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[HCDX] Very interesting article
INDONESIA: Community radio struggles to get frequency
Volunteer radio station forced to broadcast on commercial frequency with
smaller reception radius after Jakarta police occupied its designated
frequency
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.
(The Jakarta Post, by Asia Media)
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