No clear resolution in sight on taming sex and violence on TV

By Brillianto K. Jaya

JAKARTA (JP): The government, as well as and television viewers, are relieved to hear that the country's TV stations have agreed to minimize violence and sex in their broadcasts. The issue of sex and violence on television -- particularly on private television stations -- has become a public controversy, without any resolution in sight.

This matter has remained an issue because of the contradictions involved. Some say scenes depicting violence and sex on television may make viewers more accepting of aggression. One thing to remember is that sex and violence in films and on television is inseparable from censorship. All films must theoretically first go through the Film Censorship Institute (LSF) before being eligible for broadcast.

A 1994 government regulation on the Film Censorship Institute affirms that all material must undergo censorship before being aired.

"The regulation remains the same in this era of reform," said Soekarno, chairman of the censorship institute.

The institute comprises 35 members from various government institutions.

As set forth in the current Broadcasting Law, the institute is obliged to examine the plot, themes, scenes and dialog of a program to be aired.

Generally, if a program is considered likely to cause social unrest because of its political content or themes related to ethnicity, religion, racial origins and social groupings, then it will not pass the censorship board. The same is true of programs depicting violence, sex or pornography. This censorship standard applies to both commercial and non-commercial programs, including foreign films.

"But news does not need to be censored because we have to consider its factuality. Because news must be current and up-to- date, it would be difficult to censor," Soekarno said.

However, it must be noted that before a program is sent to the institute for censorship, the television station producers have already applied their own self-censorship criteria.

In view of the tight censorship procedures, one would expect not to see scenes depicting violence and pornography on TV films and other programs. However, such scenes still abound in TV films as well in some news programs. Besides, commercials and video clips still contain unfavorable references to ethnicity, religion and race.

"It is likely that such films have not been censored by us. If they had been censored, you would not see violence or pornography, because we implement strict criteria," Soekarno said.

Obviously, the censorship institute and the self-censoring division of television stations cannot prune films of all scenes of violence or sex, because in some cases these scenes are integral to the film as a whole. Often a films plot is mutilated by the removal of all references to sex and violence.

In many cases, violent and sexually explicit scenes will be the sole responsibility of the television station airing them. A television station will frequently air a film or program which has undergone internal censorship but has not been scene by the official censors because of time constraints.

"Production houses often give the material to the TV station at the last minute," Harianto, a public relations officer at SCTV, said. "In that case, the TV station does not have time to send it to the LSF for censorship."

So, one of the reasons why the problem related with scenes of violence and sex remains unsolved is that the LSF and the internal censorship division of a television station may at certain points differ in their censorship standards.

Will a scene depicting a person hitting another in self defense be taken out because it is violent? Will a scene showing a policeman shooting dead a ruthless crime boss also be considered too violent? Is a scene of a husband and wife kissing to be considered pornographic?

Clearly, there must be standard definitions of violence and pornography, which both the LSF and the television stations will stick to. These standards will stop the community disliking private television stations for airing films containing violent and pornographic scenes, when in fact these films have passed LSF censorship.

There are legislations to exact penalties on television stations airing scenes which should otherwise be prohibited. The television station may be subject to administrative sanctions. Its broadcasting activities may be curtailed or suspended, or, in an extreme case, it may have its broadcasting permit revoked. The broadcasting law has a maximum jail term of seven years or a maximum fine of Rp 700 million.

Until now, however, no parties have been brought before a court for offenses against the provisions stipulated in the Law on Broadcasting Affairs. Meanwhile, nearly all television stations, including state-owned TVRI, freely broadcast scenes of violence and sex. The reason is simple: Films with content like this earn high ratings, thus attracting advertisers and their money.

Haryanto admitted that TV stations also consider public interests when censoring their own material. "Honestly speaking, the public likes such things (violence and sex), which is reflected in the high ratings of these films."

The censorship issue remains controversial, and there are even demands for the disbanding of the censorship board. Film directors Nan T. Achnas and Mira Lesmana shared the view that the LSF should be disbanded.

Both Nan and Mira were upset by the censorship of their works: the TV film Penari (Dancer) and cinema release Kuldesak.

"They cut a scene, which I consider important," Mira said, referring to a kissing scene taken out of her film.

They proposed the establishment of an agency to classify, rather than censor, films, similar to the system in the United States. "Children below 17 years old, for example, will not be allowed to watch X or XX-rated films," Mira said.

Clearly, the problem of censoring violence and sex in films is not an easy one to solve. Film director Slamet Rahardjo wisely said: "When a nation is mature, it will be able to control what is decent and what is indecent. Which means that it will be able to properly apply self-censorship."

The writer works in a private television.