Broadcasting Law revision to regulate political news and commercial

Jakarta, InfoPublik - Broadcasting Law revision is expected to regulate private media in broadcasting political news and commercial.

There is an indication that many private broadcasting institutions who affiliate with some political parties broadcast excessive political contents. As a result, there is a huge gap between parties who have media support with those who don’t.

“Political parties who own TV channels will repeatedly broadcast their activities. It disadvantages parties that don’t have any TV channel,” said the House of Representative’s (DPR) deputy chief of legislation body Firman Soebagyo at his office in Jakarta, Tuesday (4/4).

Firman explained that the rapid growth of private media disadvantages parties who don’t have media support.

Responding to the issue, Communications and Information Technology Ministry’s director general for postal and information technology Ahmad M. Ramli agreed that political news and commercial will draw huge attention in the revision of broadcasting law. In the near future, his office will evaluate commitment on content diversification when renew the licenses of 10 Private Broadcasting Institutions (LPS).

“When we renew the licenses, we will ask each of them to sign a commitment which will be evaluated on June this year,” he said. (Translator: Erik Limantara)