coffee time with squadron bangau terbang

Minggu malam kemarin, gue menghadiri acara kumpul-kumpul yang sudah makin jarang kita lakukan. Ngobrol santai sembari ngopi di teras atas sebuah kedai. Seorang konsultan jasa pemenangan pemilukada dan tiga orang jurnalis televisi veteran, gue pernah bersama mereka semua dulunya tergabung dalam kesatuan squadron bangau terbang.

Kenapa dijuluki itu? karena dulu saat kita masih bertugas dinas, sama persis keadaannya dengan kondisi judul komik salah satu serial Tanguy and Laverdue itu. :) yah minimal kalo lagi stress salah satu dari kita suka menirukan suara bangau-bangau itu lah.

Gue terus terang paling muda diantara mereka semua, yang sudah mulai mendekati usia 40 itu. Tapi, tetep asyik ngobrolnya. Kami berbagi banyak insight-insigh atas dunia persilatan yang makin lama kian kejam. Tak lupa pertanyaan klasik, kapan kah kita bisa berkolaborasi kembali mengulang kejayaan masa gemilang dua tahun silam. Apakah Gue akan kembali turun gunung ke jagad kanuragan? Dan diskusi-diskusi dodol lainnya tentang sepak terjang para kolega kita di belantara ibukota.

Salah satu diskusi malam itu saat Gue sedang curhat gundah gulana, adalah sebuah masukan bagus dari kawan Awing, yang menekankan kepada Gue untuk tetap bertahan berjuang, walau demi setitik perubahan. Hohoho. Meski berat, tapi masukan itu membuat Gue sedikit semangat lagi.

Benar juga kalo Gue kali ini merenungi, apa yang dikatakan sang pujangga Ovid, beberapa tahun silam.

Adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit --Add a little to a little and there will be a great heap (Ovid)

To Teach or Die Tryin'

"By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn." --Latin proverb

I really enjoyed my lecturing session, every Thursday morning at Institut Bisnis dan Informatika Indonesia. I taught course on media law/ communication law for bachelor degree students in mass communication major (broadcast and public relation). I only handle one class once a week, every semester ganjil. It surely fun, even though it's hard to maintain with all my plenty work activities. The spirit of sharing and spread some new ideas to this young future generation, is always tempting.

My philosophy of teaching is to create a stimulating yet non-competitive and non-intimidating environment in the classroom. I feel that the enthusiasm I bring to the classroom helps to create an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. I always tried my best to re-present the material, combined with my own experience to make the class fun and reachable for the students.

well, only one word to describe my six-monthly teaching activities, awesome. :)

LITIGATOR

I'm a non-practicing lawyer, but check out my two colleague here. They are the top-notch choice inside or outside the courtroom for any civil and criminal litigation. Trained by the best in this profession.

Percakapan bodoh suatu sore di sebuah cafe

The morning show producer - You know what we should do? We should leave, together.

The senior cameraperson - Leave? What do you mean leave?

The morning show producer - Leave this company, together, I mean all of us, the whole package, then come to other news station as a package. We are practically every single one you need to run a news channel, right? We’ve got you, the senior cameraperson, your portfolio will make any TV station drool over. We’ve got you, the talented news anchor who got his company won many awards in a year. We’ve got you, the young talkshow producer, who can get almost any important guest appeared in our show. We’ve got you, the assignment producer, who always accomplished any impossible or ridiculous assignment…

The graphic producer - And where do I fit in this?

The morning show producer - We’ve got the one workaholic bastard who’s so high on his job he would stay up at this office until 3 in the morning thinking of how the visual look of this channel.

Everyone - Hahahahaha!

The graphic producer - (still laughing his ass off) You’re funny.

The morning show producer - And we’re all funny.

The field producer - (coming over to the table) Hey, sorry I’m late. You know how that live report can go… Anyway, remind me, why are we meeting here again?

The morning show producer - exactly why we all should move to another TV station which - with all the things that we have to offer - will pay us at least twice.

The news anchor - That won’t help us, you know, spending-wise. As the number of your disposable income increase, your needs and spending habit will also multiply exponentially.

The morning show producer - We’re practically a dream team here on the table.

The field producer - (stirring her coffee) What is this thing about the dream team?

The talkshow producer - Our friend here thinks that we should form a team and leave the company together.

The field producer - Leave? Where?

The morning show producer - Anywhere. As a whole package. We deal - you know, the remuneration package, the whole shindig - as a team. It’s like pay up this much and you’ll get a whole package. The best talents nurtured by the best TV station.

The field producer - Is that even doable?

The news anchor - I think I’ve read about it somewhere. A whole team of engineers moving from one oil company to the next.

The assignment producer - Anyway, which TV station do you have in mind particularly?

The morning show producer - ****, ***, and *******

The field producer - The first two sound about right, but ******* treats people like shit.

The morning show producer - How do you know?

The field producer - I have a friend who’s a human resource specialist, he knows every HR practice in every TV company in this country.

The news anchor - As long as we’re talking about what kind remuneration package we want, I’m gonna throw in: better car.

The assignment producer - What? What is that gonna do you? You don’t even drive.

The news anchor: I don’t drive but I use the car, right?

The field producer - You know what I want? Fashion allowance.

The senior cameraperson - Here here!

The graphic producer - What the hell are you talking about? Fashion allowance?

