SUVA, Fiji Islands (June 15, 2000 - PINA Nius Online)---The nature of the beast
reveals itself in times of turmoil. And, on the 28th day of the Fiji crisis,
the nature of the media beast is rearing its head.
People in Fiji are hungry for news, but that doesn't change the fact that media
are businesses and, like most businesses in Fiji, many are suffering.
For managing directors, publishers and chief executives of Fiji's local and
regional media, the bottom line tells a different tale than the printed word.
"Such as it is an exciting time, the media is independent and this has
a downside - it has to survive on revenues," said Godfrey Scoullar, managing
director of regional magazine publishers Islands Business International (IBI).
"Generally speaking, advertising is the one area where people immediately
cut back, and the advertising market is scrambling to retain clients ‹
all of whom are thinking of cutting costs."
Islands Business International - which publishes 11 magazines, including magazines
in the Solomons Islands still on hold due to lack of transportation for delivery
- receives 35 percent of its business from Fiji, and Scoullar said the impasse
between the military and George Speight has "dislocated operations."
"The interim period is very hard. Until the hostage situation is resolved,
the cycle of depression will continue."
All media organizations have taken cost-cutting measures - from turning off
lights and air-conditioning to salary cuts to the unfortunate consequence of
laying off staff. Fiji's Daily Post has laid off 40 staff members, and all remaining
staff took a pay cut of 50 percent. The Fiji Sun has also had to
resort to redundancies, and publisher Tony Singh said that management is reviewing
the situation fortnightly. Associated Media managing director
Yashwant Gaunder said that though staff numbers have remained the same, they
have had to implement pay cuts to keep staff on.
Sacrifices. This is the common directive issued by management to staff at media
organizations: Please be prepared to make sacrifices.
Daily Post Publisher and General Manager Ranjit Singh said that he knows the
pay cut is tough on his staff, who were not highly paid prior to the events
of May 19th. "But the money situation is such that we're barely surviving,"
said Singh.
Singh also points at advertising lulls: "We can't survive on circulation
numbers. Most of the businesses we target have shutters on their shops, and
no one seems to be advertising anymore."
But on whether the Post can survive this trying time? "We've been through
worse. The competition is such that three daily newspapers are too many. But
we're confident we'll remain Fiji's second newspaper. We have loyal readers,
a positive and energetic team who've been through thick and thin together."
All media bosses were consistent in their praise of staff. Communications Fiji
Limited managing director William Parkinson said the commitment of his staff
- not only in Fiji, but also in the Solomon Islands, where a separate crisis
is in its second week - is "fantastic".
Communications Fiji Limited has three radio stations in Fiji, two in Papua
New Guinea and one recently opened in Solomon Islands.
"People don't want to go home and miss the action," said Parkinson,
saying that during the beginning stages he often had to tell staff to leave
so that they wouldn't collapse.
However, due to a drastic drop in advertising - by 40-50 percent - CFL has
also had to implement adjustments. Casual staff has been laid off, full-time
staff were asked to take an interim pay cut, and many full-timers have taken
annual leave.
Parkinson said he felt torn between his roles as head of a media organization
and businessman. "You have an important role in society, and
listeners are demanding a high level from you. At the same time, everyone knows
how our organization works and everyone knows what the bottom line is.
"If the situation doesn't improve, and we don't see some rebound, we will
have to resort to laying off staff. The biggest problem is there is no
resolution: the business community doesn't know what to do, as far as marketing
is concerned. Some businesses fear taking a high profile will mean
they'll be targeted," Parkinson said. "On the bright side, I am relatively
confident that business will bounce back very fast. However, this is under the
assumption that there is a satisfactory resolution."
Fiji Television Chief Executive Ken Clark agrees. "There are a number
of business people waiting to see what happens and are ready to take positive
steps once things are resolved. However, if the wrong situation prevails it
could get worse. We are all waiting."
Fiji TV has retained all full-time staff, but has told casuals and part-timers
not to expect to be called in. Advertising and subscriptions have fallen more
than Clark would have liked, and Fiji TV has reworked their budget. In addition,
staff has had a "triple dose" of the stress, Clark says: " TheyÕve
been attacked, they've been threatened and now their jobs have been questioned.
Under the circumstances, they are bearing up really well, realizing they have
to be flexible.
"God bless'em, says I," Clark said.
One media organization that is not suffering in the Fiji Times. Circulation
numbers are up at roughly 55,000, an increase of at least 20 percent. No staff
have been laid off - by contrast, all staff were given a bonus of one week's
salary last week.
"The incredible dedication and commitment of all our staff during this
crisis is the reason for the bonus," said Alan Robinson, publisher of the
Rupert Murdoch-owned Fiji Times. "The staff have been absolutely magnificent.
The adrenaline has been going since this whole thing started, and it really
is a momentous event in Fiji's history that will be talked about for years to
come."
As to whether being part of the multi-national News Corporation Ltd. provided
certain assistance, Robinson was quick to say: "Every News Corp.
Ltd. site has to stand on its own two feet. The strength of the Fiji Times has
been our independence, our credibility and integrity."
The closure of its magazine Pacific Islands Monthly was "accelerated"
by the coup, said Robinson. PIM was the region's oldest news magazine.
"The future of PIM was under review some time before the coup. The magazine
market in Fiji has changed and at the end of the day we are newspaper
publishers. The magazine was a small part of our business and I can honestly
say we can't give it the attention it deserves."
Robinson said they are still negotiating the sale of the magazine, and that
PIM's former editor Sophie Foster-Hillebrand was immediately welcomed back into
the Fiji Times newsroom.
In a sign of the times, one of Fiji's most experienced editors, Jale Moala,
left Fiji yesterday for New Zealand. Moala began his career on the original
Fiji Sun in the 1970s, and went on to be the first Pacific Islander to edit
Pacific Islands Monthly. He was also the first indigenous Fijian to be editor
of the Fiji Times.
Ranjit Singh acknowledged Moala's departure as "unfortunate".
"Jale is a good team leader, and the newsroom relied on him. We will miss
him greatly - he was loved by all his staff."
On Day 28 of the Fiji Crisis:
* George Speight and his group of armed indigenous Fijian supporters continue
to hold the country's first ethnic-Indian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and
Members of Parliament hostage inside the parliamentary complex.
* A Commonwealth delegation is expected to arrive at Nausori airport near Suva
this afternoon at 5:30, reports Radio Fiji. The delegation - made up of Australian
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister
Phil Goff, and representatives from both Botswana and Malaysia - are expected
to be met by Fiji Military Forces Army Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
* Schools on Fiji's two largest islands - Viti Levu and Vanua Levu ‹ will
remain closed for another week, reports Radio Fiji. According to the Ministry
of Education and the Fiji Teacher's Confederation, this is due to the security
issues surrounding the still unresolved crisis. Schools on Fiji's smaller islands,
however, will resume classes. Schools have been closed since May 19. The latest
announcement means that students will have been at home for five weeks, if classes
resume June 26th.
Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)
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