Radio Republik Indonesia, legally Lembaga Penyiaran Publik Radio Republik Indonesia is a public radio network of Indonesia. It has several radio channels broadcasts all over Indonesia and abroad to serve all Indonesian citizens throughout the nation and overseas. RRI also provides information about Indonesia to people around the world. Voice of Indonesia is the division for overseas broadcasting. RRI was founded on 11 September 1945. Its headquarters are located on Medan Merdeka Barat Street in Central Jakarta. A proposed new Broadcasting Act currently in the making would merge RRI with its fellow public broadcaster TVRI into RTRI.
History
RRI was established on 11 September 1945 by several figures who previously operated several Japanese radio stations in 6 cities. A meeting attended by the station delegates at Adang Kadarusman house on Menteng resulted in the decision to set up Radio Republik Indonesia by choosing Abdul Rahman Saleh as the first general manager. After the Broadcasting Act No. 32/2002 is in force, RRI, along with TVRI, set as the public radio network in 2006 and became out of any governmental control. The status then reaffirmed by Government Regulation No. 12/2005.
Organization
RRI is designated as public broadcasting institution per Act No. 32 of 2002 on Broadcasting, which defined as a "legal entity established by the state; has independent, neutral, not commercial ; and has the function to provide services for the public benefit". Its duty, according to Government Regulation No. 12 of 2005, is "to provide the healthy information, education and entertainment services, social control and unity, and preserve the nation's culture for the whole public benefit by organizing radio broadcast that reaches all parts of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia". Unlike other public broadcasters such as TVRI and newly-established local public broadcasters, RRI has long had a broadcast pledge called RRI Three Pledges, shown below in English:
We must save all radio broadcast devices from anyone who wants to use these devices to destroy our country, and defend the devices with all our body and soul in any condition and with any consequences.
We must drive the RRI broadcast as an instrument of struggle and revolutionary tool for the entire Indonesian nation, with a pure national spirit, a clean and honest heart, and a mind full of love and loyalty to the homeland and nation.
We must stand above all traditions and beliefs of the party or group, by prioritizing national unity and the safety of the state and holding on the spirit of the Proclamation of 17 August 1945.
RRI organization structure consists of five Board of Supervisors appointed by the People's Representative Council and six Board of Directors appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Both are sworn in by the President, served for five years and renewable once. According to article 15 of the Broadcasting Act, RRI funding comes from several sources such as broadcasting fees, state or regional budget, community contribution, and advertisement, as well as other legal efforts related to the broadcasting operation. In fact, as of today the broadcasting fee is not yet implemented, and RRI is asked to generate "non-tax revenue" for the state by various funding sources regulated in Government Regulation No. 15 of 2015.
Stations
In general, RRI offers a maximum of four main stations in a region, one of them is a national simulcast. Three other services are transmitted locally, producing local programmes as well as relaying programmes from RRI central station in Jakarta.
Programa 1 : serves as "community empowerment centre" for rural, urban, mountainous and industrial community. Mainly broadcasts local news and education as well as music.
Programa 2 : serves as "youth creativity centre" for young urban community. Mainly broadcasts music, entertainment and lifestyle programming.
Programa 3 : relays directly from RRI central station, it broadcasts 24-hour news, current affairs, and talk programming nationally supplemented by reports from local RRI stations.
Programa 4 : currently exist in several cities, it broadcasts variety of cultures within Indonesia as well as local culture programming.
RRI also has its own visual radio channel, RRI NET, that broadcasts certain live RRI programmes via television. RRI NET can be accessed via streaming service as well as satellite TV.
