Six-year-old community radio station Suara Warga Jakarta (Jakarta Residents Voice) demands a fair allocation of radio frequency from the government, a seminar heard Thursday.

Suara, which has been on the air since 2003, has been forced to illegally broadcast, using frequency allocated for commercial radio for the past five years.

“We have been using the 96.9 FM commercial frequency for our broadcast, after the allotment initially designed for community radio stations was occupied by commercial radio Suara Metro, owned by the Jakarta Police,” said Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) activist Azas Tigor Nainggolan, who established the community radio station.

The 2002 law on broadcasting recognizes the existence of community radio, along with commercial, public and subscriber-based radio.

A frequency between 107.7 FM and 107.9 FM is dedicated to community radio, having a power of 50 to 100 watt, with the broadcast only reaching a radius of 2.5 kilometers.

Suara, Persaudaraan Muslim Matraman and Deltryco, are three community radio stations in the capital forced to move out of their frequencies, Tigor said.

Suara has been the voice of people living in around 2,000 houses within the 2.5-km radius from its station in Cipinang Muara, East Jakarta .

“Poor people can never have property of their own, neither homes nor radio frequency,” he said.

“In the end we are always marginalized. Now, our broadcast can only reach a radius of less than 1 km.”

Suara is operated by and for residents, and its crew comes from the poor community, including food vendors, ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers, students and housewives.

Not only playing pop and dangdut music, the radio also broadcast programs on education, health and environmental awareness.

Suara broadcasts between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and sometimes Saturday, depending on the availability of volunteers.

As the manager of the radio, Tigor said he had been summoned twice by the Information and Communications Ministry’s frequency monitoring board over violations.

Rudi Endarwan from the telecommunication directorate general at the ministry, said, “We have told Suara Metro they are not supposed to use the frequency.

“Now, they are also asking for a new frequency allocation.”      

Rudi said both Suara and Suara Metro were allowed to use the frequency until the ministry completed a decree revision to settle the matter.

Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) data shows that eight community radios in Jakarta have received recommendations from KPI — Deltryco, Muslimin Matraman, Suara Warga Jakarta, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Rismata, Radzona I, Pengembangan Masyarakat, and Suara Perjuangan.

Bimo Nugroho from KPI said Suara Metro had not yet received a recommendation.

Popular

Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching

Govt to undo latest curbs on personal imports

Middle East on edge as Israel and Iran trade threats