EPL in TVRI May Lead to Default; Helmy Yahya Deems It Ridiculous
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22 January 2020 11:23 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Helmy Yahya, former president director of state-run public broadcaster TVRI, has responded to the board of commissioners’ statement that the English Premier League (EPL) might cause a company default as is being dealt with by Jiwasraya.
Helmy considered such a remark ridiculous. However, he remained tight-lipped in providing a detail explanation regarding the accusation.
“I will comment on this ridiculous statement at the right time later,” said Helmy shortly through a short message to Tempo, Wednesday, January 22.
During a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I on Tuesday, a member of the board of commissioners Pamungkas Trishadiatmoko outlined reasons for the dismissal of Helmy.
One of the reasons was the purchase of the Premier League broadcasting rights. “I will explain why the purchase can be one of the factors that trigger a default such as Jiwasraya,” said Pamungkas during the meeting at the Parliament Complex on Tuesday.
The chief of the board Arief Hidayat Thamrin added that for the first time in history, the national TV station has a significant debt of up to Rp33.8 billion (Rp27 billion for Premier League and Rp5.8 billion for Badminton World Federation or BWF).
However, Helmy Yahya asserted that they had agreed on the use of the non-tax revenue to purchase both broadcasting rights.
The TVRI program and news director Apni Jaya Putra, meanwhile, said the purchase had been reported to the board of commissioners and got a permit through the board’s decree issuance.
CAESAR AKBAR
