Govt called on to give new status to 'TVRI' and 'RRI'

Govt called on to give new status to 'TVRI' and 'RRI'

JAKARTA (JP): A group of media owners, journalists and senior
editors suggested yesterday that the state-run television network
TVRI and radio station RRI be given the new status of "public
broadcasting service" organizations like the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) or the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC).

The group, calling itself the Committee for Media Reform, said
the stations should continue to receive state funding but
function mainly to serve society instead of serving the
government.

They argued that state-owned stations would soon lose their
audience unless they were allowed to reform.

"The consequences are that they have to compete with private
broadcasting stations who are no longer obliged to relay their
news," the committee's spokesman, Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, said.

Private television stations are required to relay three
national and international news programs daily. The requirement
for private radio stations to relay news from RRI was recently
reduced from 14 times a day to three.

The media committee presented its views to House of
Representatives Commission I for information affairs in a hearing
yesterday.

Among the committee members present were the owner of the Jawa
Pos media group Dahlan Iskan, chief editor of The Jakarta Post
Susanto Pudjomartono and chief editor of Matra magazine Fikri
Jufri.

The hearing was presided over by Commission I Deputy Chairman
Aminullah Ibrahim of the House's Armed Forces faction.

The media committee urged legislators to loosen regulatory
requirements, such as the need to have a publication license.

They argued that every citizen should have the right to
establish their own media companies, and it should be only market
forces which determine which survive.

They also called on the Press Council, currently under the
Ministry of Information, to be replaced by an independent press
council to which the public could address their concerns on media
issues.

They further suggested that each medium appoint an ombudsman,
someone of seniority who is acquainted with but independent from
that medium, to oversee, assess and receive public complaints on
its work.

TV

Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus has already indicated
that he will be more open with the media and shown a willingness
to revoke stifling media laws passed in the Soeharto era.

On Wednesday he said that the 1997 Broadcasting Law which
allowed only five private television stations to exist would soon
be revised.

Yunus also believed it was the people's own judgment which
would determine a media company's survival.

"So, we'll let them decide. Don't just forbid them," he said.

Antara reported yesterday that the government had accepted an
offer from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assist progress toward a free
and open press.

The news agency quoted UNESCO director Stephen Hill as saying
that the assistance was accepted after he met with Yunus on
Wednesday.

"Encouraging press freedom at this time is a very important
component of the reform agenda in promoting both the learning and
voice of the people. UNESCO is delighted to be able to assist the
government of Indonesia in this important enterprise," he said.

Hill observed that the minister had already put significant
policies into practice aimed at removing impediments to media
approvals and moving toward a more transparent and open legal
base for Indonesian media expression. (aan)