T

he announcers at local radio Radenmas FM proudly use Ngapak, a local rustic dialect of Banyumas regency, Central Java, to greet their listeners.

The radio station had been using the Banyumasan traditional language since it was established in 2000, said Henry Setio who works in Radenmas FM’s marketing division.

“All of our programs use the Banyumasan language, which is appreciated by our listeners,” he told The Jakarta Post recently.

Besides talking and presenting songs to listeners, the announcers also give information about the latest local and national news in the dialect.

“The listeners like our programs because they feel at home when people talk in the Banyumas dialect,” Henry added.

While big national radio stations broadcasting to the regions offered better broadcasting quality, local stations have a special place in listeners’ hearts.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, local radio stations also champion programs with traditional nuances, such as broadcasting native language songs and plays.

Local station DMWS Kupang’s program manager, Zacky Wahyudi Fagih, said these steps have been taken to compete with big stations from Jakarta. “As a pioneering private radio station in Kupang, DMWS exists by upholding traditional culture as its main source of programming since 1994.”

Meanwhile in Makassar, South Sulawesi, most radio stations struggle to remain on air.

Many had to change course to follow the current in order to survive, which included playing top 40 songs, to keep up with trends to appeal to advertisers, said Abdul Hamid, the chairman of the Indonesian National Private Broadcast Radio Association (PRSSNI) South Sulawesi chapter.

There have been some private radios that maintained their local programs while keeping their market segments loyal, he added.

For example, Gamasi FM has aired programs in a native language, including traditional songs and comedy programs, since its establishment 37 years ago.

Local content also rules the airwaves in Medan, North Sumatra, where there are currently 20 private radio stations.

PRSSNI Medan chapter chairman Beldi Dimardi Abas said airing local content had made listeners loyal to these local stations.

“This was how we made local radio stations relevant when many big Jakarta-based radio stations started arriving in Medan.”

The importance of broadcasting in a local language has also had an impact on Sindo Trijaya FM, a radio station in Bandung.

It recently received an award from the Regional Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPID) for broadcasting exemplary local content.

The program that won the award, Ngadu Bako, is a talk show hosted by language observer Taufik Faturohman who promotes the Sundanese language on radio.

While many local radio stations strive to survive amid competition from big national broadcasters, the case of Benor FM is unique. Its programs that echo through the jungles of Sarolangun regency, Jambi, is an effective communication tool for the people of the Orang Rimba tribe.

In Palu, Central Sulawesi, a radio station called Nebula became the heart of journalism in the area after it covered the conflict in Poso that broke out in 2000.

The station received bomb threats from one of the conflicting parties. “We did not back down, the terror gained us sympathy from a lot of people,” said Nebula director Tasrif Siara. (nmn)
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— Apriadi Gunawan, Arya Dipa, Jon Afrizal, and Ruslan Sangadji contributed to this story from Medan, Bandung, Jambi and Palu