Expert is not impressed by TV ad regulations
Expert is not impressed by TV ad regulations
By Gedsiri Suhartono
JAKARTA (JP): The new broadcasting law does not go far enough
to protect consumers from the ill effects of television
advertising, communications expert M. Budyatna said Saturday.
"A legislation should be enacted to protect the people,
instead of subjecting them to misconstrued traps," Budyatna of
University of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post.
It is verifiably obsolete because it fails to anticipate
future changes affecting the broadcasting industry and consumers,
said the dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences.
Increasing business competition was bound to put pressure on
companies advertising their products, inevitably to the detriment
of consumers, he said.
"Advertising is supposed to educate people to become better
consumers, more informed buyers, instead of making them the
advertiser's captive," he said.
The advertising industry should incorporate the idea of
educating people to be informed consumers, he said.
"Most of our advertising, unfortunately, only deceives people
with empty promises," he said. "Consumers should not expect
producers to protect them because the advertisers' main goal is
to reap profits from their product."
The new legislation does not provide adequate protection for
consumers from bogus advertising techniques, he added.
The House of Representatives this month endorsed the
government sponsored Bill on Broadcasting after subjecting it to
tough scrutiny. The bill has gone to President Soeharto for his
signature before it becomes law, which is imminent.
One section of the bill deals with advertising on television
and radio, the subject of a recent controversial and often
emotional debate.
The bill deals with some concerns about the effects of
television advertising. For example, it requires every television
advertisement be subject to censorship.
While it bans advertising alcohol and addictive substances,
the bill falls short of banning cigarette advertisements.
Instead, commercials depicting smoking are prohibited.
Violation penalties ranges from administrative sanctions to
imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Abu Hasan Sazili, a House member who chaired the committee
deliberating the bill, said the bill did not ban cigarette
advertising because the cigarette industry in Indonesia provided
jobs for many people.
When contacted by the Post Saturday, Sazili said he believed
the bill had sufficiently addressed the concerns expressed about
the effects of advertising.
The bill defines acceptable and unacceptable advertising
norms, he said, adding the public was expected to pitch in with
constructive suggestions.
"We hope the bill will create a conducive atmosphere for
broadcast advertising while at the same time protecting consumers
from bad ads," Sazili said.
Koes Pudjianto, chairman of the Association of Indonesian
Advertising Companies, told the Post the new law, when it
becomes effective, would not really change much in the way the
industry operates.
"Restrictions imposed by the law have long existed, and we
have complied with them," Koes said.
The advertising industry is often accused of catering to so
called "bad taste" advertising just to ensure messages reach the
heterogeneous public.
Koes said 95 percent of broadcast advertisements met the good
advertising criteria stipulated by the association, namely that
they be persuasive, desirable and believable.
"What's more important right now is to establish the
broadcasting code of ethics, since the advertising industry has
theirs," Koes said.
The advertising code of conduct was amended in August to
encompass television advertising.
Commercial broadcasters succeeded in lobbying against allowing
state-run TVRI to run advertisements. State television, which has
a wider reach than the five commercial stations, will be allowed
to run only public service advertisements.
"It's the same difference, public service advertisements serve
mainly to build corporate images, although they claim to provide
the public with food for thought," Budyatna said.