Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) was established in 1962 and is the official public broadcaster of Indonesia. The station held a monopoly in television until 1989, when Indonesia liberalized the broadcasting market, allowing the first commercial television channel to operate. Presently, TVRI provides coverage across the entirety of Indonesia, with three nationwide channels and over 30 regional channels in operation.
Media assets
Television: National- TVRI Nasional, Kanal 2, Kanal 3, Sport; Regional- TVRI Aceh, TVRI Sumatera Utara, TVRI Sumatera Barat, TVRI Riau Kepri, TVRI Jambi, TVRI Bengkulu, TVRI Sumatera Selatan, TVRI Bangka Belitung, TVRI Lampung, TVRI Jakarta, TVRI Jawa Barat, TVRI Jawa Tengah, TVRI Yogyakarta, TVRI Jawa Timur, TVRI Bali, TVRI NTB, TVRI NTT, TVRI Kalimantan Barat, TVRI Kalimantan Tengah, TVRI Kalimantan Timur, TVRI Kalimantan Selatan, TVRI Sulawesi Utara, TVRI Gorontalo, TVRI Sulawesi Tengah, TVRI Sulawesi Barat, TVRI Sulawesi Tenggara, TVRI Sulawesi Selatan, TVRI Maluku, TVRI Papua Barat, TVRI Papua; International- TVRI World
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Until 2005, TVRI operated as a state-owned corporation. In 2005, the Indonesian government, through Regulation Number 13 on Public Broadcasting Institutions, transformed TVRI into a public broadcast institution. The new status was previously referenced in Law 32 of 2002, and the subsequent institutional transformation of the station was completed within a three-year timeframe.
The main governing structures at TVRI are a Supervisory Board comprising five members, appointed by the People’s Representative Council (one of Indonesia’s two lawmaking bodies) and a Board of Directors consisting of five individuals, appointed by the Supervisory Board. The appointment of both boards is subject to approval by the President.
Source of funding and budget
In accordance with Law 32 of 2002, TVRI is to be financed through a combination of broadcast fees, state budget allocations, public contributions, and advertising. To date, the broadcast fee (a form of license fee payable by all households in Indonesia) has yet to be implemented. Consequently, the majority of TVRI’s budget is derived from state funding.
In 2020, the broadcaster received a state budget allocation of IDR 1.1tn (US$ 75m), which represents the majority of the station’s budget, according to information from the publisher. In 2022, TVRI received a state budget allocation of IDR 1.6tn (US$ 107.5m), according to media reports.
In 2024, the budget allocation ceiling for TVRI was IDR 1.573tn (US$ 102.6m), according to data released by the company. The broadcaster’s planned budget ceiling in 2025 is a total of IDR 1.422tn (US$ 92.8m).
Editorial independence
Despite the Indonesian government’s stated goal of transforming TVRI into an editorially independent public broadcaster, the station continues to align with the state’s interests, promoting its policies and rarely criticizing its members or their actions, according to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in March 2024.
The legislation sets out a number of requirements for TVRI to fulfil in order to fulfil its public service remit. However, there is currently no legal provision establishing its independence.
September 2024