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Policymakers envision RI version of BBC, NHK

(JP/Lody Adrian)Television of the Republic of Indonesia (TVRI) and Radio of the Republic of Indonesia (RRI) usually rank well down the list of broadcasters that urban and young people discuss despite their vast networks covering almost the entire archipelago

Bagus BT Saragih (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, March 5, 2015

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Policymakers envision RI version of BBC, NHK (JP/Lody Adrian) (JP/Lody Adrian)

(JP/Lody Adrian)

Television of the Republic of Indonesia (TVRI) and Radio of the Republic of Indonesia (RRI) usually rank well down the list of broadcasters that urban and young people discuss despite their vast networks covering almost the entire archipelago.

While RRI has at some point managed to come up with relevant programs appropriate to the 21st century, TVRI'€™s schedule seems to have been trapped in a time warp as its programs still resemble those aired in the 1990s.

As state-run public broadcasters, RRI and TVRI are struggling to maintain their diminishing audience share amid stiff competition in an industry swamped by dozens of private networks.

For the past decade, TVRI and RRI have fallen into an even worse condition as rigid regulations have restricted the two institutions from receiving advertisements and from retaining their best talent. To keep them afloat, taxpayer money has to be infused every year.

Confronted with these challenges, the government and the House of Representatives have come up with what they regard as a panacea; a bill on radio and television of the Republic of Indonesia (RTRI).

It is hoped the bill, expected to be passed this year after being discussed since 2011, will pave the way for the merger and operational overhaul of RRI and TVRI.

Should things work as planned, policymakers hope the new institution can copy the success of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).

'€œGod willing, this year we will have a single public broadcaster that is much stronger in terms of finances and flexibility in organization,'€ said legislator Tantowi Yahya, who is involved in deliberating the bill.

'€œWith more competitive and creative programs, RTRI will have a loyal audience just like its peers such as the BBC, NHK or [Australia'€™s] ABC,'€ said the former television celebrity.

The bill will help resolve the protracted problems plaguing the state broadcasters; a rigid legal status limiting sources of funding and employee recruitment.

Since 2002, RRI and TVRI have been categorized as public broadcasting institutions (LPPs) rather than their previous status as state companies.

The change in status was expected to make the two institutions more focused on serving the public rather than seeking profit, and at the same time keep them away from the influence of political interests.

LPPs, however, are not legally recognized in the state financial and administrative system. As a result, the operational budgets for RRI and TVRI had to be taken from disaster-relief funding.

It was not until 2013 that RRI and TVRI were considered '€œspecial entities'€ in the state budget, which enabled them to receive regular funding. This year, each has received more than Rp 800 billion (US$62 million).

Should the bill be passed, RTRI will have the flexibility to seek alternative funding as the bill does not specify any limitation on the new entity in funding its operations.

Aside from funding issues, the lack of transparency in organizational status has also prevented either institution from achieving flexibility in recruiting staff.

Most TVRI staff are civil servants from the Communications and Information Ministry while those at RRI are registered as Finance Ministry personnel. The staff in TVRI and RRI not only receive different rates of take-home pay compared to their fellows in the ministries, but also have unclear career paths.

'€œDue to their unclear legal status, RRI has not recruited civil servants for 16 years. As a result, the youngest civil servants working for RRI today are 45 years old,'€ said RRI executive director Niken Widiastuti.

'€œSo far, we have compensated for the problem by recruiting non-civil servant employees in order to have fresh, young, creative and energetic workers but due to our financial limitations, many of our new recruits, whom we provided with broadcasting skills, left,'€ she said.

Niken believes the merger might serve as a silver bullet.

'€œHuman resources at both RRI and TVRI can be optimized for the production of both radio and television. The same could apply in terms of technology and equipment,'€ she said.

