KPI seeks ban on hidden camera
KPI seeks ban on hidden camera
P.C. Naommy and Evi Mariani, Jakarta
The newly created Indonesian Broadcast Commission (KPI) is
rethinking its draft broadcast regulations for the enforcement of
Law No. 32/2002 on television broadcasting content in the midst
of a public outcry over a recent reality show involving police
officers and a foreigner.
"We will add another point which forbids the use of such
hidden cameras that could defame someone's reputation or endanger
someone's safety even if permission has been obtained," said Ade
Armando, media expert and a member of KPI.
The use of hidden cameras in reality shows involving pranks
played on unsuspecting individuals was thrust to the fore when
RCTI aired a program produced by a local production house on May
26.
The practical joke involved five Kebon Jeruk police officers
who pretended to bring a number of people, including one
foreigner, in for questioning in a drug investigation.
The foreigner complained, resulting in the five policemen
being brought up on charges of misconduct. They will be tried by
the Police Professional Ethics Board on Tuesday.
Spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said that the five officers'
behavior had tarnished the image of the police force. According
to Ade, RCTI had asked for permission from the "victims" to allow
the footage to be aired.
"But still I told them that such a practice was supposedly
prohibited, even if there was permission granted from the
'victims'. They would have to provide a good argument for its
use," Ade added.
Another media expert and member of KPI, Victor Menayang, told
The Jakarta Post that the production house made a serious mistake
by involving government authority figures, in this case the
police. He said the use of police documents and other items was
prohibited by law.
"The use of these symbols for the sake of the show, its
ratings and commercial value can be considered a strong
violation," said Victor. He added that from the KPI's point of
view, RCTI as a broadcaster, had also made a mistake, even if the
reality show was made by an independent production house.
The spokesman for SCTV, Budi Darmawan, said that of 210 hours
of prime time (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) programming allocated by the 10
privately run television networks in the country per week, only
10 hours were devoted to reality shows, such as those involving
pranks, ghosts and other mystical phenomena.
"Other than that, private tv networks have many other
educational shows, such as Animal Planet and the National
Geographic programs," said Budi.
According to Budi, production houses producing reality shows
usually asked permission from people filmed before selling the
shows to broadcasters. "If the 'victim' objected to the broadcast
plan, then the production house would find another one," he
added.