KPI Highlights Cigarette Ads On Television

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) Agung Suprio said cigarette advertising was a violation of the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and Broadcast Program Standards (P3SPS) by broadcast media.

"The tendency of P3SPS violations committed by broadcast media is the classification of broadcast programs, protection of children and adolescents, and restrictions on cigarette advertisement broadcasts," said Agung in a discussion held by the National Civil Society Coalition for Tobacco Control online, quoted by Antara, Friday, March 5.

Agung said that throughout 2020, KPI had imposed 90 sanctions on broadcast media, six of which were violations of cigarette advertisement broadcast limits.

According to Agung, cigarette advertisements in broadcast media are limited to only 21.30 to 05.00 local time. Broadcast programs containing all forms and promotional strategies made by cigarette manufacturers must be categorized as cigarette advertisements.

"The violations that occurred, for example on May 6, 2020 at 17.33-17.34, contained a cigarette producer promotion strategy in the form of a voice over 'presented by' followed by a bumper-in 'happy fasting'," he also said.

Agung said there were several challenges in totally banning cigarette advertising in the media. Broadcast media currently has restrictions, which KPI monitors for 24 hours. However, cigarette advertisements also exist in internet-based media which are under the authority of the Ministry of Communication and Information.

The prohibition of cigarette advertisements in digital and internet-based broadcasting media is possible if the revision of Law Number 32 of 2002 concerning Broadcasting is carried out.

"If the Broadcasting Law is revised, of course it will also be followed by a revision of the KPI P3SPS," he said.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of Commission I of the DPR Meutya Hafid said that the draft of the Revised Law on Broadcasting submitted by Commission I to the DPR Legislation Body in the 2019-2024 period regulates the prohibition of cigarette advertisements in broadcast media and strengthening KPIs to supervise digital and internet-based broadcasting.

"However, there were dynamics during the harmonization process in the Legislative Body which ultimately resulted in the revision of the Broadcasting Law not being decided until the 2014-2019 DPR period ended," he said.