilisation of radio

xvi Waves of Freedom

broadcasts for political purposes, for example during election

campaigning. These are just some examples.

The heterogeneity of radio listeners requires radio station

managers to be prudent, including about the content of their

programmes. Our ethnicities number m ore than 100, with

different religions, and a variety of customs and cultures.

Need to be Friendly

The important role played by media in society has promoted

a great deal of discussion about what the media should do and

how to regulate them. Action has been taken in some countries,

notably tne United States, including the drafting of formal laws

by legi slators and the establishment of technical standards for

broadcasting media.

Radio broadcasting associations typically have a code of

ethics. Rul es made by members of the industr y itself in the

inrerests of the profession are generally selt-enforced. Limits

set in the common interest to ensure the quality of its products.

There are also the internal rules of individual radio stations.

These only apply internally. The aim is the same, to ensure that

listeners are comfortable with the content of broadcasts.

In the broader context, Article 28E of the 1945 Constitution,

among o thers, recognises that everyone has the right to fr eedom

of thought (clause 2) and expression (cla use 3). Thi s

constitutional guarantee is very valuable for Indonesian society

in terms of communicating, especially as Article 28F establishes

even m ore explicitly, that, "Everyone ha s the right to

communicate and have acce ss to information ... " Access to radio

broadcasts is guaranteed by the Constitution and, by the same

token, radio station managers must ensure that the frequencies

Foreword xvii

the\" le,1se Clre used for th e good, the interest, ;"lnd the enj oyment

of the public.

\\'hcn it come:; to content, KBR 68H tries to gi,e listen ers

the ilJ forma tion th ey W;"l nt. The intere sts o f government ph:' no

part. Th e public interest is foremost. It is tru e to S;l\' th a t KER

601 I is public radi o il1 spirit.

In prioritizing il1formCition in radi o bro;"lcicClsls. the basic

principles of journalism dicta te th

1 A beginning

Utan Kayu, the end of 1998. Not long after the fall of

the authori tarian regime, we had to rethink our action

options. Afte r being locked in a long, dark tunnel; now

an air of freedom allowed people to see alternatives. This chance

to choose felt like a luxury to some democracy activists, who by

force of circumstance were used to exercising only one "option",

which was to struggle fo r the fa ll of the regime. That is what it

was like fo r the people who got together and were active at U tan

Kayu.

For more than four years this community had run, for

the most part, a clandestine operation to promote the free flow

of information. Flouting the censors by publishing magazines

without a licence, getting round the need for a publishing licence

by producing books rapidly, providing journalistic training for

enthusiastic campus reporters, organising discussions and art

performances. This community was at the pulse of opposition

against the repressive N ew Order regime . People created, took

risks, and lived in the Utan Kayu Community to fight for freedom.

A Beginning 3 2 Waves of Freedom

And, when freedom arrived all of a sudden - faster than

expected - it was greeted with apprehension. Should we continue

the clandestine media operations? Or should we go above ground,

in keeping with the spirit of openness? What if the tide turned,

snatched back this freedom, after we'd surfaced? Memories of

friends imprisoned, abducted, or living in hiding, were still fresh

in our minds. Would distributing magazines without a publishing

license still be necessary, now that the licensing institution

once an instrument of government control - had disappeared

from media vocabulary) These were some of the topics being

discussed by media activists in the Institute for the Studies on

Free Flow of Information (ISAI), a key component of the Utan

Kayu Community.

ISAI decided to create a new programme: a radio news

service. \\lith this programme, open cooperation with mainstream

media could be institutionalised. Radio was chosen because it

was seen as the media sector least able to take up the opportunities

offered by this new freedom. For years, radio stations had not

been allowed to produce their own news. They we re simply

required to relay news from the government station almost every

hour of the day. It is hardly surprising that the capacity of radio

journalism lagged way behind that of other media. It was natural

too, that this independent news service from ISAI was warmly

welcomed by radio stations. And it transformed into a radio news

agency - an institution previously unknown in the media world

in Indonesia.

Pioneered seven years ago this radio news agency, KBR

68H, was not conceived of grand ideas. We had no blueprint for

a news office. The initial concept of this news communication

mechanism I scrawled on the back of an old envelope. Just a

rough sketch showing the network we wanted to have when

production of news files began.

Wie just jumped in with both feet. Working and learning,

and playing too. With just one clear goal in mind: delive ring to

radio stations good For years, radio stations were

news products. And not allowed to produce their own

indeed, masses of time news. They had to relay news from and e nergy were the government radio station every focused on producing hour of the day. quality radio news.

So simple was the plan that we gave no serious thought to

the name of the organisation that was taking shape. One evening

in Kedai Tempo - an outdoor cafe that is the most refreshing

spot in the Utan Kayu Community - I was sitting with our newly

recruited radio reporters. Just six of us. After a long discussion

about news themes and production issues, we got round to the

question of a name. What would the organisation that served

the radio stations be called? That name would be mentioned in

each piece of news produced as a form of accountability.

Someone suggested, "Let's just call it 68H." The name 68H came

from the address where our small studio was located - Jalan

Utan Kayu 68H, Jakarta. No one objected or had suggestions

for other names. So, KBR 68H it was. The first news was sent to

radio stations on April 29th, whic h then became the date of

KBR 68H's anniversary.

In Indonesia in 1999, there were around 700 pri \Oa te radio

stations, besides the government-controlled stations. But during

the more than 30 yea rs of authoritarian rule, a mountain of rules

and regulations he ld back the growth of these private radio

stations. They were not allowed to produce ne,vs independently.

RabizhoelHighlight

4 5

Waves of Freedom

In fact, they were obliged to relay government versions of the

news 18 times a day. Radio journalism skills were sorely lacking

as a result, even though in transition towards democracy, in a

pluralistic so ciety spread over such a huge geographical area,

radio can actually playa very important role. That is why we

decided to get involved in developing radio journalism, together

building the capacity of this sector, and meeting people 's need

for information. Especia lly th os e with limited access to

information.

To begin with, KBR 68H produced only short news items

(30-60 seconds long), and distributed these to network members

via the internet. But then as our capacities grew, the programmes

became more varied. Each day, KBR 68H now produces eight

hours of radio programmes of various kinds. More on these

programmes can be found in Chapter 3: Public Radio in Spint.

Distribution via the in te rnet turned out to be effective only

when the programmes were few in number and short in duration.

This method proved impractical when K.BR 68H began producing

longer programmes. A 30-minute current affair s package, for

example, would take network members in Sulawes i and Nusa

Tenggara eight hours to download . By th e time it was

downloaded, the news was too stale for the radio. That's why

KBR 68H started exploring the possibilities o f using satellite.

'IIie learned to improve on th e technology we used, and the ways

our reporters worked. More about technology is discu ssed in

Chapter 4: From Di.rpatc!1 Rider to Saje/lite.

Still learning, and getting better, KBR 68H staff were driven

to move forward. This commitmen t was reflected in the

Improvement in programme quality, which sparked a positive

response from net\"ork m embers. If to start with only 7 radio

A Beginning

srati()n~ used our programmes, today more than 430 stations relay

tbem. This "cry rapid expansion is proo f that there is demand

for KBR 68H programmes, ami that managers of radio stations

in Indonesia ha\'e faith in the qu ali ty of our programmes. / \.5 do

seycral radio srations in olher parts of Southeast ~'\ s i a , too. Radio

sra tions used to get KBR 68H programmes fre e o f charge, but

now they afC will ing to pay a fcc to subsidize the news agency's

production tosrs. See Chapter 2: 1....::fIlJlorkiJlg.

Financial independence is an important issue that needs to

be addressed. It is hard to prove ourseh-es as an independent

and reli able ne ws ag enc y unl ess we are also finan cia ll y

ind epcndent. Our n ews age nc ;' was started with financial

ass istance from various organisations, such as th e .\Jedia

Development Loan Fund, The ~ \ sia Foundation, Open Society

In stitute, Free Voice, and th e Neth erlands Embassy. Bu t we

realise only roo well that assistance o f this kind is only temporary,

and that it wi ll come to an end . In the meantime, operati ng

costs continue to ri se. Our journalists haw swelled in number

from just six to more than 1 00, in~luding correspondents. That's

not TO menrion staff in other departm ents, such as tedmical

affairs, general affairs, and marketing.

