NGOs slam decree limiting television operating hours<\/p>\n
Ridwan Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A group of non-governmental organizations joined forces on Monday
\nto protest a ministerial decree requiring radio and television
\nstations to reduce their airtime as part of the government's
\nenergy conservation drive.<\/p>\n
Agus Sudibyo, coordinator of the Coalition for the Free Flow
\nof Information and the Alliance for Defenders of Chapter 28, said
\nMinisterial Decree No. 11\/2005 reflected the government's
\nconfusion over how to cope with the fuel crisis in the country.<\/p>\n
"The prolonged crisis has caused the government to panic,
\nprompting it to formulate a strange policy that violates human
\nrights," Agus said.<\/p>\n
He said the coalition of NGOs rejected the decree because it
\nviolated Chapter 28 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom
\nof information.<\/p>\n
"The decree shows that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
\ngovernment is reminiscent of former president Soeharto's
\nrepressive New Order regime," Agus said, adding that the decree
\nviolated Susilo's commitment to uphold press freedom.<\/p>\n
The NGOs called on Minister of Information and Communications
\nSofyan Djalil to revoke the controversial decree.<\/p>\n
"We are seeking a meeting with the President to convey our
\nopposition and with House of Representatives Commission I to help
\nus put pressure on the government to scrap the decree," Agus
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The decree was issued last week to follow up on a presidential
\ninstruction on energy conservation measures. The decree asks all
\nradio and television stations to sign off from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.<\/p>\n
Live European soccer matches are excluded to honor the
\ncontracts signed by local TV channels, as are religious programs
\nduring the upcoming Ramadhan fasting month.<\/p>\n
The decree is effective for six months from its issuance.<\/p>\n
All TV and radio stations have agreed to the decree in a show
\nof support for the government's conservation campaign.<\/p>\n
The Association of Indonesian Private TV Stations (ATVSI) has
\nsaid that TV stations were complying with the decree because
\nbesides conserving energy, there were few viewers between 1 a.m.
\nand 5 a.m. and very little advertising revenue.<\/p>\n
ATVSI chairman Karni Ilyas, who is also the newsroom director
\nof SCTV, said TV stations could save at least Rp 1 billion every
\nnight by going off the air from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.<\/p>\n
Hanif Suranto from the Institution for Press Studies and
\nDevelopment said the decree violated freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
Atmakusumah Astraatmadja, a former member of the Press
\nCouncil, regretted the controversial decree was issued without
\nconsulting the Indonesian Broadcasting Council or the Press
\nCouncil.<\/p>\n
"Limiting airtime is not only a business matter but, and
\nmainly, a violation of human rights. The government cannot take
\nsuch an arbitrary action even if the number of TV viewers
\naffected is small," he said.<\/p>\n
The government did meet with TV station owners and management
\nbefore the decree was issued.<\/p>",
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