University lecturers dominate broadcasting body membership
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
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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