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MEDIA-INDONESIA: Community TV Station Basks in Popularity, Quality
By Kafil Yamin
KENDARI, Indonesia, May 20, 2004 (IPS) - Ear-banging music filled the air, as
lines of attractive dancers slid, hopped and rolled to the beat. Fireworks
spiralled in the sky. The huge crowd, mostly teenagers, erupted in
jubilant, noisy applause.
The stage and proceedings were well-designed and innovative.
Performances were projected on a huge screen to the right of the stage,
giving all spectators a zoom-in view of the show.
This grand evening party on the city's splendid beach was a celebration
of the first anniversary of the Kendari TV, the only local television
station in the province of South-east Sulawesi.
With staging that evoked a Grammy Awards ceremony, one would think that
a big businessman or high-ranking government officials must have organised
and financed the party. But that was not the case.
The Apr. 25 gala was the work of a local non-governmental organisation,
Yascita, or Nature Love Foundation, which promotes environmental protection
and community media.
''An NGO has made this kind of party? How could it have done so?'' asked
one teen in disbelief. Another incredulous spectator added, ''How could
they make this kind of extravaganza?''
Seliverius Orcar Unggul, a Yascita activist and a producer for Kendari
TV, says he was ''not surprised to hear such statements''. He pointed out,
''People have been used to thinking that NGOs are only dealing with gloomy
sides of the world, like poverty, inequality, injustice and other serious
problems.''
''Such an image is not totally true,'' Unggul continued. ''NGOs can make
things exciting. NGOs are supposed to make people happy. We and the people
we work with deserve to have some fun, as you see it now.''
The impression that the party was costly is also untrue, according to
Unggul. ''We don't have money, but there are many things in this event we
could get without money,'' he said. ''We did not pay for the arena. We did
not pay for the sound system and electronic devices. We used them for free.''
''Things have been arranged through cooperation and the mutual advantage
(that comes) from this event,'' he explained.
The organisation used the same approach when establishing Kendari TV one
year ago.
Yascita activists recall that when they first approached the city's
mayor with their plan, he responded, ''How can you set up a TV station
here? It needs a lot of money. It needs professional workers and
high-skilled people.''
But they remained adamant, contacting as many people and organisations
as possible to drum up support. Their efforts paid off when the Gibbon
Foundation, an NGO working for conservation in Indonesia, agreed to help them.
Kendari TV was launched on Apr. 17, 2003. At the time it had only two
cameras, one editing machine, a few unpaid cameramen and reporters. With
the station starting out with such minimal resources, others in the
industry were sceptical about its chances of survival.
Station director Muchlis Latif Usman said that shortly after the
launching, he met with Peter Gontha, founder of national network Rajawali
Citra Televisi Indonesia, who predicted, ''You will be only able to survive
for six months. There are no enough financial sources here yet in this city
for you to use.''
The businessman maintained that even if every business in the city
advertised on Kendari TV, the revenues would not be enough to finance
operations.
Undaunted, Kendari TV pushed ahead. During its trial broadcasting
period, its crew produced an exclusive story on timber theft and
trespassing occurring in a national park in the province.
The 30-minute report sent shock waves through the government and the
community. South-east Sulawesi's governor was quick to remove the head of
the national park. Several people are now standing trial for crimes the
station uncovered.
Also as a result of the report, the station's audience grew, and, as it
became more and more well-known, advertisements started coming in. Now,
more than six months after its predicted demise, Yascita activists are
feeling confident about the future of Kendari TV.
Much of their confidence is based on the growing success of the radio
station they launched in June 2002 - Swara Alam (Nature Voice). It has
become the most popular station in town, and is now being used as the
foundation of a radio network being built to improve communications for
villagers living in more remote areas, such as the island of Kabaena.
The network is also giving a boost to Swara Alam's news gathering
capabilities. The station has provided villagers with radio communications
equipment and training for using it. Thanks to these efforts, people are
now reporting local events to Swara Alam.
''More and more people tell us what happens in their surroundings,''
said Sandra Hasim, a broadcaster with Swara Alam. ''We have a lot of stuff
to inform our listeners.''
Not all villagers have communication devices such as walkie-talkies and
transmitters, but everybody does have access to a nearby communications
post. In each village, walkie-talkies are stationed in several locations
so that they are easily reachable.
Moreover, the benefits of this system go far beyond better news
gathering and dissemination.
''I was able to call a doctor to come to my house now when my wife was
seriously ill two weeks ago,'' said Widura Ahu, a resident of Molinese
village. ''The doctor came and gave some medical treatment. My wife is
fine now.'' (END)
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