Jakarta (ANTARA) – Cellular service provider Telkomsel confirmed its plan to open streaming access to Netflix for its customers.

“In the near future, (customers) will be able to access Netflix,” Telkomsel’s Head of Home LTE, Arief Pradetya, remarked during a virtual press conference on the launch of Telkomsel Orbit, Thursday, while responding to a question on whether the program will enable customers to access the streaming service platform.

Pradetya chose to not divulge details on when Netflix will be accessible through Telkomsel, though ensured that the company will make an announcement once it is.

The information on Telkom lifting the ban on Netflix has been doing the rounds.

Ririek Ardiansyah, the company’s chief executive officer, had noted back in June that they were yet deliberating on the matter to unblock the streaming platform.

“It depends on the results of discussions between Telkom and the Netflix team and whether they are willing to change to become more compliant with the regulations, particularly in terms of the content and takedown policy,” he had noted in June.

Telkom also expressed hope that Netflix would further empower the content made by local producers.

Ardiansyah explained that if specific conditions were fulfilled, then the company was prepared to open access to Netflix via both Indihome and Tekomsel.

Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate was also optimistic that Netflix would showcase more local content at the start of the year.

“Now, we demand that Netflix feature more films of Indonesian filmmakers for supporting Indonesian original filmmakers,” he emphasized.

Speaking in connection with Telkom’s cellular ban on Netflix, the minister remarked that it was a business matter between the two companies.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta Ancol Taman Impian and Ragunan Zoo are among the recreational parks in Jakarta that reopened, with new safety protocols in place, on Saturday after being closed for more than three months over the COVID-19 outbreak.

At Ancol, the management has issued SSBB (Senang Selamat Bareng Bareng–We could be happy and safe together) guidelines, including rules on checking the temperature of visitors at the entrance gate.

Visitors to the park are now required to wear masks and observe a safe distance of two meters from others, and use their own cutlery and prayer items.

The park has also changed its visitor criteria: it is no longer allowing entry to children under 5, pregnant women, and people aged over 50 at several venues, namely, the beach, Allianz Ecopark, Pasar Seni, Dunia Fantasi, Ocean Dream Samudra, Sea World, and restaurants.

Ragunan Zoo has implemented similar rules, allowing entry only to Jakarta citizens. Visitors would need to furnish their ID at the park entrance.

Both Ancol and Ragunan, which are managed as Jakarta’s Regionally-Owned Enterprises (BUMD), are selling tickets online as they have closed their on-site ticket counters as part of physical distancing measures.

Besides, the parks have already installed additional sinks and hand-sanitizer dispensers for visitors.

The provincial government has enacted Large-Scale Social Distancing (PSBB) rules since April 10 this year, with some extensions. Starting from June 5, 2020, the government has eased the semi-lockdown rules, calling them “transitional PSBB”, as the city readies for the new normal. (INE)

Source: Antara News

Padang, W Sumatra The ongoing global pandemic of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has forced the Indonesian Government to cancel the convening of an international arts and cultural night titled “Indonesian Channel” due to be hosted by West Sumatra Province in August.

The Indonesian Channel which marks the closing of this year’s Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (IACS) Program is a special event for West Sumatra because some 140 youths from 70 countries would perform, Head of the West Sumatra Tourism Office Novrial said.

The youths were the awardees of the scholarship program in which they would perform at the arts and cultural night to show the Indonesian cultural heritage that they had learned from local art communities in seven provinces, he said.

Thanks to the IACS Program that the Indonesian Foreign Ministry has consistently been organizing since 2003, these selected youths had been given an opportunity to learn the arts and culture of genuine Indonesian heritage for around three months, he said.

During that period, they stayed at the houses of selected Indonesian families, he said, adding that their presence in West Sumatra for the Indonesian Channel in August would give them opportunities to see the beauty of the province’s tourist destinations.

They would also be able to enjoy the West Sumatrans’ authentic arts and cultural attractions. The Indonesian Channel would also be attended by the awardees’ parents, ambassadors of the participating countries, he said.

Unfortunately, due to this ongoing coronavirus outbreak and unavailability of COVID-19 vaccine, the scheduled convening of the Indonesian Channel was then cancelled for safety reasons, Novrial said.

As published in the official website of the Indonesian Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, the IACS Program is eligible for Indonesian and foreign youths age 21-27 to study Indonesian cultural heritage as well as immersing oneself with the local art communities in Bali, West Sumatra, East Kalimantan, East Java, Sulawesi or Yogyakarta.

This year’s IACS was commenced from May 2 to Aug 20, 2020 in which on Aug 13, all awardees would perform in an arts and cultural night entitled “Indonesian Channel”.

Organized since 2003, this IACS Program has had 920 alumni coming from 77 countries. They studied history, traditions, arts and cultures of various ethnic groups across the Indonesian archipelago, including traditional dances, musical instruments, and carvings.

Source: Antara News

Tangerang Selatan Benny Likumahuwa, Indonesia’s 73-year-old senior jazz musician, died of diabetes on Tuesday morning after having fought the ailment for the past two years and his condition steadily deteriorating since April, Barry, his son, confirmed.

“His condition worsened, as he was ailing from diabetes and kidney condition. He had undergone dialysis since 2018 but was yet able to perform regular activities. However, his condition took a turn for the worse since the enactment of PSBB (the Large-Scale Social Distancing over COVID-19),” Barry revealed.

The COVID-19 pandemic also limited Barry from seeing his father over his concerns of being a coronavirus carrier.

“Hence, it has been a while since the last time I came here, and my father’s health kept deteriorating through the months. However, we do not want to make it tough, as he had already undertaken a long journey, and his life was great. Hence, I let him go, as I know this is the best thing to do,” Barry noted.

Benny was a multitalented musician, with expertise in playing several instruments, including the bongo drum, clarinet, bass, saxophone, and trombone.

He joined The Rollies music group in 1968 and conducted several music projects with Jack Lesmana and Indra Lesmana in 1985. In 2006, Benny, along with some friends, established a music school named GladiResik Music Lab.

Source: Antara News

Film workers and artists who are affected by COVID-19 will be receiving social assistance, in the form of food packages from the government.

“These film workers have had no income for almost four months, as there are no film or soap opera productions, (they are) certainly very affected,” said Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P Batubara in Jakarta on Monday.

He made the decision to provide assistance to artists and those working in the arts industry following discussions with various parties.

“We are waiting for the data, I hear there are around 2,000 (people),” he continued.

He further explained that in terms of the distribution of social assistance, the Ministry of Social Affairs will cooperate with communities of senior artists, including the Indonesian Film Artists Association (Parfi).

He said that by cooperating with the community, he would be able to obtain accurate data on those individuals who have been left unemployed due to the spread of the coronavirus, at the same time making sure that the time used in distributing packages is effective.

Social assistance packages are normally distributed through local governments, though that process might take longer.

“Once we obtain the data from them, we will check and ‘cleanse’ them, making sure that the data is appropriate and that there are no repeat listings with social assistance recipients from other groups,” the Minister said.

The Ministry of Social Affairs collaborates with communities and community organizations that maintain networks and data related to recipients in distributing social assistance for Indonesians who are affected by COVID-19.

Source: Antara News