MASTEL Uploads Broadcasting Bill Still Needs Improvement, Kominfo Promises To Study Deeper

Focus Group Discussion (FGD) MASTEL (photo: Dinda Buana/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Telecommunications Society (MASTEL) said that the Draft Law on Broadcasting, which is currently still being discussed by the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), still needs improvement.

Last week, Mastel also held discussions on the Broadcasting Bill. Indeed, in small, internal Mastel forums. We southeast need a lot of improvement, detalization or not even detailed," said the Head of the Rekumtel Mastel Division. Johny Siswadi when opening the FGD entitled "The Future of Post-ASO Broadcasting & Digital Disruption" on Wednesday, July 3.

Especially, after the Analog Switch Off (ASO) and massive digital platforms such as YouTube, Over-the-top OTT (such as Netflix, Viu, and so on), which are considered to dominate audiences from commercial media.

"We are trying to understand more deeply how the characters of digital platforms that have dominated or dominated audiences in the digital information landscape," said Deputy Minister of Communication and Information, Nezar Patria.

According to Nezar, this digital disruption has had a significant impact on commercial media (TV and radio), which has led to a decline in television audiences and radio listeners.

"There are many (impacts), because with the emergence of digital platforms, there is a change in broadcasting patterns. For example, if it was terrestrial, this then used a digital platform to become an OTT, so, so radio became a digital platform, television also became a digital platform," said Nezar.

However, in addition to having a serious impact on the business model and medium sustainability, Nezar considers this to be a big opportunity in the future.

"So we discuss and estimate what regulators can do, in this case the state, to make equal playing fear for all media business industries," he concluded.

Currently, Nezar admits that he has not received the revised file for the Broadcasting Bill from the DPR RI. However, he made sure to study more deeply and discuss with relevant stakeholders, when the draft was received by Kominfo.

The revision of the Broadcasting Law is being discussed by the DPR, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics has not received the draft. Later when it is received, we will try to study it and will discuss it more deeply, in more detail with stakeholders, both with civil society and industry players," said Nezar.