I

n his memorable speech at Prix Italia, TV and Radio Museum, in Turin, Lord Patten, former chairman of the BBC Trust, said: “Yes, times are very different now. I think I agree with those who feel that broadcasting as a public service stands at a crossroads, where we have a choice — renaissance or retreat? Will we believe in the big ideas and learn to cope with different economic times? Or are we prepared to see the achievements of the past undone?”

Certainly, then, we can be proud of what the public service broadcasting model, one of four broadcasting institutions known in the world, has achieved in the past, but we cannot rest on those laurels.

The world, as Lord Patten said, keeps moving on. Gone are the old certainties and new technology offers both threats and opportunities to all broadcasters. Especially for public service broadcasters like Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), new competitors are bigger, richer and often run faster than them. Politicians are also less supportive than they were.

Sadly, the economic climate is cold, though it is moving as fast as the internet and social media today. So, not all the baggage we carry from our illustrious past is as noble as our mission would suggest. According to Lord Patten, there are demons without and demons within.

In this new environment, RRI is hosting the 53rd Annual General Assembly of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and the meeting of the World Broadcasting Union (WBU) in Nusa Dua, Bali, to prove its commitment to serving the public at large.

Apart from public service broadcasting, global broadcasting institutions comprise state/government, community and commercial broadcasting.

In this digital era, there are two challenges that have to be addressed, namely the need for the latest digital broadcasting technology, which is very expensive, and the future of public service broadcasting itself, which still lacks funding and professional resources.

After last year’s DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) trial at RRI Bogor, West Java, and Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) in Jakarta, RRI will showcase its quality DRM audio during the ABU general assembly. On one hand, it reflects RRI’s commitment to understanding “what is the best solution for getting the best programs, in the best quality, to all our listeners”.

On the other hand, the new technology must pave the way for a clear separation between public service and commercial broadcasting. In Asia, Latin America, the US, Europe, Africa and Australia, each country has its own public service broadcasting, some focused on educating and others on entertaining and informing the people.

The BBC is the living example with all that it has done since 1922. It has secured the people’s trust, as evidenced by the 100 percent public funding it receives through the license fee.

Unlike the BBC, RRI still heavily relies on the state budget. About 98 percent of the Indonesian public service radio’s spending is covered by the state budget.

At the same time, commercial broadcasts have grown richer, thanks in part to their progressive motto of informing, educating and entertaining the people. This phenomenon follows the theory of George Garbner (Capitalism and the Information Age — The Political Economy of the Global Communication Revolution, 1998), who says that: “giant media has nothing to tell, but plenty to sell”.

We have lots to tell but at the same time we have to face too many barriers to perform at the high broadcast standard required.

Lord Patten’s question needs an immediate answer, particularly for RRI.

If the answer is to go for renaissance, then we must take/adopt a strategic role sooner rather than later. We should redefine or revitalize those phrases. Educating the nation and state is the social responsibility of a public service broadcaster like RRI, while informing and entertaining are the equal right of all the media.

That is why the ABU General Assembly and the ensuing first World Broadcasting Union (WBU) Conference, and later the 47th annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) in Havana from Oct. 24 to 27 serve as momentum to strengthen the role of public service broadcasting institutions by setting up a world public service broadcasting union (WPBSU).

The union can facilitate the sharing of values and experience and transfer of knowledge, making their presence more relevant than ever. We have to ascertain that we have lots to tell, but not plenty to sell, as part of our public responsibility.
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The writer is member of the RRI supervisory council. The views expressed are his own.