TVRI considers reviving license fees on TV owners<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan and Dewi Santoso, Jakarta<\/p>\n
State television channel TVRI said on Tuesday it was mulling
\nreinstating monthly license fees for television owners across the
\ncountry in order to collect the funds it needs before becoming a
\npublic broadcaster in late 2005.<\/p>\n
TVRI executive director Yazirwan Uyun told the House of
\nRepresentatives' Commission I for security and information
\naffairs here that a private sector company had told the state
\nbroadcaster that it was willing to take over the license fee
\ncollection service that had once been contracted out to PT
\nMekatama Raya, a private company belonging to former president
\nSoeharto's son, Sigit Harjojudanto.<\/p>\n
\"We have received the proposal and will study it further,\" he
\ntold reporters after the hearing.<\/p>\n
Refusing to identify the firm, Yazirwan said the license fee
\nwould be charged along with the householder's electricity bill.<\/p>\n
Under the scheme, Yazirwan said, TV owners who fail to pay
\ntheir license fees will have their electricity temporarily
\ndisconnected.<\/p>\n
In the past, the license fee varied depending on the size of
\nthe television set. The bigger the size of the TV, the higher the
\nfee.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers supported the fund-raising scheme, saying that
\nBroadcasting Law No. 32\/2002 allowed such fees to be imposed.<\/p>\n
\"Charging a license fee is just part of the implementation of
\nLaw No. 32\/2002 on broadcasting,\" said Effendi Choirie of the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), who presided over the hearing.<\/p>\n
Several House members, however, suggested that TVRI think out
\nthe plan carefully. Otherwise, it could give rise to public
\nprotests as had happened in the past. The state channel halted
\nthe collection of license fees by PT Mekatama in 1992<\/p>\n
TVRI is on the verge of bankruptcy, owing more than Rp 200
\nbillion to the government, Yazirwan said.<\/p>\n
Although TVRI already broadcasts commercials, it has
\ndifficulties in competing with the country's 10 private TV
\nstations, which used to be required to pay some of their revenues
\nto the state broadcaster.<\/p>\n
Yazirwan hoped the government would write off TVRI's debts in
\norder to help it focus on improving its programming amid stiff
\ncompetition in the world of broadcasting.<\/p>\n
Effendi said the House would call on the government to seek
\nthe best solution to the TVRI debt, including a proposed debt
\nwrite-off.<\/p>\n
\"But TVRI should also actively pursue those private television
\nstations that have not settled their debts with TVRI,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on TVRI's plan to collect license fees from
\ntelevision viewers, Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI)
\nchairwoman Indah Sukmaningsih said the fee was fair as long as
\nthe company was transparent with the money.<\/p>\n
\"As long as it (TVRI) can offer educational programs and be
\ntransparent about where the money goes, then the public should
\nsupport the plan,\" Indah told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
She said that TVRI offered better programs than other
\ntelevision stations.<\/p>\n
The other television stations, she asserted, did not provide
\neducational fare for children, and mostly concentrated on
\ncelebrity shows, mysticism, reality shows and night-life shows.<\/p>\n
\"It is no longer clear what the television stations are aiming
\nat --helping avoid brutality and pornography, or promoting them?
\nThus, if TVRI can come up with better programs, then I think we
\nshould support the plan,\" she said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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