The most difficult test for us is going to be to mantain KBR

68H as a public broadcaster, while relying on the marketp lace to

CO\'er our operating costs. At present, mo st of KBR 68H 's

n;\'cnuc comes from collabora tin: prog rammes with various

organisations. See Chapter 6: TlJe Jo~~a/ :VItJI"kt-1.

Be sid es concentrat ing on producing gualit y rad io

programmes, KB R 6RII also ca res about developing the skills

of radio journ aljsts in i ndonesia. \X'ilh this in mind , we run

training programmes aDd have published books on broadcasting.

6 7 Waves of Freedom

See Chapter 5: Training and Frainillg. These fill a fairly large

vacuum in human resource development in radio journalism.

KBR 68H also cares about opening access to information in

remote areas. \'{!ith support from various quarters, we have set

up radio stations in places even the government never thought

of going. Sec Chapter 7: To the Ends 0/ 1/;1: COlfll /I]" And on its journey, KBR 68H has been witness to many

incidents in this country, including disa~ters. The earthquake and

tsunami drew KBR 68H into activities in r\ceh, from

reconstructing radio stations left in ruins and distributing radios

to the local people, to building \\"c1ls with money donated by

listeners. T he year following the tsunami was for us a time of

closeness to Aceh. See Chapter 8: Rising Above the TstII1tIJ11i.

Although KBR 6811 ha s been busy sourcing financial support

from the market, our public radio spiri t has not been allowed to

falter. See Chapter 9: TmnsjorllJa/i()l1: From N CO to Media Bmimss.

We are oriented to se rving the public; that is not negotiable.

When there were no media a ble to serve the two religious

communities engaged in conflict in Maluku, KBR 68H was there,

working with radio s tations in both Muslim and Christian

strongholds. We were a source of information that both sides

li stened to. l\nd, independence is just one of our pillars. We

exisr in a society that is moving towards democracy, towards a

society that has greater respect for human rights, and that is

tolerant of differences. So, KBR 68H also takes on the task of

promoting respect for human rights, pluralism, and peaceful

resolution of conflicts.

Today, KBR 68H programmes are broadcast to lis teners from

Sabang to .\ [erauke. They are a part of the changing Indonesian

society, one shifting from the repression of au thoritarian rule

A Beginning

towards open democracy. KBR 68H is their frie nd, a part of the

transition towards a better Indonesia. f. v"ry day, more than 8

million listeners rune into KBR 68H broadcasts. Most are waiting

for newS.

Edit0l7a/ staff plalllling lIeJJ'S topics

2 Networking

A lctter from Jambi. From the new breakaway district,

Tanjung Jabung Timur, which had very poor access to

nformation. The sender of the letter was a transmigrant

hailing from East Java, who took the initiative to set up a private

radio station there. He wanted the station to grow and to become

a member of the KBR 68H net\vork so that the local people

would have access to the latest information. He wrote: "Basically

what I want is a way of keeping the station I set up alive in

Tanjung Jabung Timur, where people thirst for information."

Two days after that letter arrived in Jakarta, radio listeners

in Tanjung Jabung Timur were listening to programmes from

KBR 68H.

Another time, a request for cooperation arrived bye-mail.

The sender was the manager of a community radio station on

Derawan Island in East Kalimantan, who was involved in nature

consen-ation on the tourist island. He wrote: "Some time ago,

we sent a letter to 68H, asking about the possibility entering

into a broadcasting partnership. Would it still be possible to

'bal flll'lolIJ{Jrp/}(md iI/to {/lr KBR 68J J J1ftJriqllar/lrs, at .fa/all DtJlI N!l''' 68H

9

10 11 Waves of Freedom

fo llow up on that plan?" We replied by mail, saying that of course

it would be no problem. We'd be happy to oblige.

On yet another occasion, a short text message came from a

friend. He wrote: "There is a reall,' dynamic small radio station

in Flores. It's called RCllf,:n }{;'l i ll ii "S F.Y!' They want to join the

KBR 68H network." He immediately texted the contact address

of the radio station. And, in no time a t all, we had contacted the

manager of the radio station to explain about KBR 68H

programmes, how the partnerships worked, and so on. Usually,

in less than a week, we have signed a partnership agreement.

So the KBR 68H network grew, and reached out towards the

far flung corners of the archipelago. If to begin with expanding

the network was more a case of us seeking out members, now it

i~ a Q.,vo-way thing. Sometimes we receive requests to join the

network from radio stations that we've never even heard of. Like

the ones in Jambi, East Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara.

The KBR 68H network has grown rapidly since we started

distributing information by satellite. At the end of 1999, only

around 130 radio stations were using KBR 68H products sent

via the internet (50 in direct partnership and 80 thro~gh a private

broadcasters' syndica te in West Java). But since we started using

satellite, more and more private and community radio stations

han.: been interested in entering into direct partnerships. At the

end of December 2000, the network had almost 200 members,

and 114 of these were receiving programme, via satellite. The

remaining 80 or so were accessing KBR 68H news via the

in ternet.

Today, there are 430 radio stations in the KBR 68H network,

spread across more than 320 districts and municipalities in 33

provinces. These rad io stations stretch from one end of the

Networking

country.to the other, from Sabang to Merauke, from Kupang to

Manado. In all of Indonesia 's major cities, there are radio stations

that are part of the KBR 68H network.

The KBR 68H network is used not only to spread news from

Jakarta to the regions; it is also an effective medium of exchange

between r egions. News The KBR 68H network facilitates produced by Radio DMS the flow of information between Amb on, fo r example, communities. Strengthens

Indonesianness.th roug h the K BR68H network can be heard by

lis teners in Aceh, Jombang and Kendari. And likewise, radio

listeners in Ambon can get information from other regions. In

short, the KBR 68H network fac ilitates the flow of information

between communities. Strengthens Indonesianness.

This is possible thanks to the participation of network radio

reporters. If at the end of 1999, only 11 or so network members

were regularly contributing news items, by the beginning of 2006

around 120 were doing so. These include reporters from Banda

Acch, Meulaboh, Medan, Pekanbaru , Palembang, Sumedang,

Bandung, Cianjur, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Solo, Surabaya,Jember,

Singaraja, Makassar, Pontianak, Samarinda, T arakan, Manado,

Palu, Paso, Ambon, Ternate, Jayapura, \'Vamena, Mataram, and

Kupang. The emergence of these new reporters, among other

factors, has been promoted by the radio journalism training

sessions he ld in several regions, as well as by the incentives and

good work systems of the KBR 68H network.

This grO\;vth is not only quantitative, either. There have been

unforeseen improvements in quality, too. For example, there are

state radio (RRJ) stations that have joined the KBR 68H network.

In the past, private radio stations had to relay RRI news. But

http:country.to

-12 13 Waves of Freedom

now the opposite is the case, and RRl stations are allowed to

relay news from private news agencies like KBR 68H. Also, there

are radio stations owned by regional governments that have

become members of the KBR 68H network. These include RPD

Soe in Timor; RPD Elide and RPD M(llIggarai in Flores; RPD

SUlJlba/pC/.., and Radio Sin/en/lie I'oice in Simeulue district, Aceh.

These. government radio stations are important for spreading

information, because often they are the only radio station in the

area.

Is a national scale network like this not a recons truction of

the centralistic government radio station that existed during the

time of the Ne\v Order? This is a question that often bothered

us. Although KBR 68H was never intended to be centralistic, it

nonetheless has the potential to be so. For this reason, KBR

68H began making contracts with network radio sta tions on a

voluntary basis. If both sides feel they stand to benefit, the

contract can go ahead. If one side feels they are being forced

into partnership, it certainly won 't last for long.

