KPI rejects broadcasting rules
KPI rejects broadcasting rules
Muninggar Sr Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and a number of
broadcasting groups raised their opposition on Tuesday to the
draft of a government regulation on broadcasting, as it would
revive the government's power in the broadcasting sector.
Saying that the regulation was a set back to the country's
fledging democracy, they vowed to press the government to drop
several contentious articles that threaten the public's right
to information.
The draft is due to be signed before Dec. 28, which is the
deadline for the government to issue implementing regulations
for Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting.
KPI chairman Victor Menayang said their opposition was limited
to articles granting the government power to issue and revoke
broadcasting licenses, to impose sanctions as well as to issue
ministerial regulations on broadcasting, which are all against
the broadcasting law.
Victor was speaking during a public discussion on the draft,
which was attended by representatives of the Indonesian Press
and Broadcasting Society (MPPI), the Indonesian Television
Stations Association (ATVSI) and the Telematics Society (Mastel).
"We do not oppose all contents of the regulation, but
several articles that clearly reflect the government's intention
to revive Deppen," he said, referring to the now-defunct
information ministry.
The ministry was notorious in terms of press freedom as it had
the authority to issue and revoke the licenses of publication and
broadcasting companies.
During the New Order era, the ministry often revoked the
licenses of both print and electronic media that ran stories
deemed critical of the government's policies.
Bimo Nugroho, a KPI member, said that the KPI and broadcasting
groups feared that the Office of the State Minister of
Communications and Information would hold excessive power
enabling it to "rule" the broadcasting sector.
The power to allocate radio and television frequencies and to
issue broadcasting licenses, which is currently in the hands of
the Ministry of Transportation, would all be transferred to the
communication and information minister's office, he said.
"The government has never had a good record in terms of giving
licenses. The process has never been transparent. By giving full
power to the office, public interests would be overlooked as the
government can never be free of political interests," Bimo said.
He said that one of the consequences, if the government
insisted on approving the draft, was that state-owned television
station TVRI and radio station RRI would never be more
independent.
Amir Effendy Siregar of the MPPI said that the MPPI and Mastel
had earlier submitted a formal letter of opposition to the draft,
both to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the minister's
office.
The debate over who has the authority to issue broadcasting
licenses began during the presidency of Megawati Soekarnoputri,
with both the government and the KPI stubbornly maintaining their
stances.
The government insisted that it continue to hold the power to
rule the broadcasting sector as the broadcasting law does not
specifically grant the KPI the power to do so.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that the broadcasting law
is in line with the Constitution, but said that the power to
issue technical regulations on broadcasting should be given to
the KPI.
The KPI is expected to ask the Supreme Court for a judicial
review should the government maintain its previous stance and
press the House of Representatives to amend the broadcasting law.