Government, House wrap up talks on broadcasting bill<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite criticism from the public over the substance of the
\nbroadcasting bill, State Minister for Communication and
\nInformation Syamsul Mu'arif said on Monday that the deliberation
\ninto the bill was expected to be finished on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The minister said that the pros and cons over some articles in
\nthe bill would never been settled.<\/p>\n
\"We have to pass it into law first. Then, it will be opened
\nfor revisions in the future,\" Syamsul said at a hearing with
\nHouse's Commission I for information, security and foreign
\naffairs.<\/p>\n
The deliberation of the broadcasting bill had been taking
\nplace in the past two years. The endorsement of the bill was
\nsupposed to have taken place last Sept. But it was delayed until
\nthis month, due to opposition from the public.<\/p>\n
The broadcasting society and the public at large have urged
\nthe government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to make
\nrevisions to some contentious articles in the bill.<\/p>\n
But, legislators and the minister have turned a deaf ear,
\nclaiming that the bill has been much better than the Broadcasting
\nLaw No. 24\/1997, which is no longer effective since the
\ndissolution of the Information Ministry in 1999.<\/p>\n
Most of critics expressed their oppositions especially against
\nthe establishment of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission
\n(KPI), an institution mandated by the bill to act as a regulatory
\nbody.<\/p>\n
Leo Batubara of the Indonesian Press and Broadcasting Society
\n(MPPI), one of the bill's staunchest critics, claimed that the
\nbroadcasting bill still retained some \"monstrous\" articles.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the government had inserted some articles
\nthat could be manipulated by the power holders to silence the
\nbroadcasting media.<\/p>\n
\"The final draft of the broadcasting bill shows the return of
\nthe era of repression,\" Leo said at a recent discussion.<\/p>\n
Under the bill, KPI has control over, among other things, on
\nthe number and scope of broadcasting media, be it local,
\nregional, or national level; limitation of media cross-ownership;
\nprocedures of licensing; technicality of broadcasting;
\nadvertisements; and the punishment.<\/p>\n
Responding to that criticism, Syamsul revealed that the
\nbroadcasting society itself was unable to unite its various ideas
\nconcerning the existence of KPI.<\/p>\n
\"One group describes the KPI as a monster, but other group
\nsays that KPI is too weak. This debate will never end,\" Syamsul
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The minister said that the draft of the broadcasting bill had
\nbeen brought for discussion with the public. He emphasized that
\nthe bill was a result of debates among legislators, state
\nofficials, and the public.<\/p>\n
Syamsul added the public fear of the government's control over
\nthe broadcasting activities was because of different perception
\ninto the bill.<\/p>\n
\"We keep on discussing with the public and disseminating the
\nessence of that bill,\" he added.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, the legislators and the minister also
\ndiscussed the future of the state television station TVRI and the
\nstate radio station RRI.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-house-wrap-up-talks-on-broadcasting-bill-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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