Marsinah radio
Here is the atmosphere of Marsinah FM Radio, a community radio located in Cakung area in North Jakarta. At a glance, the radio’s secretariat just looks like a sheltering house, but when entering it, the aroma of workers fighting for their rights can be strongly smelled.
Actually, Marsinah FM Radio is a community radio established by female workers to voice equality at frequency 106 FM. This radio was established in 2009 by the Cross-Factory Labor Forum and proposed to get a joint media creation grant, which was approved in January 2012.
[sound on tape]
Jumisih, Chairwoman of the Cross-Factory Labor Forum (FBLP)
For the time being, it is indeed dominated by friends at FBLP, but there are also others who are not FBLP members and become Marsinah FM crew members.
The name of Marsinah itself was taken from the name of a female labor figure, who was found killed in Sidoarjo, East Java when fighting for her rights on May 8, 1993. The name of Marsinah then becomes the symbol of sincerity and courage for female workers in fighting for their rights.
Because Marsinah FM is a community radio, the coverage is not more than two kilometers with maximum power of only 50 watts. It is different with commercial radio, which has power above 1000 watts and purpose to get profit.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
The objective in establishing Marsinah FM was to make it a center for information and knowledge for female workers.
Marsinah FM is still young. Although it has not obtained a transmitting license, the radio has been on air since the end of February 2012 with 15 newscasters.This is because the license for the 107 FM frequency, which should have been for a community radio, was given to a commercial radio, which is located not far from the Marsinah radio.
As a substitute, the Marsinah radio uses the 106 FM frequency and they keep endlessly trying to get an official license from the government.
As of today, the misuse of community radio frequencies has raised concerns among Marsinah FM executives. Therefore, they queried the matter with the Jakarta office of the Regional Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPID). Unfortunately, they received dissatisfying answers.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
“KPID said the Jakarta Islamic Center radio uses frequency 107.7 FM. It is not a community, but commercial radio. They also said its power is 80 watts, but after I checked its website, it is 3,000 watts. KPID officials said they couldn’t do anything because the radio carries a letter from the Jakarta governor. I told them that it was illegal, but instead, we were asked to move out. How could we move if the community is here? They know that the radio is a commercial one, but uses the frequency of a community radio. We are going to file a complaint and now, we are trying to gain support.”
Meanwhile, to finance its operational cost, the radio also faces many obstacles, because community radios are not allowed to collect money from sponsors or put advertisement.
Instead, they only depend on membership fees, of which the amount is surely not enough. The collected money is later used to pay electricity bills, Internet service and others.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
The membership fee is Rp. 5,000 per person that will be used to pay electricity and clean water bills.
Despite a lot of shortages, this radio is a forum, as well as an association for female workers. Through this radio, female workers learn how to channel their aspirations. Also through this radio, they share awareness and open room for information through several broadcasting programs. The target is female workers living in boarding and rental houses around their factories.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
"We want to inspire or share the courage of Marsinah. They are female workers, but have courage to fight for their rights."
In a related development, during important moments such as the May Day commemoration falling on May 1, the struggle of workers finds its own form. Unfortunately, not all workers, particularly the female ones, have common perspectives regarding the issue.
Therefore, the Cross-Factory Labor Forum (FBLP), which also initiated Marsinah Radio, frequently speaks to raise awareness among female workers at Kawasan Berikat Nusantara (KBN) industrial estate to fight for their rights.
[sound on tape]
Juminsih, FBLP Chairwoman
“Yeah, actually this is the momentum of an international movement. Why do we use this international momentum for a mass movement? Principally, it’s to raise awareness, a political awareness for all workers in Indonesia whose opponent is the government. Why the government? The government is currently busy celebrating May Day with entertainment programs, which, in our views, should not be done because it’s a dupe. It should not be done.”
Now, amid a lot of limitations, Marsinah FM has become a kind of refreshing oasis, opening the eyes of female workers on the importance of the freedom to speak, to express and to discuss many things without fear because basically, equality belongs to all, regardless of gender and background.
This script is the second script on from a series of three segments of TV documentaries on labour media campaign through radio by Jekson Simanjuntak and Dina Karina of Berita Satu TV and broadcasted on 15 May 2013. The script is part of the ILO’s media fellowship programme on gender and employment, jointly conducted in collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jakarta and six selected leading, national mass media. The media fellowship programme was part of the campaign conducted by the ILO through its Access to Employment and Decent Work for Women Project, funded by the Australian Government.
