TV, radio stations renew attacks on broadcasting bill
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Media organizations and radio and television operators took further steps to consolidate their objections to the broadcasting bill on Tuesday, demanding substantial changes to it before it is passed into law.
Speaking at a seminar on the much-criticized bill here, they urged the House of Representatives to address contentious issues in the bill.
The critics said they particularly objected to the government's control of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), which they said may emulate the role of the Press Council (under Soeharto) in curbing press freedom.
R. H. Siregar, deputy chairman of the current Press Council, said there are at least 10 provisions in the broadcasting bill that clearly show the government's intended intervention in KPI' affairs.
"If these articles are not scrapped or revised, the KPI will merely serve as an extended hand of the government like the Press Council (under Soeharto) because the commission will have no power to take any decision without the approval of the government," he said.
Siregar added that the key problem lay in Article 61, under which all decisions issued by the KPI must be "accommodated" in government decrees.
Ja'far Assegaff from Metro TV concurred, saying government intervention in the commission must be avoided if the House and the government want to the bill to be accepted.
"I agree with the establishment of the KPI if it resembles America's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which is independent. The KPI must be comprised of credible and non- partisan members," he said.
All other speakers at the seminar organized by the current Press Council shared a similar view.
Zainal Abidin Suryokusumo, another member of the Press Council, said information was a "public affair" and the government was not allowed to interfere, citing the amended 1945 Constitution as a reference.
Similarly, coordinator of the Indonesian Press and Broadcasting Society (MPPI) Leo Batubara demanded that provisions that permit government intervention and "repressive and fascist articles" in the bill be scrapped to maintain the press freedom that Indonesia has begun to enjoy since the fall of president Soeharto in 1998.
"The MPPI will not accept the broadcasting bill if these articles remain unchanged," added Leo, one of its staunchest critics.
Assegaff urged the Press Council to be more proactive in advocating crucial changes to the bill by submitting a "memorandum" to the House against the bill.
"If there are no substantial revisions we should call for the bill to be shelved for at least one year to allow time for its redrafting," he added.
Lukas Luwarso, executive director of the Press Council, said his agency would soon issue such a "memorandum", which contains inputs from Tuesday's seminar, in order to put more pressure on the House to comply with the public's demands.
In an addition to this, Riza Primadi of Trans TV called for a "political approach" by intensifying lobbying with legislators involved in the deliberations.
The House delayed approval of the broadcasting bill scheduled for Sept. 23 before a long recess of more than one month, and vowed to pass it into law in November. Despite the pressure, House members have hinted at refusing to make crucial changes to the bill.
M. Ridlo Eisy, a senior MPPI member, said that apart from the government intervention, the KPI's authority should also be limited to preserve press freedom.
He was referring to Article 8 of the bill that states that the KPI determines the quality, classification and content of radio and television programs.