KPI Fit and Proper Test: Candidate Calls for Digital Democracy Quality Boost

The selection process for the new leadership of the Central Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has entered the fit and proper test stage before Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), with a key focus on strengthening the quality of Indonesia’s digital democracy. Commissioner candidate Ferdi Setiawan proposed a major transformation of the KPI’s role amidst rapid digital media development. He argued that the KPI should no longer merely act as a broadcasting regulator but must evolve into a driver of collaboration across the entire media ecosystem. The ongoing revision of the Broadcasting Law, he noted, must serve as a strong foundation to address the challenges of global media convergence. ‘The revision of the Broadcasting Law should not only expand the definition of broadcasting, but also build a democratic digital media governance system,’ he stated before Commission I. Highlighting the economic pressures on conventional broadcasters due to advertising shifts to digital platforms, he warned against regulatory asymmetry where two media types with similar social impacts are governed by different standards. ‘Regulatory asymmetry must no longer exist. Two types of media that have the same social impact should not have different rules,’ he asserted. To address this, he introduced the ‘KPI Smart’ concept, built on five pillars: Smart Regulation, Smart Monitoring, Smart Society, Smart Industry, and Smart Institution, aiming to safeguard the quality of digital democracy. The fit and proper test, scheduled over three days, is evaluating 26 candidates on their vision and strategy to lead the KPI in the era of global digitalisation.