There are at least three advantages for the network stations:

1) They get good news programmes, which if they produced

themselves would be very costly. 2) They have the opportunity

to broadcast their coverage to the four corners of Indonesia.

The contributions of the se corre spondents are also vital to

preventing KBR 68H from becoming Jakarta-centric. They

receive payment for news that is broadcast. 3) If advertisements

are aired during a programme or outside the KBR 68H package,

the radio gets a share of the fees. Network members are also

able to make the best use of KBR 68B as their marketing

representative in Jakarta. \\"ith this kind of partnership scheme,

the number of KBR 68H network members keeps growing; which

Networking

means that the number of lis teners keeps growing, too; and that

is exactly what we hoped for when this news agency was set up.

And the expansion will continue to the point where every

district has a KBR 68H network radio station. This goal is made

all the more challenging by the emergence of new districts. In

2004, we posted advertisements in several provinces, inviting

radio stations in districts where we had no partners to join us.

These advertisements, for instance, were placed in local

newspapers in provinces such as Aceh, North Sulawesi,

Gorontalo, and East Nusa Tenggara. While in 1999 there were

only 133 districts and municipalities in Indonesia, in 2006 there

are more than 440. This expansion seems to be becoming a trend,

as a way of addressing the demands of previously neglected

regions. So the number of provinces and districts will keep

growing. And so will the KBR 68H network.

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17 Waves of Freedom16

Not all plain sailing Building a network of members with such diverse

backgrounds - from Islamic boarding school stations to church

stations, from community radio to commercial r adio - is

obviously not without problems. One day I received a phone

call from the owner of a radio station, a KBR 68H network

member in Lampung. In shrill tones he demanded to know why

KBR 68H had aired a public service advertisement that he fel t

would offend IVfuslims in his city. I had no idea as to the basis of

his claims. Bur I sympathised with hi s concerns, and tried to

understand.

After talking for some time, I realised that the

advertisement he was talking about was a KBR 68H production.

The advertisement was made without any advertising

sponsorship. \Y/e were just concerned that listeners be more

tolerant of religions o ther than their own. The advertisement

used sounds associated with particular religions. For example,

the sound of Hindus praying, the sound of the bedttg - the drum ' . used to call Muslims to prayer - and the sound of church bells.

The problem for him was: why did the church bells drown out

the sound of the bedttg? That was blasphemous. Hey, that hadn't

even crossed our minds. The sounds were made to overlap, just

for artistic effect. It sounded good.

But even when I explained all this, the caller didn't want

to know. He said that his radio station would gui t the KBR 68H

network that very day if the advert was not wi thdrawn. I told

~im that the advert had been well received by li steners in Ambon

when it was still being battered by religious conflict. So, we would

be disinclined to withdraw the advert. We believe that promoting

Networking

tolerance is one of the functions o f the media. So, that day, we

had no choice but to lose a network member.

Unfortunatc:l\', this was to happen again. In 2005, after the

Indone :,-ian Li lamas Council issued a fatwah oudawing secularism,

liberalism and pluralism, pre ssure on a group of young Muslim

actiyi s ts , Jaringan I slam

Liberal UIL) , in te nsified.

Some of the residents in the

yicinity of Utan Kayu voiced

We believe that promoting tolerance is one of the functions

of the media.

their opposition to JIL, which shares office space with KBR 68H .

They also demanded that we stop broadca st ing our regular

Thursday slot, "Religion and Tolerance'.'. We invited members

of the local community to discus s the problem, and they came

to understand what this programme was ab out and why there

was no need to stop airing it. We even invited the pro testors to

come and talk at KBR 68H.

The tension with the residents eased, although there are

still some who want JIL out. As the banners that subseguently

appeared in the vicinity of the KBR 68H office testified. This

contro,-ersy received wide medi a coverage. Some n etwor k

members grew anxiou s. One member in Jakarta decided to

withdraw from the KBR 68H network, because it did not want

to be associated with JIL. We could do nothing to prevent it. We

were sad to lose a network member. Bu t we were relieved to

ha\'e got thro ugh th e crisis without compromising our basic

principles.

.\nd the loss of network members has not only been due to

the sensitive content of broadcasts, such as religion. On another

occasion, a KBR 68H network member in Central Java guit

because we aired an advert tha t was "anti-militarism". This

18 19 Waves of Freedom

advertisement was sensitive because it was aired in the run up to

the 2004 presidential elections. A radio station in Cilacap was

the target of protests by supporters of Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono, and eventually withdre\v from the KBR 68H

network. Although we sent a letter exp laining that KBR 68H

was responsible for the advertisement, the protestors continued

to target the local radio station. Network broadcasting, it turns

Out, means sharing responsibility.

But the saddest of all was the bad news we got from our

network member in Masohi, Central Maluku, on New Year's Day,

1 January 2000. In the early hours of the morning, Radio DMS

was burned to the ground by a mob. A victim of the religious

conflict there. All the station's equipment was consumed by the

flames. Even the building. Only the people were able to save

themselves. The hopes of maintaining plurality at the radio station

were blown away by mob violence. Radio DMS staff had to watch

their own backs, and were segregated as a community split along

religious lines.

I t took a few years to rebuild the station in Masohi. The new

station . is called Rtldio Binqya, after a famous mountain that the

people of Central :Lvfaluku take their bearings from . Hopefully,

Radio Bil10ya will be able to help orient its listeners, to prevent a

recurrence of the violence in the name of religion that once

des troyed it.

Growing together Unlike other groups that build radio networks based on

shared ownership, KBR 68H has no desire to meddle in the

ownership of the net\vork stations. KBR 68H is basically a joint

broadcasting network. But this has since also developed into joint

Networking

marketing. For eyer), advertisement or sponsored programme

aired, KBR 68H shares with the network an amount decided by

the client. Not all members automatically get a share, it depends

on what the client wants too. Billions of rupiah are distributed

to network members each year; the proceeds from joint

programme marketing. In return, KBR 68H network members care deeply about

the fate of their hub. Because they feel that they own the network,

they toO get concerned if they don't hear enough advertisements

in their programmes. That's why not many KBR 68H network

members minded when the y had to start paying monthly

subscriptions. Network members realise that to produce news,

KBR 68H requires substantial financial suppor t. We introduced

the system of subscriptions in early 2005, and got po sitive

support from the network members.

Now in its seventh year, KBR 68H continues to work to

improve its services to network members. One facility introduced

this year is a soft loan scheme. These loans are given to stations

that need capital to improve their performance. There are, of

course, procedures and criteria for obtaining a loan. We hope

that this ~upport will provide an alternative solution to the

problem that small local radio stations have getting bank loans.

We truSt the recipients to repay their loans on time, because this

will give other stations in the network the chance to get loans,

too.

This small revolving loan fund for the media could be an

unprecedented breakthrough in Indonesia, maybe even in Asia.

20 21 Wa ves of Freedom

Not only in Indonesia The KBR 68H network quickly expanded overseas, too. With

our new dream of asserting the news agency's position as a

relia ble source o f radio ne\vs in Asia, in 2004 \ YC began looking

for partner sta tions in As ia. One way we did this was through a

weekly English language Today in Indonesia, we don't news pr ogr amm e, Asia just listen to foreign broadcasts . Calling. Today, rhis We contribute to the global

information row.programme is aired in E ast Timor, Cambodia, and the Philippines. As well as being broadcast

in English, the programme is also transla ted into local languages

in Cambodia and the Philippines. In the near future, A sia Callil({l,

sho uld be broadcast in l\.fghanis tan, Pakistan and Thailand.

Foreign media confidence in KBR 68H news is growing.

KBR 68H now contributes to New York's Democracy' N OiJ) radio

programme, and to KPF/I in San Francisco. These are in addition

to series of KBR 68H programmes used in the past by foreign

radio stations, includ ing Radio Nederlalld, Deutsche [Velie, VOA

and SBS, Australia. This growth shows that, given enough

freedom, Indonesians can be active players, not just consumers,

in the global flow of information. Today in Indonesia, we don't

just li sten to foreign broadcas ts. \'\ie contribute to the globa l

informa tion flow.

