Dialogue RRI: The Important Role of RRI for the Agricultural Development

Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) play important role in the agricultural development in Indonesia. This was expressed by the faculty member of the Department of Communication and Community Development Faculty of Human Ecology (FEMA) of Bogor  Agricultural University, Dr.Ir. Amirudin Saleh, in the RRI Dialogue with the theme ‘The Role of Radio in the Agriculture Development (in the framework of Radio Day, on 11 September), Tuesday, 13 September 2011, in Bogor. "At the 66th Anniversary, RRI is expected to have more optimal contribution for the advocacy efforts towards  the interests of the people, rather than for the government," says Dr. Amirudin. As the channel of the government programs, RRI should not only brodcast the top-down radio programasted in the New Order era.

With regional autonomy and the limited number of agricultural extension, the needs of the community for references as well as the facilitators for their agricultural problems they encountered are getting higher and even double. "Radio has an important role to improve the  awareness of the community, to provide information as well as functioning as the social control. RRI as the Public Broadcasting Institute (Lembaga Penyiaran Publik) should be the source of reliable information, as well as the facilitator and the mediator for public.  As the national media with its extensive networks and accessibility RRI is expected to find solutions for the community problems, "said Dr.Amirudin.

Unsimilar for the industrial media such as the commercial broadcaster in general that are established for profit, “eel farming” and “pest management: are unattractive for them. But those information are actrually needed by the community. However, RRI is now undergoing to reorganize itself to be the professionals broadcaster (LPP RRI) by designing more  interactive programs  between the reosurce persons and the listeners.  It is expected, that in the near future, more creative and interactive programs will be planned, "explained Dr. Amirudin. (Wied)