TV stations want warning revoked

JAKARTA: The Association of Indonesian Private Television Stations (ATVSI) called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) on Monday to revoke a warning letter issued against several TV stations on March 23.

Seven television stations, including state-owned TVRI, were reprimanded last week for violating a joint agreement between the KPU and KPI on election ads. The seven TV stations were TPI, Indosiar, MetroTV, TV7, Lativi, ANteve and TVRI.

The joint agreement says that each TV station is allowed to broadcast at the most 10 slots of a 30-second duration each per party daily.

The KPU and the KPI accused the seven TV stations of violating the agreement.

ATVSI, however, argued that the joint decision was not stipulated in Law No. 12/2003 on the general election and thus it was not binding.

The association also urged both the KPU and the KPI to revoke the agreement and withdraw the warning. --JP