O ur most intensive overseas collaboration is wi th T'oice oj

Democracy in Cambodia. This orga nisation was similar to KBR

68H when it sta rted ou t. Set up as a human rights NGO called

CCJIR, Voice oj Dell/ocl'aCY' gre\v rapidly thanks to the positive

public response to its programmes. VOD still doesn't have its

own radio station because the gO\ernrrient is reluctant to grant'

thcm a frequenc y. At the moment they are still leasing airtime

Networking

from Radio BeeIJive. For eight hours a day, they meet up with

listeners through another radio station.

The year 2006 began with terrible blow for our colleagues

in Cambodia. The Hun Sen government cracked down o n the

opposition, and arrested CC HR's president, Kern Sokha, and the

director of VOD, Pa N guon Teang. Fortunately, pressure from

within Cambodia a nd from th e internatio nal community

persuaded Hun Sen to change his mind. These democracy and

human right ac tivists were freed about two weeks after being

flung in jail. This means our fri ends have been able to continue

developing V OD broadcas ts , including Asia Calling. We are proud

to have a network o f friends that extends all the way to Cambodia.

--

--

23

22 Waves of Freedom

KBR 68H NETWORK MEMBERS

NANGGROE ACEH DARUSSALAM FreauencyNo. Radio Station 101 .30 FM1 Dalka FM 107.6 FM2 Matahari

3 Fatali FM 101 FM 4 Seha (Seunang Hatee) 107.8 FM

101 FM5 Rapeja 105.60 FM6 Megaphone

98.1 FM7 AS FM 88.9 FM8 SIT FM

9 Tasfa FM 95 .60 FM 104 FMCitra Pesona10

11 104.8 FMXtra FM 104 FM, 810AM12 Amanda Rasisonia

13 DB 99 FM 99 FM 14 Nakata 900 AM

98.4 FM15 Getsu 105.10 FM16 Andy1a FM

1368AM17 Sonya Manis 106.10 FM18 Gipsi FM

19 Nara FM 103.3 FM Pro FM 99.9 FM20

21 Simeulue Voice 97.9 FM 22 Smong 98.7 FM

Vina Vira 101 .10 FM23 24 103.50 FMAdyemaja

104.40 FM25 Prima 26 Tanwir 107.6 FM

106 FM27 Nikoya

! ' I NORTH SUMATRA

citY Meulaboh, West Aceh Meulaboh, West Aceh Blangpidie, Southwest Aceh Jantho, Aceh Besar Lamno, Aceh Jaya Sig li , Aceh Pidie Sigli, Aceh Pidie Tapaktuan, South Aceh Kluet Utara, South Aceh Subulussalam, Aceh Singkil Gunung Meriah, Aceh Singkil Takengon, Central Aceh Kutacane, Southeast Aceh Lhoksukon, North Aceh Bireuen Matangglumpang Dua, Bireuen Bireuen Langsa Nagan Raya Sabang Sinabang, Simeuleu Sinabang, Simeuleu Lhokseumawe Lhokseumawe Banda Aceh Banda Aceh Banda Aceh

41 Aldino I-'erkasa 42 Nias Mitradharma 43 Soara Pusuk Buhit 44 Yudha FM 45 Sonya FM 46 Pasopati 47 RAU FM 48 Citra Parapat 49 Boss FM 'in Suara Sibolga

,T SUMATRA Radio staUon

51 Dharma 52 Harau Megantara Angkasa

53 Ohara 54 Pasaman FM

55 Mandala

56 SKA

57 Citra

58 OK FM

59 Carano

60 Lita

61 Jelita

62 Jam Gadang

63 Suara Subuh

64 Padang FM

65 Boos

66 Dian FM

67 Bahana

68 Gita Cendana FM

69 Ariel

70 Gapilar Rasisonia

No.

103.35 FM 94.90 FM

94 FM 98.70 FM

10660 FM 8920 FM

105 FM 104.4 FM 102.8 FM 1013 FM

Frequency 98.7 FM

10060 FM 88.8 FM

1019 FM 97.9 FM

103.6 FM 96.20 FM

94 .6 FM 95 FM

95.60 FM 103.9 FM

102.3 FM 94.30 FM

102.60 FM 104.2 FM 97.8 FM

100.2 FM 106.1 FM

105.70 FM 97FM

Networking

Panyabungan:l'Vfandailing Natal Gunung Sitoli, Nias Samosir, Toba Samosir Binjai, Binjai Medan Medan Padang Sidempuan Parapat Pematang Siantar Sibolga

City Gunung Medan, Dharmasraya Harau, Lima Puluh Kota Pariaman Pasaman Barat Painan, Pesisir Selatan Sawah Lunto - Sijunjung Koto Baru, Solok Alahan Panjang, Solok Batu Sangkar, Tanah Datar Bukittinggi Bukittinggi Bukittinggi Padang Padang Padang Padang Panjang Padang Panjang Padang Panjang Timur Payakumbuh Solok

No. Radio Station Freauency City 28 Kisaran Suara Seruni 100.10 FM Kisaran, Asahan 29 Alpalah 1314 AM Tanjung Balai, Asahan 30 Ropades FM 105.30 FM Indrapura, Asahan . 31 RSPD Asahan 90.2 FM Kisaran, Asahan'

I 32 Barisan Nauli 1224 AM Sidikalang, Dairi 33 Tuah Suara Murni 945 AM Lubuk Pakam, Deli Serdang 34 Q FM 90 FM Patumbak, Deli Serdang 35 Belmera 91.20 FM Tanjung Morawa, Deli Serdang 36 RBK FM 9905 FM Kabanjahe, Karo 37 PAS FM 102.4 FM Rantau Prapat, Labuhan Batu 38 Carana FM 100.30 FM Pangkalan Berandan, Langkat 39 SBB 102 FM Pangkalan Berandan,Langkat 40 MASS 101 FM Panyabungan, Mandailing Natal

RIAU CityFrequencyRadioNo.

Tembilahan, Indragiri Hilir100 .5 FM71 Kilas Rengat, Indragiri Hulu104.7 FM72 Nara Jingga Bangkinang, Kampar100.6 FM73 Swara Prima Andalas Bagan Batu , Rokan Hilir1044 AM74 BBC Perawang, Siak1046 FM75 Putra Buana Perawang Dumai107.20 FM76 Star Dumai93 FM77 Malaka Bengkalis, Duri100.30 FM78 Q FM Pekanbaru105.80 FM79 Gress Pekanbaru95.1 FM, ~044 AM80 Soreram

I

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24 Waves of Freedom Networking 25

RIAU ISLANDS eItang, Ogan Komering Ulu Timur Lubuk Linggau, Musi Rawas

uana

Pagar Alam, Pagar Alam104.4 FM Pagar Jaya, Pagar Alam

1062 AM 98.5 FM

Plaju, Palembang 103.4 FM Palembang

Watervang, Lubuk Linggau98.65 FM Lubuk Linggau103.4 FM

-No Radio Frequency CitY 81 Gema Bentara 107 FM Batam 82 Kei FM 102.30 FM Batam 83 Iguana FM 88.60 FM Tanjung Pinang

JAMBI No. Radio Frequency citY 84 BHP 85 Irma Nada 86 KGS 87 Suara Merangin 88 RSPD Sarolangun 89 Prima Angkasa 90 Kelapa Indah 91 RSPD Kuala Tungkal 92 Suara Tanjung Jabung TImur 93 94 95

Idola Dira FM Manggis

-

BENGKULU No. Radio FrequencY City 96 Artha 103.70 FM Manna, South Bengkulu 97 Nusa Indah 1098 AM Manna, South Bengkulu 98 Setiawana Nadanusa 97.2 FM Arga Makmur. North Bengkulu 99 Gita Buana Suara 1152 AM Ipuh, Mukomuko

100 SK FM 104.7 FM Curup, Rejang Lebong 101 Rapindo Utama 101.2 FM Kepahiang 102 Namora 1188 AM Curup. Rejang Lebong 103 Delta 99.3 FM Tais, Seluma 104 Flamboyan 105.9 FM Bengkulu

