Govt demands permit for live TV broadcast<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information R. Hartono warned
\nprivate television stations yesterday against illegal live
\nbroadcasts.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha
\npresidential office, the minister said the newly enacted
\nBroadcasting Law stipulated that private TV stations ask for
\ngovernment approval before airing live broadcasts.<\/p>\n
He was making his third comment in as many days on a
\ngovernment decision to ban ANteve and SCTV from broadcasting live
\ncoverage Monday of Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad's address
\non the economic reform package at the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
\"A private TV station violates the rules if it broadcasts live
\ncoverage without informing the government. This (Monday's case)
\nshould not happen again,\" Hartono warned.<\/p>\n
However, he failed to elaborate on which sections of the
\nBroadcasting Law stipulate the ban.<\/p>\n
\"The law clearly states that state-owned TV station TVRI is
\nthe only authorized broadcaster to conduct live coverage of state
\nevents, while private TV stations should relay.<\/p>\n
\"Is it that difficult for a private station to ask for our
\napproval if it intends to run live or delayed broadcasts?\" he
\nasked.<\/p>\n
Hartono said the law allowed the government to revoke the
\nlicense of a TV station which ignored the government's reprimand
\nthree times.<\/p>\n
He suggested that a private TV station intending to run a live
\nbroadcast contact the Ministry of Information or TVRI.<\/p>\n
\"In the case of House plenary meetings, its secretary general
\nused to lodge a formal request to me and then I ordered TVRI to
\ncover the meeting,\" said Hartono.<\/p>\n
Regular live broadcasts by both TVRI and private stations were
\nconducted when President Soeharto delivered the state budget plan
\nand the state-of-nation speech on the eve of Independence Day.<\/p>\n
News<\/p>\n
Four House legislators asked yesterday the Ministry of
\nInformation's secretary general, Tonny Soekarton, about the ban.<\/p>\n
Not until the end of the almost seven-hour meeting, however,
\ndid Tonny manage to satisfy the legislators' queries.<\/p>\n
Tonny told House Commission I on security, defense, law and
\ninformation affairs, that Monday's plenary House meeting was
\nconsidered a news program and therefore was subject to government
\napproval if a private TV station intended to broadcast it live.<\/p>\n
He was referring to a 1982 ministerial decree which classifies
\nTV programs as news and entertainment. The decree says live news
\ncoverage must be conducted by TVRI.<\/p>\n
\"The Minister of Finance's address was categorized as a news
\nprogram because it informed the public,\" Tonny said.<\/p>\n
He admitted the government directives for live TV coverage
\nwere only now being drawn up. But the Broadcasting Law suggested
\nthat, pending the issuance of new directives, the government
\napply related old regulations as long as they did not contradict
\nthe new law.<\/p>\n
\"It's clear now that the problem is not why a live coverage is
\nbanned... (but) who will take responsibility if something goes
\nwrong during or after the live broadcast,\" Tonny said.<\/p>\n
He regretted that the two private TV stations had already
\nadvertised the live coverage without learning the rules
\nbeforehand. \"The public who had eagerly waited for the program
\nfell victim to the false ad,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Also during the hearing, director of TVRI Aziz Husein said he
\nwas considering a live broadcast of Mar'ie's second meeting with
\nthe House next Tuesday. (prb\/amd)<\/p>",
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