Founder, KBR-68H, Indonesia

How is Tosca giving all Indonesians a voice?

Tosca Santoso has changed the landscape of media in Indonesia. Until 1998, Indonesian radio stations were restricted to covering government-issued news. Most stations played music or entertainment programs and produced no news of their own. When the press opened up in 1998, the country lacked serious, respected media outlets that could broadcast programs of public interest. Tosca Santoso reacted quickly by establishing an independent news service, KBR-68H, in 1999.

KBR 68H develops news stories and allows local radio stations throughout Indonesia to rebroadcast the content. By using satellite technology, Tosca and his team found a way to build a network of member stations across Indonesia who could share content easily. In addition to reaching over 20 million Indonesian listeners daily, the station broadcasts English language programs such as "Asia Calling," in 10 Asian countries. KBR 68H's enormous popularity in Indonesia has led other countries, such as Nepal, Russia and Pakistan, to begin replicating Tosca's model. Tosca now plans to translate his success with radio into news programming for Indonesian television.