Expert is not impressed by TV ad regulations<\/p>\n
By Gedsiri Suhartono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The new broadcasting law does not go far enough
\nto protect consumers from the ill effects of television
\nadvertising, communications expert M. Budyatna said Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"A legislation should be enacted to protect the people,
\ninstead of subjecting them to misconstrued traps,\" Budyatna of
\nUniversity of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
It is verifiably obsolete because it fails to anticipate
\nfuture changes affecting the broadcasting industry and consumers,
\nsaid the dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences.<\/p>\n
Increasing business competition was bound to put pressure on
\ncompanies advertising their products, inevitably to the detriment
\nof consumers, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Advertising is supposed to educate people to become better
\nconsumers, more informed buyers, instead of making them the
\nadvertiser's captive,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The advertising industry should incorporate the idea of
\neducating people to be informed consumers, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Most of our advertising, unfortunately, only deceives people
\nwith empty promises,\" he said. \"Consumers should not expect
\nproducers to protect them because the advertisers' main goal is
\nto reap profits from their product.\"<\/p>\n
The new legislation does not provide adequate protection for
\nconsumers from bogus advertising techniques, he added.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives this month endorsed the
\ngovernment sponsored Bill on Broadcasting after subjecting it to
\ntough scrutiny. The bill has gone to President Soeharto for his
\nsignature before it becomes law, which is imminent.<\/p>\n
One section of the bill deals with advertising on television
\nand radio, the subject of a recent controversial and often
\nemotional debate.<\/p>\n
The bill deals with some concerns about the effects of
\ntelevision advertising. For example, it requires every television
\nadvertisement be subject to censorship.<\/p>\n
While it bans advertising alcohol and addictive substances,
\nthe bill falls short of banning cigarette advertisements.
\nInstead, commercials depicting smoking are prohibited.<\/p>\n
Violation penalties ranges from administrative sanctions to
\nimprisonment of up to 10 years.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan Sazili, a House member who chaired the committee
\ndeliberating the bill, said the bill did not ban cigarette
\nadvertising because the cigarette industry in Indonesia provided
\njobs for many people.<\/p>\n
When contacted by the Post Saturday, Sazili said he believed
\nthe bill had sufficiently addressed the concerns expressed about
\nthe effects of advertising.<\/p>\n
The bill defines acceptable and unacceptable advertising
\nnorms, he said, adding the public was expected to pitch in with
\nconstructive suggestions.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the bill will create a conducive atmosphere for
\nbroadcast advertising while at the same time protecting consumers
\nfrom bad ads,\" Sazili said.<\/p>\n
Koes Pudjianto, chairman of the Association of Indonesian
\nAdvertising Companies, told the Post the new law, when it
\nbecomes effective, would not really change much in the way the
\nindustry operates.<\/p>\n
\"Restrictions imposed by the law have long existed, and we
\nhave complied with them,\" Koes said.<\/p>\n
The advertising industry is often accused of catering to so
\ncalled \"bad taste\" advertising just to ensure messages reach the
\nheterogeneous public.<\/p>\n
Koes said 95 percent of broadcast advertisements met the good
\nadvertising criteria stipulated by the association, namely that
\nthey be persuasive, desirable and believable.<\/p>\n
\"What's more important right now is to establish the
\nbroadcasting code of ethics, since the advertising industry has
\ntheirs,\" Koes said.<\/p>\n
The advertising code of conduct was amended in August to
\nencompass television advertising.<\/p>\n
Commercial broadcasters succeeded in lobbying against allowing
\nstate-run TVRI to run advertisements. State television, which has
\na wider reach than the five commercial stations, will be allowed
\nto run only public service advertisements.<\/p>\n
\"It's the same difference, public service advertisements serve
\nmainly to build corporate images, although they claim to provide
\nthe public with food for thought,\" Budyatna said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-is-not-impressed-by-tv-ad-regulations-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}