The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission in Riau Islands province has criticized a number of radio stations in Batam for selling airtime to religious groups from Singapore, allowing them to broadcast religious programmes in foreign languages. The commission’s provincial chairman, Hendriyanto, told The Jakarta Post that out of 14 private radio stations in Batam, five have sold airtime to religious institutions from Singapore.
The airtime is being used to broadcast religious programmes in foreign languages like English, Mandarin and Tagalog from the Philippines. An hour-long slot costs between S$60 and 100 per hour, with each of the radio stations involved broadcasting such programmes for at least three hours per day. “There are religious programmes from the Confucian, Christian and other religions, and they are aired in English or Mandarin,” Hendriyanto said.
(Source: Jakarta Post)
on Oct 2nd, 2007 at 02:02
In the early 90s I visited Zoo 101.6 which broadcast from a house at the top of a
hill on Batam Island, about 30 minutes by boat from Singapore.
The programmes were pop music shows in English presented in a
slick American Zoo style with Jam jingles all aimed at Singapore ,
the station gained plenty of advertising and a huge following.
The Sing government placed restrictions on local advertisers and
complained to govt in Jakarta which imposed rules on the stations
preventing them from broadcasting in a foreign language (English)
It wasnt long before the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation or SBC realized its
programming needed to be brought up to date.
In 1997 the SBC was re structured and re branded as MediaCorp Radio,
at the same time they launched the pop channel Perfect 10 now 987fm
followed by the very successful (A/C) Class 95
A real case of Deja Vu
Zoo 101.6 can be heard in Singapore today broadcasting in Bahasa Indonesian
http://www.amazingfm.com/
http://www.mediacorpradio.sg/aboutus.htm
Regards,
Richard
Bangkok
on May 17th, 2009 at 03:58
As a Singaporean, I am very disappointed with the Singapore government on this issue!