Menkomdigi Meutya Asks Foreign OTT To Support National Broadcasting

Menkomdigi Meutya Hafid (photo: dock. VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid stated that the dominance of foreign over-the-top (OTT) platforms in the Indonesian market should not erode the sustainability of the national broadcasting industry.

In a meeting with the President of the Asian Pacific MPA, Meutya asked OTT to be more active in supporting local production and financing the broadcasting ecosystem as part of Indonesia's digital sovereignty.

According to Meutya, the broadcasting industry still plays an important role in reaching people in all corners of Indonesia, especially areas that have not been reached by an internet connection.

However, the industry faces a tough challenge because of the high investment burden and operational costs, while the trend of society shifts to digital content through OTT.

"The basic principle is that there must be equal conditions between the broadcasting industry and the OTT platform," said Meutya am in her official statement on Friday, June 13.

He welcomed the commitment of a number of OTT platforms that have begun to involve local content in their services, but emphasized that taking sides with national broadcasting must also be part of future collaborative strategies.

The President and Managing Director of the MPA for Asia Pacific Mila Venugopalan responded positively and offered to share the best practices from various countries, including Australia, where local broadcasters actually encourage deregulation and efficiency instead of burdensome OTT.

"Including films and television shows produced in your country which are consumed by more than 200 million internet users in Indonesia, which is the fourth largest internet population in the world," he said.

The MPA expresses its commitment to investing in Indonesia's local talents and stories. They also expressed appreciation for the government's move to block piracy sites, as an effort to protect digital content that is growing rapidly in the internet era.