'€œTVRI can expand its networks to areas where RRI exists but TVRI doesn'€™t, and vice versa.'€

According to the Communications and Information Ministry, the RRI network reaches about 83 percent of the population and covers 60 percent of the country'€™s total area, while TVRI covers 62 percent of the population and 35 percent of territory.

TVRI director for general affairs Eka Muchamad Taufani, however, disagreed with Niken. He insisted that the merger should be limited to the top level of management only.

'€œTelevision and radio have distinctive characteristics. Merging down to operational levels could be very complicated and hence counterproductive because audio-video and audio-only jobs are difficult to mix,'€ he said.

House of Commission I member Meutya Viada Hafid acknowledged the resistance from TVRI and RRI to the merger plan.

'€œGiven the important aims of RTRI, I think both parties now can accept the merger idea. This is for a better public broadcasting service,'€ the former TV news anchor said.

Good governance has also become an issue in the merger as TVRI has been considered '€œunhealthy'€ in terms of financial and organizational management compared to RRI.

Power struggles within the TV station, for example, were said to be the reasons behind the frequent changes at the top level of management. In the past five years, TVRI has seen four different executive directors.

Graft cases are also not uncommon in TVRI, with the latest one involving comedian Mandra Naih, who was recently declared a suspect by the Attorney General'€™s Office for his role in making fictitious programs funded by the station.

In 2014, former TVRI executive director Sumita Tobing was found guilty of corruption and sent to prison for 18 months.

But RRI is also not immune from graft. In 2006, Suratno, a former director for administration, was sentenced to four years in prison for corruption.

Aside from good governance, another aspect that must be seriously addressed is the lack of professionals and the pervasive bureaucratic mind-set among TVRI and RRI employees, according to media analyst Ade Armando.

'€œThe merger must be followed by improvements in human resource quality to enable RTRI to cope with the massive growth of commercial media outlets,'€ he said.

Key points in RTRI bill

- RTRI to be overseen by Public Broadcast Council consisting of nine people, (both RRI and TVRI are currently supervised by supervisory councils consisting of five members)

- RTRI'€™s board of directors to consist of an executive director, an executive secretary and three deputy directors. (both RRI and TVRI currently have one president director and five directors each)

- RTRI to be entitled to a minimum of 25 percent of available frequencies

- RTRI to use digital broadcasting technology

- RTRI shall establish a broadcasting organization to broadcast in multiplexes.

- Assets of RRI and TVRI to be completely assimilated onto RTRI'€™s books within three years

- Issues relating to employment status following the merger of RRI and TVRI will be coordinated by the
  Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

- RRI'€™s and TVRI'€™s civil servants to be administered by the National Personnel Administration Agency (BKN) during the
  transition until RTRI'€™s organizational structure is established.

- Transition time for RRI personnel to be one year while TVRI will be given two years.

Disputed issues:

- It is still not yet determined whether the merger should apply only at top level of management or down to operational level

- Both RRI and TVRI have different ideas on the organizational form of the merged body

- There are suggestions that a disproportionate number of RTRI directorships should be given to RRI'€™s current directors compared to TVRI as RRI is the senior institution and has more personnel.

- TVRI is reluctant to merge at operational level, believing that television operatives deal with sophisticated issues that radio people may not be able to handle.

- Both RRI and TVRI are reported to have poor managements, but sources suggest TVRI'€™s management is the poorer.

Should RRI and TVRI be merged?

Pros:
+ Could strengthen the state'€™s broadcasting body to be on a par with UK'€™s BBC or Australia'€™s ABC
    A more efficient use of state funds
+ Policy and management supervision to be more effective
+ Harmonization of state television and radio programs

Cons:
'ˆ’ May lead to laying off of hundreds of employees
'ˆ’ Transition and adaptation could take time and great effort due to differences in working cultures in RRI and TVRI
'ˆ’ Rivalries within RRI and TVRI could prolong transition process
'ˆ’ Both RRI and TVRI already have long-term plans that could be affected by merger

 

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