'TVRI' will not broadcast House debates live<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned television station TVRI said
\nyesterday it would not broadcast live the House of
\nRepresentatives' hearing with Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad
\ntoday, citing \"security and technical reasons\".<\/p>\n
TVRI's director, Azis Husein, told a hearing with the House
\nCommission I for security, defense and information affairs
\nyesterday that the station would record the Commission VIII for
\nfinance and state budget session and broadcast it at 9.30 p.m.
\nafter editing.<\/p>\n
The hearing on the country's current economic situation is
\nscheduled to start at 9 a.m. Such sessions are usually open to
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
Azis told the House legislators that all the five private TV
\nstations would relay the program, but did not explain the reason
\nfor the delayed broadcast. He later told reporters that technical
\nand security reasons were behind the decision not to air Mar'ie's
\nsession live.<\/p>\n
He said today's House hearing with Mar'ie is considered
\ncritical in terms of security and needed editing to ensure that
\nthe public would receive only the right information.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps the public will misunderstand (the information) and
\nwe have to avoid this from happening,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Top representatives of the private TV stations who attended
\nthe hearing said their stations were prepared to relay the
\ndelayed broadcast of the hearing.<\/p>\n
\"We are under the supervision of the Ministry of Information,
\nso we have to comply with its call,\" said Agus Mulianto, director
\nof the Surabaya-based SCTV.<\/p>\n
Azis said a TVRI live broadcast in the morning was technically
\nimpossible because all of its transmitters would be used by
\nprivate station TPI at the time.<\/p>\n
The state-owned TV station starts its daily programs at 2.00
\np.m. TPI, which is owned by President's Soeharto eldest daughter
\nSiti Hardiyanti Rukmana, leases TVRI transmitters nationwide from
\n5.30 a.m.<\/p>\n
In the past, TVRI has always broadcast state ceremonies, such
\nas Independence Day, which took place in the morning.<\/p>\n
The government banned SCTV and ANteve from broadcasting live
\nMar'ie's explanation about the national economic reform package
\nbefore a plenary House meeting on Nov. 10. Minister of
\nInformation R. Hartono said only TVRI could broadcast the session
\nlive upon his order.<\/p>\n
Debate on the controversial ban was the focus of yesterday's
\nHouse session presided over by Aminullah Ibrahim of the Armed
\nForces faction.<\/p>\n
In a gesture of support for the ban, Golkar legislator Amir
\nSirait said that the House should obtain all information from
\nMar'ie before the public does.<\/p>\n
ANTeve's editor-in-chief, Azkarmin Zaini, urged the government
\nto set up regulations on live broadcasting.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot say whether the procedures (cited by the minister
\nabout the live coverage) were correct or wrong. The Broadcasting
\nLaw itself doesn't have a clear stipulation (on live
\nbroadcasting). The government should clarify it in a decree or
\nother forms of regulations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
United Development Party legislator, Ghazali Abbas Adan,
\nlamented TVRI's decision, saying that the delayed broadcast would
\nprevent the public from knowing how the House members carry out
\ntheir duties.<\/p>\n
\"We are said to be an institution which is irresponsive toward
\nthe public's aspirations because they don't know how dynamic our
\ndialog actually is with the government during a hearing,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Mass communications expert Eduard Depari, also RCTI's
\nspokesman, said TVRI's decision restricted the public's right to
\nknow.<\/p>\n
\"It reveals a setback in the government's promotion of
\ntransparency. How can we compete with other countries if we lack
\ntransparency?\" he said. (09\/amd)<\/p>",
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