Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The National Coalition for Broadcasting Reforms (KNRP) has criticized a broadcasting bill being deliberated by the House of Representatives, saying it has neoliberal and authoritarian characteristics that favor the interests of the government and businesspeople.
"This is a disappointing gift on the anniversary of Law No. 32/2002 on broadcasting, which 14 years old today. This law revision is a setback because it doesn't apply the principles of democracy," said Rahayu of the KNRP in Yogyakarta on Wednesday.
The bill being deliberated is a House initiative. "The draft is nothing more than a marriage between neoliberalism and authoritarianism, a marriage between market interests and the government," said Rahayu.
The communications lecturer at Gadjah Mada University's School of Political and Social Sciences said the bill did not regulate the ownership of electronic media, namely radio and television. The bill also did not stipulate requirements for private broadcasting institutions to have local partners.
"The portion of advertisements in every broadcasting program also increases to 40 percent from the current 20 percent," said Rahayu.
Authoritarian characteristics of the bill reportedly appear in articles that require public broadcasting institutions to serve the interests of the state. It is not clearly explained what it refers to as "the state", however. The bill also reportedly reduces the authority of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI).
Wisnu Martha Adisaputra of the School of Political and Social Sciences said there seemed to be an effort to recentralize broadcasting-related matters. "The bill does not accommodate the growth of local broadcasting." (ebf)