The field producer - Extra allowance in our monthly salary to get the best fashion items, to maintain our looks, you know. Shoes, bags…

The graphic producer - Hahaha, that’s gonna kill the whole deal right there. No company is stupid enough to grant people like us something as extravagant as the so-called fashion allowance.

The field producer - I’m serious. The other day, I busted my high heels on Parliament building. I think I should deserve some kind of compensation, don’t you think?

The morning show producer - Yeah, good luck with that.

The senior cameraperson - Whatever, man, as long as there is no stupid uniform policy.

The assignment producer - Unlimited Blackberry and phone bill would be nice.

The talkshow producer - What’s wrong with the one you have now?

The assignment producer - The 300 a month crap? I spent at least three times as much each month!

The field producer - Maybe if you weren’t using it to sweet-talk every girl in our office …

The assignment producer - Getting jealous, are we?

The field producer - Hahaha, you wish!

The news anchor - (to the morning show producer) Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?

The talkshow producer - And what is that you’re writing on that stupid napkin?

The morning show producer - (smiling ear to ear) Our minutes of meeting. The list of remuneration package that we’re gonna ask from **** and *******.

The assignment producer: On that? You’re gonna hand our dealing points on a piece of napkin?

Everyone - Hahahahaha!

*Dicontek dari blognya ika natassa

It’s time to move on

Someone that I admire once said, “Loyalty only to your profession, it is beyond to whom do you served.” I was reluctant to concur with that proverb. Turn out lately, that line seems true.

My original plan was to stay with this company. Try to reach the corporate ladder and becoming the mid level, maybe for the next five years. That’s all. After that I was planning to switch to other public service sector. It is my dream that perhaps someday, to serve as a presidential spoke person, or at least as a communication officer for some public institution.

I already bear in my mind that this company will be my first and my last broadcasting company in my resume. Despite the management which gave me love and hate collide, it has gave me so much influence. I already felt the passion to work with this company since I saw their first aired show when I was still in college.

This company has gave me chance to team up with the most talented person in this broadcast journalism field. It has been such an honor to work with you guys.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dear Sir,
I hereby tender my resignation, effective Friday, March XX, 2008 (four weeks from this date).

Working for the XXXXX XX has been a wonderful experience. I could not ask for a better group of colleagues. I have grown in many ways here and will always treasure the opportunities provided for me by the XXXXX XX.

I feel that it is time for a new challenge and experience. I have appreciated the opportunities and experiences that have been provided to me during my 4 years of service for XXXXX XX. I am pleased to be of assistance during the transition.



Yours truly,



R. Wahyuningrat

It was when my cellular phone rang in the morning, when I was asleep in my friend’s house. The name appears on the screen made me wake up completely. An offers followed by an invitation for interview tomorrow morning.

The second phone call came one week later. It was also an invitation for interview, from different company in the same industry.

At that time I was so flattered and honored. There are people somewhere out there that recognized my work. This is my first time that I did not have bother to send CV everywhere. They asked me to send my CV and offered me a position. Adding also they perform a very quick administrative process. They surely knew my track record and wanted me to join their team.

This process followed by a great headache for the following weeks. By the same time I also got my promotion.

The first company is a two years old foreign company within regional scale. It offers a new concept of broadcasting. The future model reflected from the success story in the US and the European soil.

The other one, the second company is a new developed competitor of my previous company. It offers a new fresh look of broadcast news station. Testing the phenomenal book by Scott Collins, ‘Crazy like Fox: the inside story of how Fox news beat CNN.’

Both companies are lead by most respected persons in this business, which is becoming my biggest consideration. You have to be the exact Padawan to the prominent Jedi, or the exact ensign to the prominent skipper, or the exact receiver to the prominent quarterback, to be success in this field.

At the first company, by the end of my interview session, which more close to a light conversation, I met a respective gentleman, a senior broadcast journalist that has been inspiring me. He is a true living legend, a pioneer in this field. He crafted his name in the shape of what broadcast news appears in these days. Sincerely he salute me, “Hi, I think I seen you somewhere.”

At the second company, my adrenalin rushed to saw many great talents that they recruited. It will be a great experience to team up with those people. They developed new system, new look and also new philosophy. I met here another gentleman that influences my stepping stone in this business, a charismatic legendary producer-anchor. Once, he appears as a cameo in a movie, which I have watched hundred times. With his signature baritone voice, he said, “I heard some good things about you.”

well, two roads diverged in a wood...

Where the next I landed was indeed a tough call. It was not about the money, both offers are good number. But life would be miserable when we only decide our future depends on simply financial reason, isn’t it? I try not to be naïve, but at this moment I think as long as I can still pay my monthly bills, enough budget to update books and DVDs and of course, saving for my wedding, then I think I am satisfy.

As Satre justifies that mankind are being cursed by situation to always making decision in every single path of their life, and so do I. Decision that I made was based on the mixed of Istikhoroh and deep consultation with a few mentor that I have in this business.

I finally made up my mind because of this company, quoting Godfather, gave me “An offer that I can not refuse.” Certainly not by putting death horse head in my blanket :), it is in positive meaning enormously.

Starting two weeks from this posting, I will join this company, a company that my other favorite senior broadcast journalist cum blogger writes in his blog, as “A good ship, always a good ship.” I hope.

Wish me luck, guys.