Private TV should have ethics code

Private TV should have ethics code

JAKARTA (JP): Noted communications expert Alwi Dahlan reminded managers of private television stations on Saturday of the need for a code of ethics, despite the fact that the government has been slow in issuing TV broadcasting laws.

Dahlan said in Bogor that the managers owed it to their public to select broadcasting materials without detrimental elements such as excessive violence.

"This is a matter of ethics, a matter of social responsibility which is not contingent with the broadcasting laws," he was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying. "Even if the laws do not yet exist, the television managers cannot ignore their social responsibilities."

Alwi said that private station managers should establish an association to discuss and establish rules.

"The managers of private television stations should make an agreement among themselves to establish rules on the ethical roles of television, and to define their own responsibility," he said. "This option would be better than for them to have the government issue restrictive rulings on the issue."

Dahlan also called on public organizations, such as the Indonesian Consumer Organization, to launch a campaign against television programs containing destructive elements.

Dahlan also applauded a recent study by the Ministry of Information and the Foundation of Child and Maternal Welfare which found that private station programming had a bad influence on children.

"There have been too many people complaining about how TV has a negative influence on children, without the support of any studies," he said.

Dahlan said he believed the study was conducted in an objective, responsible manner since the ministry's research center is manned by people with television programming experience.

"Ishadi is there," he said, referring to the former director of state-owned television station TVRI. "He should be objective about the study because he didn't have anything to gain by attacking (private) television stations."

"Some people's credibility is at stake here, so for the meantime we can trust the results of the study," he said.

Those who might disagree with the study have the option to conduct other studies, he said.(swe)