Broadcasting bill may revive 'TVRI' monopoly

Broadcasting bill may revive 'TVRI' monopoly

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Private television channels have continued to voice their
opposition against the broadcasting bill, saying some new
regulations in the bill could reinstate the monopoly exercised by
state television TVRI in providing nationwide broadcasting.

Under the bill, only public television stations are allowed to
carry out nationwide broadcasting. All private televisions,
therefore, will have to build broadcasting offices, not just
transmitters, in the regions to enable them to extend their
coverage.

Satrio Arismunandar of Trans TV objected to the clause, saying
it might encourage a monopoly.

"It is unrealistic to ban private stations from conducting
nationwide broadcasting. We have been spending money to build
transmitters," Satrio told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

News director of Indosiar television Nurhadi Purwosaputro
concurred, saying the new regulations would force private
televisions to spend more money to build offices in the regions.

Nurhadi, however, refused to comment further because the bill
was not finalized. "Besides, we do not know the regulations
issued by regional administrations on the matter," he added.

The Union of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI) had also
expressed its objection to the clause.

Article 14 of the bill stipulates that private radio and
television stations can only have one broadcasting activity on
one channel in one area of coverage, giving them the status of a
local channel.

Article 20 says that the radio and television broadcasts
consist of a broadcast network and local stations. Unlike the
public channels, both radio and television, which can broadcast
their programs nationwide, the coverage of private broadcasts is
limited.

The increasing protests from the public, including
broadcasting unions, have prompted legislators and Minister of
Communication and Information Syamsul Mu'arif to consider a delay
in the endorsement of the broadcasting bill.

Previously, the bill was scheduled for endorsement on Sept.
23, but the special committee will most likely delay it.

"We will decide whether to delay the bill passage on Monday,"
said Djoko Susilo, a member of the committee deliberating the
bill.

Fellow legislator Effendy Choirie of the National Awakening
Party (PKB) disclosed that many legislators had floated
objections to some articles in the broadcasting bill.

"I believe this bill is a very problematic legislation,"
Effendy said at a hearing with the minister.

Djoko suggested that the government refrain from interfering
in the news production of radio and television stations.

The legislator was responding to the dominant role of the
government in the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), a
supervisory body to be set up later.

Based on the broadcasting bill, the KPI will be granted
authority to determine broadcasting manuals, the standard of a
program's quality, and to process all violations of the
regulations.

Satrio suggested that the role of the KPI be limited to avoid
more problems in the future.