VP rejects KPI license powers

VP rejects KPI license powers

JAKARTA: Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday that the
Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) should focus on
monitoring the broadcast media instead of seeking power to handle
broadcasting licenses.

Addressing a national meeting of the commission, Kalla said
that the question of broadcasting licenses came within the
government's domain.

The debate over which institution should have the right to
issue broadcasting licenses began under the Megawati
Soekarnoputri administration, with both the government and KPI
insisting on maintaining their stances.

The government says it will keep its power over the
broadcasting sector as the Broadcasting Law does not specifically
authorize the KPI to issue licenses. However, the commission says
the opposite.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the Broadcasting Law
is constitutional but said that the power to issue technical
regulations on broadcasting should be given to KPI. --JP