University lecturers dominate broadcasting body membership
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives subcommission for communications and information unveiled on Friday the nine members of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), paving the way for the setting up of the long-awaited commission.
Subcommission chairman Effendy Choirie said the nine, who were selected through a vote, were independent individuals, who could ensure the people's demands for an independent broadcasting commission come true.
"More than 60 percent of the nine members are the same persons nominated by an independent monitoring team," said Effendy of the National Awakening Party.
Six or two-thirds of the nine KPI members were university lecturers. The remaining three were a freelance journalist, media watchdog activist, and branch head of state-owned TVRI respectively
The names of the nine KPI members would be submitted to President Megawati Soekarnoputri for approval.
None of candidates reportedly nominated by private television stations and political parties were chosen as KPI members.
According to Effendy, those candidates got low scores due to their links to private television stations, which had earlier opposed law No.32/2002 on broadcasting and the establishment of the KPI.
The law, which President Megawati has refused to sign up until now, limits the expansion and ownership of private television stations. The law also urges national television stations to cooperate with local stations in broadcasting and ownership.
Virtually all private television stations, owned by a few individuals linked to former authoritarian president Soeharto, opposed the law, arguing that the law intervened editorial policy of the stations and so threatened press freedom.
A member of an independent monitoring team, Hinca I.P. Pandjaitan, welcomed the selection of the nine candidates, saying that most were independent and had broad knowledge on broadcasting.
"Six of the nine members are also our candidates who get high scores. They are the best," Hinca of the Indonesia Media Law and Policy Center (IMLPC) told reporters after the House' subcommission plenary session.
However, he questioned the selection of Dedi Iskandar Muda, the head of state-run television station TVRI Banjarmasin office, saying that Dedi had not performed well during the five-day screening process conducted by the House, which ended Thursday.
Before the plenary session, IMLPC, which consists of activists such as Hinca, film director Garin Nugroho, Jimmy Silalahi from the Indonesian Local Television Association (ATVLI) and Agus Pambagio from Visi Anak Bangsa foundation, submitted their nine nominees, six of whom were chosen.
Garin hoped that KPI could become a fair referee during the next year's general elections as many political parties would use television stations for their campaign.
"KPI would play a vital role in next year's elections. So many interests, such as politics and business, play a role in television stations next year," he said.
The nine candidates would be approved in the House plenary session on Dec. 19 before their names were submitted to President Megawati. The President, according to the law, should inaugurate KPI at the latest on Dec. 28, this year.
The nine candidates for KPI -------------------------------------------------------------
Name Background -------------------------------------------------------------1. 1. Victor Menayang Lecturer at UI 2. Sasa Djuarsa Sendjaja Lecturer at UI 3. Andrik Purwasito Lecturer at UNS, Surakarta 4. Ilya R Sunarwinadi Lecturer at UI 5. Ade Armando Lecturer at UI 6. Amelia Hezkasari Freelance writer 7. Sinansari Ecip Lecturer at UNHAS. Makassar 8 Bimo Nugroho ISAI/NGO 9. Dedi Iskandar Muda state-run TVRI television station