[sound on tape]
Jumisih, Chairwoman of the Cross-Factory Labor Forum (FBLP)
For the time being, it is indeed dominated by friends at FBLP, but there are also others who are not FBLP members and become Marsinah FM crew members.
The name of Marsinah itself was taken from the name of a female labor figure, who was found killed in Sidoarjo, East Java when fighting for her rights on May 8, 1993. The name of Marsinah then becomes the symbol of sincerity and courage for female workers in fighting for their rights.
Because Marsinah FM is a community radio, the coverage is not more than two kilometers with maximum power of only 50 watts. It is different with commercial radio, which has power above 1000 watts and purpose to get profit.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
The objective in establishing Marsinah FM was to make it a center for information and knowledge for female workers.
Marsinah FM is still young. Although it has not obtained a transmitting license, the radio has been on air since the end of February 2012 with 15 newscasters.This is because the license for the 107 FM frequency, which should have been for a community radio, was given to a commercial radio, which is located not far from the Marsinah radio.
As a substitute, the Marsinah radio uses the 106 FM frequency and they keep endlessly trying to get an official license from the government.
As of today, the misuse of community radio frequencies has raised concerns among Marsinah FM executives. Therefore, they queried the matter with the Jakarta office of the Regional Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPID). Unfortunately, they received dissatisfying answers.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
“KPID said the Jakarta Islamic Center radio uses frequency 107.7 FM. It is not a community, but commercial radio. They also said its power is 80 watts, but after I checked its website, it is 3,000 watts. KPID officials said they couldn’t do anything because the radio carries a letter from the Jakarta governor. I told them that it was illegal, but instead, we were asked to move out. How could we move if the community is here? They know that the radio is a commercial one, but uses the frequency of a community radio. We are going to file a complaint and now, we are trying to gain support.”
Meanwhile, to finance its operational cost, the radio also faces many obstacles, because community radios are not allowed to collect money from sponsors or put advertisement.
Instead, they only depend on membership fees, of which the amount is surely not enough. The collected money is later used to pay electricity bills, Internet service and others.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
The membership fee is Rp. 5,000 per person that will be used to pay electricity and clean water bills.
Despite a lot of shortages, this radio is a forum, as well as an association for female workers. Through this radio, female workers learn how to channel their aspirations. Also through this radio, they share awareness and open room for information through several broadcasting programs. The target is female workers living in boarding and rental houses around their factories.
[sound on tape]
Dian Septi Trisnanti, Marsinah FM Person in Charge
"We want to inspire or share the courage of Marsinah. They are female workers, but have courage to fight for their rights."
In a related development, during important moments such as the May Day commemoration falling on May 1, the struggle of workers finds its own form. Unfortunately, not all workers, particularly the female ones, have common perspectives regarding the issue.
Therefore, the Cross-Factory Labor Forum (FBLP), which also initiated Marsinah Radio, frequently speaks to raise awareness among female workers at Kawasan Berikat Nusantara (KBN) industrial estate to fight for their rights.
[sound on tape]
Juminsih, FBLP Chairwoman
“Yeah, actually this is the momentum of an international movement. Why do we use this international momentum for a mass movement? Principally, it’s to raise awareness, a political awareness for all workers in Indonesia whose opponent is the government. Why the government? The government is currently busy celebrating May Day with entertainment programs, which, in our views, should not be done because it’s a dupe. It should not be done.”
Now, amid a lot of limitations, Marsinah FM has become a kind of refreshing oasis, opening the eyes of female workers on the importance of the freedom to speak, to express and to discuss many things without fear because basically, equality belongs to all, regardless of gender and background.
This script is the second script on from a series of three segments of TV documentaries on labour media campaign through radio by Jekson Simanjuntak and Dina Karina of Berita Satu TV and broadcasted on 15 May 2013. The script is part of the ILO’s media fellowship programme on gender and employment, jointly conducted in collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jakarta and six selected leading, national mass media. The media fellowship programme was part of the campaign conducted by the ILO through its Access to Employment and Decent Work for Women Project, funded by the Australian Government.