Broadcast bill debate goes into extra time<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives' debate on the
\ngovernment's broadcasting bill has had to go into extra time
\nbecause of the growing number of issues involved, the head of the
\ncommittee handling the legislative piece said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan Sazili said the bill would be enacted on Dec. 9,
\nAntara reported.<\/p>\n
The House had originally hoped to do this yesterday.<\/p>\n
Sazili, the deputy chairman of the House's Commission I which
\ndeals with the flow of information, denied the delay was because
\nof disagreements about the bill's content.<\/p>\n
All sides have been accommodating, he said.<\/p>\n
The House has had to add more clauses because there are so
\nmany issues the bill should cover, he said. The bill has grown
\nfrom 58 chapters to 75 chapters.<\/p>\n
\"This is extraordinary,\" said the member of the dominant
\nGolkar faction.<\/p>\n
The addition includes items intended to regulate new
\ninformation technology such as the internet and multimedia,
\nSazili said.<\/p>\n
The bill is the first attempt to regulate Indonesia's
\nflourishing broadcasting industry through legislation. Currently,
\nthe industry operates under government regulations.<\/p>\n
Current regulations give state-owned TVRI a monopoly on
\ntelevision although in the last five years the government has
\nlicensed five private television channels.<\/p>\n
The regulations also give TVRI a monopoly on television news
\nbut private broadcasters have been running their own news as well
\nas relaying TVRI's official news.<\/p>\n
The government said the new bill was intended to allow for the
\nindustry's healthy development and deal with its negative
\nexcesses.<\/p>\n
Sazili said during the debate on the bill, the House proposed
\nthe establishment of a supervisory council for the broadcasting
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
This council would comprise experts from various disciplines
\nand industry and government representatives, he said.<\/p>\n
Another addition to the bill the House was seeking was the
\nrequirement that all broadcasting companies issue some of their
\nshares to employees, Sazili said.<\/p>\n
The employee share concept has already been implemented in
\nnewspapers and magazines in compliance with the 1982 Press Law.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
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