Opposition grows against decree on TV airtime cut<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although most TV stations have agreed to implement a ruling which
\nrequires them to reduce airtime as part of the government's
\nenergy conservation drive, concerned parties intensified pressure
\non Saturday to withdraw the controversial ruling.<\/p>\n
They said that the ministerial decree on a reduction in TV
\nairtime issued by the Office of the State Minister of Information
\nand Communications was a restriction to press freedom.<\/p>\n
"The ruling is seen as an experiment by the government to curb
\nfreedom of the press," mass media observer Hinca Panjaitan said
\nat a seminar on the issue.<\/p>\n
He said that the government was apparently trying to turn back
\nthe clock to the old days under the New Order regime, which
\nimposed a tight control on the press, thus constituting a serious
\nthreat to the hard-earned press freedom here.<\/p>\n
The mass media here has enjoyed the freedom to deliver news
\nstories without fear of being shut down by the authorities
\nfollowing the resignation of president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The Office of the State Minister of Information and
\nCommunications issued a weeks ago Ministerial Decree No. 11\/2005,
\nordering all broadcasting stations to cut their airtime in a bid
\nto conserve the use of energy in the country.<\/p>\n
The ministerial decree, which will be in effect for six
\nmonths, requires all TV and radio stations to sign off from 1
\na.m. to 5 a.m. However, all live league soccer matches contracted
\nbetween Indonesian television stations and foreign parties are
\nexempted.<\/p>\n
Many TV and radio stations had been operating 24 hours a day.<\/p>\n
Hinca said that the decree must be revoked because it was
\nagainst Press Law No. 40\/1999.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) had also
\npreviously protested the decree, saying that such an instruction
\ncould be viewed as an effort to meddle in the country's
\nindependent broadcasting industry.<\/p>\n
It added that according to Law No. 32\/2002 on broadcasting,
\nthe government has no authority to intervene in broadcasting
\nstations as it was not permitted to restrict the public's right
\nto information.<\/p>\n
Customers of cable TV operators have also protested the
\ncutbacks.<\/p>\n
The controversial decree was a follow-up of the presidential
\ninstruction on a nationwide campaign for energy conservation as
\nthe government is struggling to cover the soaring fuel subsidy
\namid rising international oil prices and surging energy
\nconsumption at home.<\/p>\n
So far, the government is resorting to the energy conservation
\ncampaign to keep the subsidy affordable, rather than taking the
\npolitically sensitive measure of cutting back the ballooning fuel
\nsubsidy and raising fuel prices.<\/p>",
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