648/WJ 97.5 FM 1305AM

100.8 FM 864 AM

102.5 FM 837/WJ

104.10 FM 99.8 FM, SW 97.6 FM

103.70 FM 104.30 FM

96 FM

Muara Bulian, Batanghari Muara Bungo Sungai Penuh, Kennei Bangko, Merangin Sarolangun Sarolangun Kuala Tungkal, WestTanjung Jabung Kuala Tungkal. WestTanjung Jabung Dendang, East Tanjung Jabung Rimbo Bujang, Tebo Jambi Jambi

No. 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132

BANGKA BELITUNG Radio Frequency City

Debar FM 100 FM Belinyu, Bangka

AKS 102.5 FM Muntok, West Bangka

Duta 101.3 FM Muntok, West Bangka

Citra FM 102.5 FM Toboali , South Bangka

Dideva 103.8 FM Koba , Central B,angka

Ozone 103.1 FM Manggar, West Beli tung

DMP 101.2 FM Tanjung Pandan, Belitung

Fame 101.9 FM Pangkalpinang

LAMPUNG-

No: 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116

SOUTH SUMATRA Radio SIP FM Rajapaksi Lolita Suara Agita BukitAsam FM EN J Musi Citra Atlas Dian Bahagia Sentosa ADBC Penlas FM Mitra Jaya Vania FM

Frequencv City JAKARTA 100.55 FM

756 AM 846AM

10590 FM 1026 AM 1521 AM

106.1 FM 1116 AM 97.9 FM 98.7 FM 774 AM

1013 FM

No. Radio Frequency City 133 Mahameru 104.50 FM Liwa , West Lampung 134 Dian Rajabasa 765 AM Kalianda, South Lampung

135 Prima FM 100.7 FM Kalianda, South Lampung 136 Denbang 666 AM Bandar Jaya, Central Lampung 137 Pramudya 102.3 FM Sukadana, West Lampung 138 Mas Mandiri 107 .1 FM Citybumi, North Lampung 139 Maskara 89.9 FM Dayamumi , Tulang Bawang 140 Andalas 102.7 FM Bandar Lampung 141 Rasubha 99.2 FM Bandar Lampung 142 Kartika 103.90 FM Rawasari, Metro 143 Suara Seruni Bikarama 92.10 FM Rawasari , Metro

Pangkalan Balai, Banyuasin Lahat Tebing Tinggi, Lahat Tanjung Enim, Muara En im Tanah Abang, Muara Enim Sekayu, Musi Banyu Asin Simpang Periukv Lubuk Linggau Prabumulih Prabumulih Prabumulih Timur, Prabumulih Lempuing, Ogan Komering "ir Belitang, Ogan Komering Ulu

I

No. Radio Frequency City 144 Ulan Kayu 89.20 FM, 603 AM Jakarta ~5 ,RPK 96.30 FM Jakarta

Citv Pandeglang Pandeglang Labuan, Pandeglang Malingping, Pandeglang Lebak Cilegon

lHO~ 146 147 148 149 150 151

BANTEN.. Radio Swara Angkasa 72 Swara Adhi Kusuma Krakatau Arjuna Panorama Banten FM

Freouencv 558 AM

90.60 FM 93.7 FM

100.4 FM 93.3 FM

95.30 FM

.........---

26 Waves of Freedom Networking 27

angerang 820 F Purwodadi, Grobogan Ciputat, Tangerang

WEST JAVA No. Radio Frequency City 154 Actari 96.70 FM Ciamis 155 ADS 101 FM Cikampek 156 Budaya Sari 936 AM Majalaya, Bandung 157 Bost 89.4 FM, 864 AM Leuwiliang , Bogor 158 RJM 91 .9 FM Pangandaran, Ciamis 159 Rudysta 89.9 FM Ciamis 160 RCM 104.90 FM Kalipueang, Ciamis 161 Antares 98.60 FM Garut 162 NBC 105 FM, 882 AM Garut

194 Prima 104 FM Jepara

195 Rassinda 1314AM Karanganyar

196 Pop FM Gombong . 95 FM Gombong, Kebumen'

197 Bimasakti 9660 FM Kebumen

198 Citra FM 99.7 FM Kendal

199 Rona 100.6 FM, 900 AM Kendal

200 Candi Sewu 96.60 FM Klaten

201 POP FM Kudus 93.7 FM Kudus

202 Gelora FM 107.1 FM Kudus

203 GSM 91.50 FM Muntilan, Magelang

204 Pragola 94.30 FM Pati

205 PAS FM 101 FM Pati

206 Amarta 88.9 FM Pekalongan 163 Cinde FM 101.3 FM Indramayu 207 Alfina 89.3 FM Pemalang 164 Ewangga 91.4 FM Kuningan 208 SBS 94.7 FM Purbalingga 165 RIS 99.8 FM 99 .8 FM Majalengka 209 Pop FM Purworejo 93.4 FM Purworejo 166 Fantasi 70 93.1 FM, 1557 AM Jatiwangi, Majalengka 210 R2B 98.4 FM. 1296 AM Rembang 167 Trend 101.2 FM PUlwakarta 211 Rasika 10560 FM Ungaran , Semarang 168 Venus 104.90 FM Subang 212 Pop FM 107FM Kartasura, Sukoha~o 169 Jusyan 92.7 FM Sumedang 213 Serenada 97.70 FM Tegal 170 Buanajaya 94.10 FM Ciawi, Tasikmalaya 214 RPK FM 103.1 FM Parakan, Terrianggung 171 Mara 106.70 FM Bandung 215 RGM 1017 AM Ngadirojo, Wonogiri 172 Barani 1116 AM Bandung 216 GIS 94 FM Wonogiri 173 JAS 90.7 FM Banjar 217 POP 98 FM Kalikajar, Wonosobo 174 Elpas 1170 AM Bogor 218 Polaris FM 101 FM Magelang 175 Maritim 102.60 FM Cirebon 219 SSP 10380 FM Pekalongan 176 Gita Swara 99.1 FM Plumbon, Cirebon

, 220 Yasika 91.5 FM P~rwokerto

177 Suara Gratia 95.9 FM Cirebon 221 Zenith 97.2 FM Salatiga 178 AR- FM 92.9 FM Cimahi 222 Top FM 89.4 FM Semarang 179 Ria Pop FM 103 FM Depok 223 Channel 99 99.30 FM Semarang 180 Past Way 106.9 FM Tasikmalaya 224 Ria FM 98.80 FM Surakarta 181 Bintang 99 FM Tasikmalaya 225 PTPN Rasitania 99.60 FM Surakarta

- - -

226 Rama 666 AM Surakarta CENTRAL JAVA 227 Anita FM 106.60 FM Tegal

YOGYAKARTA

.: .... Fr8quenCY City ] 228 Global FM 107.6 FM Banguntapan, Bantul 229 Masdha FM 89.35 FM Depok, Sleman 230 RAM 100.50 FM Wates; Kulonprogo 231 Swara Menoreh 107.5 FM Samigaluh, Kulonprogo 232 Unisi 104.50 FM Yogyakarta ~

EAST JAVA

~, . I CRY '1 ' .....\0 FrtCluency23J Mandala 96.40 FM BanYUwan~i

No. Radio Frequency City 182 Maung Sakti 810AM Banjarnegara 183 Satria 103.9 FM Ajibarang, Banyumas 184 Channel 100 100.2 FM Banyumas 185 RGBS 92.3 FM Purwokerto, Banyumas 186 Aro Moneer 972 AM Batang 187 X FM 9920 FM Blora 188 Kasihku 936 AM Bumiayu, Brebes 189 Wijaya FM 102.60 FM Cilaeap 190 Qolbu 792 AM Kroya. Cilaeap 191 STP 97.5 FM 97.5 FM Cilacap 192 Qolbu 900 AM Demak

