TV executives criticize broadcasting bill

TV executives criticize broadcasting bill

JAKARTA (JP): Private television station executives said
yesterday that the broadcasting bill currently being deliberated
fails to anticipate long-term developments in the electronic
media as the bill originally set out to do.

When sharing their ideas with the ruling Golkar faction at the
House of Representatives, the TV executives said the bill's
drafters need to think of the long term possibilities of
television.

"We welcome the future law but have to say that the bill does
not anticipate future TV technologies," said Alex Kumara, the
deputy director of RCTI.

Contributing their ideas to the bill that will soon be
finalized by the House were representatives from the five private
TV stations: RCTI, SCTV, ANteve, Indosiar and TPI.

TPI production director Tito Sulistio said that the bill
contains too many restrictions and that it could impede private
television from growing into an industry.

For instance, he said, the bill appoints the state-run station
TVRI to coordinate programs of cooperation between local
television stations and foreign broadcasting institutions.

"TVRI won't be able to do this job after its status changes
into a corporate," he said.

Tito also questioned an article in the bill which states that
every private TV station has to sell its shares on the capital
market, with government consent, when it needs fresh money.

"Why does the government make it mandatory for private station
owners to go public?" he said.

Tito also questioned the bill's article 12 that bans private
television stations from seeking foreign aid. He said the article
is still not clear.

"If we borrow money from Citibank in Jakarta, can it be said
that we are getting foreign aid?" he said.

Anky Handoko from Indosiar said several of the articles in the
bill are vague. For example, the punitive actions that can be
implemented for violations of the broadcasting law are not
specified. Nor is the article on advertising clear, he said.

"It is like we are playing soccer but we do not know exactly
when the referee can give us the yellow or red cards.

"The electronic media involves a lot of money. We must know
exactly what we can or cannot do," he said.

Anky also questioned an article which permits state-owned TVRI
to air commercials.

"If the government plans to turn TVRI into a commercial media,
it would be fine to air ads. But if it is still supposed to carry
out the government's mission, the ruling is unnecessary," he
said.

At present TVRI is not allowed to air commercials. In return,
it gets 12.5 percent of all ad revenues from the private TV
stations.

Meanwhile, the United Development Party sought ideas from
executives of the Association of Indonesian Private Commercial
Radio Stations on the bill.

The association proposed that the central state-run radio
station, RRI, no longer monopolize the right to broadcast news.

Currently, the government makes it mandatory for private radio
stations to relay RRI's news broadcasts.

"But many radio stations find ways to package the news which
turns out to be better (than news relayed from RRI)," said the
association's chairman, Purnomo.(01/pan)