"Warta Kota" began publication after the Ministry of Information under the B.J. Habibie administration relaxed the procedures for applying for a business license (SIUPP) for print media. Indonesia's national newspaper, Kompas (a subsidiary of KG), up until 1998, had designated only two pages per issue for news in Jakarta and its surroundings which were mostly filled with advertisements, even though the newspaper was published in Jakarta. To fill this void, "Warta Kota" was created. "Warta Kota" was first published on May 3, 1999 in the midst of the 1999 general election campaign.