I

28 29 Waves of Freedom

234 TawangAlun 92.1 FM Banyuwangi 235 Patria FM 102.60 FM Blitar 236 Bass 96.60 FM Bojonegoro 237 Romantika FM 98.60 FM Bondowoso 238 Elbayu 954 AM Gresik 239 Prosalina 101.30 FM Jember 240 Gitanada 97.4 FM Jombang 241 Kartika 89.00 FM Jombang 242 Taurus 97.1 FM Kediri 243 Sega 89.6 FM Kediri 244 Prameswara 103.9 FM Lamongan 245 Swara Semeru FM 90.70 FM Lumajang 246 RASI 90.60 FM Magetan 247 Maja FM 100.70 FM Mojokerto 248 Megantara Bhmneka 972 AM Nganjuk 249 Cankabhala 747 AM Ngawi 250 Gema Panca Arga 882 AM Pacitan 251 Swara Karimata Permai 100.2 FM Pamekasan 252 Gema Surya 97.5 FM, 1440 AM Ponorogo 253 Cahaya 107.5 FM Sampung, Ponorogo 254 PMA 1442 AM Kraksaan, Probolinggo 255 Bhasa 93.10 FM Situbondo 256 Pesona 2000 774 AM Sumenep '257 ADS 88.1 FM, 1044 AM Trenggalek 258 Jossh 103.50 FM Tulungagung 259 Andika 105.70 FM Kediri 260 Andalus 91.10 FM Malang 261 Global 90.90 FM Surabaya 262 EI Victor 93.30 FM Surabaya'

WEST KALIMANTAN No. RadIo FnIqU8IICy City 263 Sentranusa 105.45 FM Bengkayang 264 Gapa t=M 90.7 FM Putussibau, Kapuas Hulu 265 Delta Pawan Indah 101 .25 FM Ketapang 266 MahCity Gemaswara 100.4 FM Ngabang, Landak 267 Swara Melati Gramedia 738AM Mempawah, Pontianak 268 Rama Gentara 1044 AM Sungai Pinyuh, Pontianak 269 Muare Info 93.4 FM Pemangkat, Sambas 270 Swara Sambas 104.6 FM Sambas 271 Bimareksa Dirgantara 100.9 FM Sanggau 272 Dermaga Ria Persada 936 AM Sekadau,Sanggau 273 Polareksa FM 104.10 FM Sintang 274 Volare 103.40 FM Pontianak 275 Kenari 101 FM Pontianak

~ Arya Bomantara 102 FM Singkawang -- -

.ST KALIMANTAN ~-- . .-.

FnMI\IenCY CItv Tanjung Redep, Berau104.2 FMRCBI277 Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara106.50 FMAndini Swara278 Nunukan limur, Nunukan98.5 FMDevia

97FM

279

Penajam, Penajam Paser Utara Mars

10210 FM

280 BalikpapaliSBI281 Balikpapan101.3 FMSwara Media282 Kotif Bontang, Bontang103.9 FMEska FM283 Samarinda105.1 FMGema Nirwana284 Sangana, Samarinda102.5 FMGema Wana Prima285 Tarakan101.25 FMSuara Kaltara

107 FM

286

TarakanBeo Persada287

288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299

3DO 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313

'-

Networking

Buntok, South Barito Tamiyang Layang, South Barito Muara Teweh, North Barito Kuala Kurun, Gunung Mas Kuala Kapuas, Kapuas Pangkalan Bun, West Citywaringin Pangkalan Bun, West Citywaringin Sampit, East Citywaringin Palangkaraya Palangkaraya Palangkaraya Palan kara a

City Martapura, Banjar Marabahan, Barito Kuala Kandangan, South Hulu Sungai Barabai, Central Hulu Sungai Amuntai , North Hulu Sungai Martapura Tanjung, Tabalong Kelua, Tabalong Rantau Kiwa, Tapin Banjarbaru Banjarmasin Banjarmasin Citybaru, Pulau Laut Utara Batulicin, Citybaru

CENTRAL KALIMANTAN

Riwut Malawen Barito FM Citra Barito Sartika Granada Tara Indah Pakuba Megaprimadona Nada Persada Gema Mentaya RCA Ozon Canisa Es Pe FM

SOUTH KALIMANTAN

Swara AI Karomah Selidah FM Gema Amandit Dirgahayu Gema Kuripan Radio M Tanjung Pun Perkasa Ellona Swara Ruhui Rahayu Citra Bomeo Madani Nusantara Suara Banjarmasin Planet FM Gema Meralus

104.60 FM 100.50 FM 105.80 FM 102.3 FM

96.7 FM

FI'8QU8IIC:Y 1584 AM 98.8 FM 918AM

100.2 FM 810AM

107.1 FM 106.50 FM

87.9 FM 88.8 FM

103.9 FM 102.70 FM 104.3 FM 102.8 FM

756 AM

- - -

30 Waves of Freedom Networking 31

BALI...IID.: F CitY 314 315 316 317 318 319 320

~1

Pinguin Guntur Bali FM Oirgantara SWIB Global Outa FM ~uperadio_____

~

103.6 FM 104.60 FM

98.9 FM 94 FM

702 AM 96.50 FM 87.95 FM 105.2 FM

Denpasar, Badung Singaraja, Buleleng Gianyar Negara, Jembrana Besakih, Karang Asem Tabanan Oenpasar Oenpasar

WEST NUSA TENGGARA lID. Iblilii FrtQuency City 322 Pelangi Bima 103.2 FM Bima 323 Kanvas FM 93.7 FM Oompu 324 Haccandra 105.80 FM Narmada, West Lombok 325 Mandalika 88 FM, 684 AM Praya, Central Lombok 326 Kharisma 1008 AM East Lombok 327 Idola 792 AM Pan cor, East Lombok 328 Oisvira FM 95.10 FM Sumbawa Besar, Sumbawa 329 Cassanova 96.5 FM East Lasaune, Bima 330 Mayapesona 98.30 FM Mataram 331 Global 96.7 FM Cakranegara, Mataram 332 CNL 95 .10 FM Lombok, East Lombok

EAST NUSA TENGGARA 110. la.Ho Frequency City 333 Ratu Belu 106.50 FM Atambua, Belu 334 Favorit 98.20 FM Atambua, Belu 335 Suara Kelimutu 101 .5 FM, 1185 AM Flores, Ende 336 The Farmers Radio 98.5 FM Ngada, Flores 337 Malole 106.7 FM Baa, Rote Ndao 338 Kalong 106 FM Lembata 339 RSPO Manggarai SW1 2.86 Mhz, 101.3 FM Ruteng, Manggarai 340 Santana 94.9 FM Bajawa, Ngada 341 Sonia 102.9 FM Maumere 342 Max 96.9 FM Waingapu, East Sumba 343 RPSO Soe 738 AM Soo, Timor Tengah Selatan 344 DMWS 103.5 FM Kupang 345 Tirilolok 101.10 FM Kupang 346 Suara Timor 90.1 FM Kupang

NORTH SULAWESI No. RadIo FreQuericy CI~ 347 Nur Haddad 100 FM Citymubagu, Bolaang Mangondow 348 Sion FM 106.7 FM Tomohon, Minahasa 349 Re - Fata FM 96.25 FM South Minahasa

~ 351 352 353 354 355 356 357

flo. 358 359 360

;vi, 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375

377

No. 378 379 380 381 382 383 384

[lJevada StarFM Suara prorodisa Gita Lestari Visi FM Mersi ROM 2 FM Citra

RONTAlO Radio Erchi FM Smek FM Swara Selebes

ENTRAl SULAWESI RadIo Sich FM Setia Nada Istana Ariesta Swara Swara BuJa Betue Balasika Sakura Bulava Langgadopi Swara Magaga Bittara lodah Maleo Nebula Best FM RAL

WEST SULAWESI

Suara Mamase Swara Saweri Gadinq

SOUTH SULAWESI Radio Pantai Selatan Mitra Bayu Suara Oaya Indah Cempaka Asri Swara Paonta Lopi Rewako Suara Tomalatta

