Controls on TV stations attacked<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leading mass communications expert M. Budyatna
\nhas joined politicians of the minority parties in attacking the
\ngovernment's plan to limit the number of television stations.<\/p>\n
\"To set a limit is unfair,\" M. Budyatna, dean of the School of
\nSocial and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia,
\ntold The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that three of the country's five commercial
\ntelevision stations -- RCTI, TPI and ANteve -- are controlled by
\npeople who are also members of Golkar, the ruling political
\ngroup. No stations are controlled by individuals associated with
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) or the United Development
\nParty (PPP).<\/p>\n
\"The limitation would automatically favor Golkar,\" Budyatna
\nsaid, adding that he suspected vested political interests were
\nbehind the government's move.<\/p>\n
The plan is contained in a government-sponsored Bill on
\nBroadcasting which the House of Representatives began
\ndeliberating this week.<\/p>\n
Article 14 says that the number of private broadcasting
\ninstitutions in any given area is limited by the government. An
\nexplanatory note states that the limitation is necessary to
\ncontain the negative impacts from having too many stations. Among
\nthe impacts cited include conflicting news reports, saturation of
\nprograms, disruptions to TV reception and unhealthy competition
\namong broadcasters. It also says that too many stations would
\nmean difficulties in controlling and supervising them.<\/p>\n
Six TV stations are not enough for a country as large and as
\npopulated as Indonesia, Budyatna said. There should be at least
\none TV station in every big city, he added.<\/p>\n
Some of the PPP and PDI politicians were the first to attack
\nArticle 14, and promise to give the government a run for its
\nmoney during the deliberation of the bill in the House.<\/p>\n
\"The article seems intended to protect the current TV
\nstations,\" Aisyah Aminy of the PPP faction said.<\/p>\n
\"We should be allowed to have more TV stations,\" said
\nAisyah, who chairs Commission I, which deals with information
\nissues.<\/p>\n
Marcel Beding of the PDI faction said his party will fight
\nhard to ensure that the limitation is removed from the
\nlegislation, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Marcel challenged Minister of Information Harmoko's statement,
\nmade during the first reading of the bill in the House on Monday,
\nthat political parties cannot have their own stations.<\/p>\n
\"What's wrong with a political party owning broadcasting
\nstations? The more TV stations we have, the better it is for the
\npublic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Harmoko, who represented the government during the first
\nreading of the bill in the House, is also Golkar's chairman. His
\nofficial capacity empowers him to control TVRI and the
\nsupervision of all the private TV networks.<\/p>\n
Marcel argued that rather than seeking to control the number
\nof TV stations, the government could regulate their broadcast
\ncontent.<\/p>\n
Both Budyatna and Marcel disputed the argument that setting a
\nlimit is necessary to ensure a healthy competition and avoid cut-
\nthroat rivalry among the stations.<\/p>\n
Marcel said the article left the impression that the
\ngovernment has succumbed to pressures from existing stations to
\nclose the doors on newcomers.<\/p>\n
Budyatna said there should be enough ad spending for many more
\nTV stations in the country, given Indonesia's rapidly growing
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
With the advent of free trade -- first within Southeast Asia
\nin 2003, and later within the Asia Pacific region in 2020 -- more
\nand more investors will be coming to Indonesia. They will be
\npromoting their products through television, he said.<\/p>\n
Consequently, \"There should be no worry about declining ad
\nrevenue\", he said. (01\/emb)<\/p>\n
Films -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/controls-on-tv-stations-attacked-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }