The Last Fortress in the Air, Ubaidillah and the Mission to Make Ethics the Foundation of Broadcasting

Ubaidillah received the award as a Public Ethics Broadcasting Guard in the 2026 KWP Award. (IST)

JAKARTA - Behind the glitz of the glass screen and the noise of the radio that accompanies our daily lives, there is a thin line that must be carefully guarded: ethics. In the Pustakaloka building, Nusantara IV, the Senayan Parliament Complex, Thursday afternoon (16/4), the noise was momentarily replaced by an appreciation for the figure who dedicated his life to maintaining this line.

Ubaidillah, or better known as Gus Ubaid, has just stepped down from the stage of the 2026 KWP (Kordinatoriat Wartawan Parlemen) Award. In his hands, he holds the award as a Public Ethics Broadcasting Guard. However, for the Chairman of the Central KPI, this trophy is not just a display in the office cabinet.

"This is not for me alone. This is a trigger for all of us - television, radio, to broadcasting people - to make ethics the main foundation," he said in a humble tone.

From Monitors to Broadcast Goalkeepers

Gus Ubaid's journey was not an instant leap. If we rewind the clock to 2012, he started everything from the front row as a monitoring team. He is a keen eye watching thousands of hours of footage, making sure no norms are overlooked.

His dedication took him from the Jakarta KPID to finally being entrusted to lead the Central KPI. However, even though he is now in the chair of leadership, his love for the world of literacy has never faded. Last year, he released a book titled Media, Penyiaran, dan Pesantren, a work that tries to bridge spiritual values with the dynamics of modern media.

Guarding the Indonesian Dream of Gold 2045

For Gus Ubaid, broadcasting is not just entertainment or information flow. This is a tool to shape the character of the nation towards Golden Indonesia 2045. In the midst of rapid changes in the times, he emphasized the importance of an adaptive attitude without losing one's identity.

Integrity: Maintaining the independence of the institution in guarding democracy. Adaptation: Encourage broadcasting personnel to remain relevant but ethical. Contribution: Use public frequencies as a means of educating the nation's life.

"We who are broadcasting will contribute as much as possible according to our capacity. This momentum is a foothold to continue to monitor the government and maintain a democratic climate in our air," he continued.

That afternoon, Gus Ubaid not only brought home an award. He brought home a moral mandate: that in the midst of a digital content siege, the ethics of public broadcasting are the last bastion that must remain standing. For a better Indonesia, one quality broadcast at a time.