93.6 FM 100.5 FM 89.6 FM

105.60 FM 106.4 FM 98.5 FM 102 FM

96.90 FM

Freauency 90.3 FM 95.5 FM 101 FM

Amurang, Soulh Minahasa Tahuna, Sangihe Talaud Talaud, Sangihe Talaud Bitung East Bitung, Bitung Manado Manado Manado

City Marisa, Pahuwato Gorontalo Gorontalo

FreQuel1CY' City 104.30 FM

1440AM 101.10 FM

102.2 FM 99.1 FM

100.2 FM 103 FM

101.30 FM 101.2 FM 1422 AM 1341 AM 95.4 FM 101 FM

101.80 FM 1170 AM

Frequency 95.4 FM 1116 AM

104.4 FM 102.65 FM

95.5 FM 100.4 FM 99.2 FM

Luwuk, Banggai Luwuk, Banggai Banggai, Banggai Kepulauan Oonggala Oonggala Kodi, Oonggala Kolonodale, Morowali Parigi , Parigi Moutong Poso City, Poso 'Tentena, Poso Toli Toli Toli Toli Ampana, Tojo Una Una Palu Palu Palu Barat, Palu

City Bantaeng ! Bantaeng Kotif Watampon, Bone Bulukumba Bulukumba Sungguminasa, Gowa Wotu, East Luwu

1

l

32 Waves of Freedom

385 IZIP FM 93.3 FM 386 Suara Simpali Angkasa 720 AM 387 Bambapuang 882 AM 388 Molina 89.5 FM 389 Suara Adyafiri 1008 AM 390 SCFM 87.7 FM 391 Rina Bestari 738 AM 392 RST 102.3 FM 393 Suara As-Adiyah 864 AM 394 SPFM 103.5 FM 395 Mesra FM 102.8 FM 396 Makara 103.6 FM

SOUTHEAST SULAWESI No. Radio Frequency 397 Cakrawala 94.5 FM 398 Techno ' 91.10 FM 399 Gema Suara Buton 97 .8 FM 400 Gema Kendari FM 92.40 FM 401 Gema Gersamala 1080 AM 402 Swara Nirwana 102.5 FM 403 RWS 102.5 FM 404 Gelar 09 96.2 FM 405 Lawero 100.2 FM 406 Swara Alam 99.1 FM

MALUKU No. Radio Frequency 407 Rana Buru 103.7 FM 408 Binaya 104.6 FM 409 Resthy Mulya 92.5 FM 410 Gelora Tavlul 88 FM 411 MCSA 93.5 FM 412 Defnatar 102.6 FM 413 DMS 102.7 FM 414 Naviri 92.5 FM

NORTH MALUKU

--Maros Pinrang Pangkajene, Sidenreng Rappang Sinjai Sopeng, Walan Soppeng Sorowako Rantepao, Tana Toraja Rantepao, Tana Toraja Sengkang, Wajo Makassar Pare Pare Palopo

No. RadIo Frequency 41 5 Pertiwi FM 104.6 FM 416 RSPD Buana Lipu 100.4 FM 417 SPB , 103.6 FM 418 Swana 107.2 FM 419 Perjuangan 95 FM Sanana 95 FM 420 Gema Hikmah 103.4 FM 421 Diahi 102.6 FM 422 Surya 100.2 FM

City

Bombana Bau-Bau, Buton Pasar Wajo, Buton Watu-watu, Kendari Kolaka Tinanggea, South Konawe Raha, Muna Raha, Muna Bau Bau Mandonga, Kendari

City I Namlea, Buru Masohi, Central Maluku Banda Naira, Central Maluku Tual, Southeast Maluku Dobo, Southeast Maluku Saumlaki, Southwest Maluku Ambon Ambon

City Bacan, South Halmahera Bacan, South Halmahera Tobelo. North Halmahera Tidore, Kepulauan Sula Sanana, Kepulauan Sula Santiong, Temate Tabahawa, Ternate Tidore, Tidore Kep.

423 424 425 Extreme 426 RBS 427 Puistika 428 Bumi Mimika 429 RSKA 430 ART FM 431 VOP

WEST IRIAN

iii I~ 432 Merbau 433 HMS 434 Matoa

435 ELMarko

Networking

Biak, Biak Numfor Merauke Nabire

105.50 FM Serui, Yapen Waropen 102.3 FM Tmika, Mimika 96.9 FM Timika, Mimika 702 AM Jayapura

105.1 FM Jayapura 100.2 FM Jayapura

Frequency City 89.2 FM Bintuni, Teluk Bintuni

102.5 FM Fak Fak 102.6 FM Manokwari

98 FM Sorong

33

34 35 Waves of Freedom

Fruita of fr....om The regulations on broadcasting were made on the basis of

excessive concerns about ciyi l liberties. And, it is very obviouslr an

effort by those who seek to regain government control of the

broadcasting world. President Susilo Bambang Yudo),ono, who pu t

his signature to Governmc: nt Rt:gulation No. 50 on pnYa te

b roadcasters, an d th ree othe r go\"ernment regulations on

broadcasting, consciously or otherwise has revealed a paranoia. Fear

of freedom of information. Even though it is that freedo m that

has brought progress and prosperity to many nations.

The paranoia is particularly evident from the government's ban

on relaying foreign news broadcasts (Government Regulation No.

50, article 17 clause 5) . Minister Sofyan Ja}il claims that private

radio or television stations that relay foreign news could become

tools of foreign propaganda. He is concerned that our national

identity and our national interests are threatened. How members

of the United Indonesia Cabinet who in their election campaigns

supported the reform agenda could still bold to such conservative

ideas is a complete mystery.

These concerns are totally unwarranted. The majority of the

content of news broadcasts relayed by our radio and television

stations from overseas, is aired in Indonesian. The programmes are

.made by Indonesian journalists who work in the foreign media.

Most are good. highly professional journalists. So it is hard to

imagine these people becoming the tools of foreign propaganda.

'We belicvl! the journalists working in these fore ign media are

s~owing, in their own war, their love of their country. They are not

comprlldors. And their work is not propaganda.

Another aspect of the partnt:rships between these broadcasting

companies is free will. Radio and television stations are not forced

Networking

to relar foreign broadcastS. It's not like the New O rder era, when

radio stations were forced to relay RR1 news broadcasts up to cleven

times a day. Partnt:.rships today grow from a mutual need. Radio

and teleyision stations in Indonesia will not t:nlc::.r into partnerships

with the forei~n media if it is o f no bencftt to their listeners or

viewers. Local broadcasters must take iora account the people they

serve. They would never allow their media to become a tool of

foreign propaganda.

So exactly whose interests are at risk? No one's. Unless this

government, like:: its predecessors, is allergic ~o crit icism and

different opinions.

With today's technological de\'elopmems, closing one's door

on the world is nOt an option. The countries that are developed and

powerful are those whose citizens believe in openness. And, the

principle openness that we recognise is far morc advanced than

that of neighbouring counmes, such as !\falaysia and Singapore. So

they should not be set up as examples. We don't need to emulate

these undemocratic countries when It comes to broadcasting.

This undue concern also hampe rs opportunitic:s for

developing the capacides of our own CItizens. This gov$!rnment

regulation may s.eek..to protect the local broadcasting industry. But

it has been proven that on: riy protective policies fail to enhance

our competitiveness on the global free market. Excessive protection

encourages our society to be inward looking. Scared even to think

about competing on the wider stage.

Yet the democracy we have carved out over the past seven

years has shown unprecedented success. In tctms of freedom, not

only do we have choice; we have put ourselves on a par with others.

I have personal experience of this. In 1999, I and several journalists

and activists set up KBR 68H. This broadcasting organisation

36 37 Waves of Freedom

provides radio stations journalistic programmes. To begin with, only

to local radio stations, but as the quality of thc programmes

improved and gained public rccognition, forcign broadcasting

organisations began using KBR 68H services, tOO. These include

DtIItscbe [fe/Ie (German~") , SHS (Au~traJia), H i/lom",/} C\! t!tht!r1ands),

and f,'OA (United States).

