Opposition mounts against new broadcasting bill

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Opposition continued to grow on Thursday against the new broadcasting bill, which many critics see as an attempt by the government to once again curb freedom of the press.

If passed into law, they said, the bill will reestablish "repressive" governmental control of radio and television.

"Under the current broadcasting bill, the government can justify its repression of the electronic media. It will be even more repressive than the days under Soeharto's New Order regime," Leo Batubara, one of the staunch critics, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the bill contained at least 21 articles which were repressive toward the electronic media. The bill has a total of 63 articles.

Such repressive measures include the empowerment of the State Ministry of Communications and Information to control the media by imposing sanctions for breaches of regulations, he said.

He added that the previous law, enacted by the authoritarian Soeharto regime, contained only 11 articles deemed repressive.

Leo, a senior member of the Indonesian Broadcasting and Press Society (MPPI), said the new bill also required the electronic media to obtain approval from the ministry over the substance of their programs.

"For the government to administer applications for frequency licenses, it's fine. But it has no right to control the substance of radio and television programs," he added.

With provisions limiting advertisements and banning media cross-ownership, the bill will also dwarf the country's broadcasting industry, he said.

In addition, the bill allows overseas investment in the electronic media but at the same time prohibits foreigners from serving as top executives.

"It doesn't make sense. Foreign investors will not come in," Leo said.

The bill, currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives and the government, has been proposed by the 500- member legislature.

The new bill includes the proposed establishment of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), but curtails its authority by not giving the commission the authority to issue licenses and control frequency distributions.

"Based on the bill, KPI will serve merely as a body like the current National Press Council," Leo said.

The independent commission, proposed by MPPI, would have the authority to set a code of conduct for electronic media, issue licenses, impose sanctions, and regulate frequency distribution.

Senior journalist Rosihan Anwar concurred, saying the bill "severely restricted" the freedom of the broadcast media.

"The bill contains a political motive on the part of the government to control the media," Rosihan told the Post. "The government is trying to recoup losses caused by press freedom during the reform era," he added.

Santoso, director of Jakarta's 68 H radio station, asked the House to adopt the concept proposed by MPPI in the establishment of the independent commission, which he said should serve as a regulatory body.

Otherwise, the bill will provide justification for the government to be repressive again toward the media, he said.

Santoso said KPI should be akin to those broadcasting commissions long-established in the United States and Britain.

Another media observer Alwi Dahlan, who is a former information minister, said the proposed establishment of KPI would be similar to the independent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that overseas all media activities in the United States.

Alwi said that the KPI should include members from credible organizations appointed by the House, adding that owners of electronic media industries must not be represented in the commission.

But, KPI should not be given the authority to "intervene" in news programs produced by TV and radio, he said.