Vested interests mar broadcasting bill debate

Vested interests mar broadcasting bill debate

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Experts slammed the government's rejection of the establishment
of community-based broadcasting stations on Friday, arguing that
the move contradicts the Constitution.

"We already have a legal basis in the Constitution, but vested
political interests seem to have halted the process," Sasa
Djuwarsa, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia, said in a
discussion here on Friday.

Sasa was referring to the broadcasting bill currently being
deliberated by the House of Representatives.

Originally, the bill named three kinds of broadcasting
stations: State-run, privately run, and community-run
broadcasting stations. In the deliberation process, however, the
government rejected the inclusion of the community-based
broadcasting stations.

Zainal Suryokusumo of the Indonesian Broadcasting Society
(MPI) said that the rejection was not in line with the
Constitution.

Article 28, letter F of the 1945 Constitution stipulates that
anyone has the right to communicate and obtain information in
order to develop personality and the social environment, and has
the right to seek for, to have, to keep, to manage, and to convey
information by using all kinds of available devices.

Private-run and state-run stations would not meet the needs of
the people, Zainal said.

During the New Order era, state-run broadcasting stations were
full of government propaganda, while private-run stations simply
had a business orientation.

"Who will control the government if the state dominates
broadcasting? Furthermore, the privately run broadcasting
stations will not be capable of serving the public," Zainal
added.

The Office of the State Minister for Communications and
Information deputy for communications Widiadnyana said that the
reason the government rejected community-based stations was it
wished to avoid possible provocation.

"We fear provocation of ethnic and religion issues. These kind
of broadcasting stations will be vulnerable to misuse," Widi
said.

According to Widi, the government would welcome a community-
based broadcasting station if it was managed by a community of
students for education purposes.

Widi said the government and the legislators planned to
complete deliberation on the bill in June.

Other crucial issues in the bill to be discussed include
monopoly and cross-ownership, foreign investment, penalties,
network broadcasting providers, cable television, licenses, and
the establishment of the Indonesian broadcasting commission.