This means that, thanks to freedom, we can bracket ourseh'es

with other countries. In broadcasting sen'ices, tOO. Now, local radio

not only relays the ncws products of foreign broadcasting

organisations. foreign broadcasters use products from local

broadcasting companies, too. The exchange of information is more

in balance, the perspectives richer.

And that is not all. Over the past hVO years, KBR 68B has

produced an information package in English, called Asia CalJing.

This programme is no\\" aired by radio stations in Cambodia,

Philippines, and East Timor. Besides Indonesia, of course. And,

very won, the same programmes will be broadcast by KBR 68H

partners in Thailand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Once again,

because of freedom, wc need no longer bc confined, forcver

blinkered. We are cyen ablc to cxport information programmes.

And bc outward looking.

The government should support thc emcrgence of

broadcasting companies from Indonesia that are able to compete

on the global leyel. Even if wc aren't ablc to create organisations

like the RBC, DI/"', Hi/verslllll, or radio/television companies in other

countries, the least the government can do is create conditions

conducivc to the emergence of internationally competitive prh'atc

broadcasting companies. The new regulations on broad casci~g in no war contribut.e to this.

Networking

One standpoint holding back the development of private

broadcasting companics is the ban on national coverage. RRl and

n ./Rl will have the monopoly on national broadcasts. This attitude

is harmful to everyone concerned. RR1 and TVRI lose out, toO,

because tbe~' have no competition to motivate thcm to perform

better. T his government regulation effectively fails to allow for the

development of private radio or tele,-ision news agencies. Because

a healthy news agency must develop the widest possible network.

But this regubtion limits nehvork coverage to 15% of districts for

radio and 80% for television. No grcater.

Returning to my experience of managing KBR 68H. Even

before its seventh anniversary, this news agency was serving more

than 420 radio stations in 300 plus districts. This could, of course,

be regarded as a violation of Government Regulation No. 50. But

we have absolutely no intention of reducing this co"erage. KBR

68H intends to continue expanding its network, to cover all districts

in Indonesia. Because that is our contribution to strengrhening our

national identity.

According to a MARS survey in the last quarter of 2005, no

less than 8 million listeners throughout Indonesia rune into KBR

68H programmes. Through these programmes, people share news

that strengthens our solidarity as Indonesian citize.ns. Through talk

shows, I ndonesian people from Sabang to Meraukc can exchange

views, discuss matters of importance in this difficult period of

transition towards democracy. This achie\-cment cannot be blO\vn

away JUS t by an alarmist government regulation.

http:citize.ns

Be.rides fmR 68L-f, Ibm rlre all k.illds of otber lIrtil'ilies ,~oil~g 011 iii Ibis COllllllllllity . ..... 1broar!castillgjIJ/lrt:aliJm sdwol, gpl/~J)', Ihealre, Clild lois of o/her

ae/ili/iN /or/rccdolJl of l/toltgb/ tJlld e:>..prnfioll

3 Public radio in spirit

"R 68H programmes are made to serve the public. To respond to the public's need for information. To 1

40 41 Waves of Freedom

to KBR 68H, was quite unique, because at that time people's

opinions were rarely made public.

990429-68H-ENM-Ol

\Vhat kind of representatives "'ould you like to see In

parliament? \Vhat do you expect from these members of

parliament? \,\'e are starting to hear questions about what makes

a good member of parliament or legislati\"!:: candidate more

fre(luently as we near the election. Let's hear what some people

have to say about our MPs.

"{f I could t'ote, I wOlild t'ote for all hOliest (wd sincere persoll

rather tha" the clel'erpeople we't-e got 1101P. Becallse the Jitl/tltion has got

so bad; there are too "'till)' c/cl'er people doillg too milch talkillg, thol ln

(ill jllst wd liP cOlljimd".

Women too have high hopes for their MPs. Wahidah

Syuaib of the Indonesian Muslim women's students'

association, Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia Putri,

would like to sec people 's representatives that care about

women; although it wouldn't be necessary for the representative

to be a woman. Syuaib is critical of presidential candidate

Megawati Soekarnoputri, who although a woman does not

sympathise with women.

"[Vome" aclil'istJ 1JJant a climax, thf)' lI)afit a ]lIOR/all mpresidential

ca1/didate. Alld they l1}allt Ol(e t!Jat fights for .~eIIder eqlfi~)I, too. But

,Hega doem 't do that; ill fact sbe erw twds to disregard this ismc

JOII/etimes, "

Gatot Prihandono of the pro-democracy group,

Masyarakat Profesional untuk Demokrasi, would like to

have multi-ethnic representatives who are really familiar with

the regions they represent. But, as far as he can see, none of

Public Radio in Spirit

the current party leaders fits the bill "[ still call ~ see - n'eI/ ill the 3

or 4 "'0/01' p{/rties -- till)' people Ivith st{/teJ/1l{/lI.ihip qualities. IVhat [ Jee art pllo}le j;'Ol71 the Sell! Order .fchoof - politiciallJ iI'ho p,ioriliJe tbe

polilifd! il/lfnst.r of their OIVII factiollJ. "

Thi s pessimism about the parliamentary candidates is

sha red by ReTI journalist Dian Islamati: "I-We kilO/Ii frolJl

e_,,/>cni'llfe t/lat Ihe HOllse of RepreJflltalil'es iJ jllJt a (bom.r lim. Bill

II-'ilb Jbe {)'Jtem the Il'a), it iJ~ I dOll't !Jold Ollt milch bope. For installce,

tbe !egirlati/'e candidates of JOf1le of tbe political parties are o"b stalldillg

for thou partiCIII"r parties beCallJf thefre intere.rled in the one billioll

pa)' IJllt. "

ror this reason, lslamati can't see ideal candidates emerging

for about another 10 years. Once political education and

commu nity empowerment start showing results.

To counter rhe pessimism about the quality of people's

representatives, Elyakim Sitorus ofJaringan Kerja Lembaga

Pelayanan Kristen Indonesia, a network of Indonesian

Chrisrian service organisarions, has another suggestion. "A[)'

dream is tbat Olle dCI)' our le,gislatilJe IIIelllber.r 'Pi/fllot baPe to be elected

through p olitical partieJ. Thal'.r something we ,/1 have to thi"k about:

hal,illg people's represelltatil'eJ ill parliament and ill the le,giJ/atlire that

arc !luI IIUeU{IIia' elected throll.~h polilical partieJ. That alJo II/ecJlIS tbal

par/iflfllmt Ivollid be able to gil'e the partin Ihe (iJallee to nOll/inate

cal/dido!.:... that are lIot party II,etl/ben"

roor now, Sitorus hopes that the elected representati\-es will

han: a genuine grassroots following; that people know \\oho

they are. So, what about you? \X'hat kind of representatives do

you \\'ant? Think about it.

(Eni Mulia, KBR 68H)

42 43 Waves of Freedom

This report was sent via the internet to network members.

They then aired it on their own radio stations. Actually, we had

no way of checking which stations broadcast it and which didn't.

But as we started out with only 7 network members, we looked

on the bright side, and just believed that all of them had aired

this audio file.

In the early days, KBR 68H produced only around 15 minutes

of programmes a day. These consisted of between 7 and 10 audio

files, which were sent instantly to network members . No

deadlines. But the positive response fro m network members

encouraged us to increase the amount of news we produced. W/e

took on more reporters. And constantly re-evaluated our working

methods.

Breaking out Buletln Sore A giant leap in KBR 68H programming came with the

production of Bu/etin Sore, a 30-minute evening news bulletin.

We developed this programme in our first year of operation.

Needless to say, that wasn't what we originally planned. We

needed to accumulate expertise in radio journalism before we

could even think about producing an information package like

this. Before putting the plan into action, we had internal training

wi th a trainer from the BBe. We studied and we had hands-on

practice. August 1999 saw the launch of the first production of

BN/efin Sore. Frequently unable to meet the 4 p.m. deadline, and

besieged by other technical problems, we were forced to find

another way of sending news, one that did not rely on the internet.

An