UNAIR NEWS – Recently, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has received a lot of criticism from various parties. The criticisms came after KPI warned broadcasters of Spongebob Squarepants cartoon show and several other TV programs.
Prof. Dra. Rachmah Ida M.Com., Ph.D. believed that contents prohibited from airing on TV are already stated in the regulation made by KPI, the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and Broadcast Program Standards (P3-SPS).
“It means that there are guidelines for any contents to be broadcasted by TV has, for example they must not contain any racial, discriminatory, pornographic contents.,” said the lecturer of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga (FISIP UNAIR).
The Communication Science lecturer also said that as the show was aired, it means Indonesian censorship body was no longer functioning optimally. All TV entertainment shows, such as soap operas and films, must have been screened before airing, foreign films had to be screened by Film Censorship Institution (LSF) first, then they could only be viewed if they have passed the screening.
“If Spongebob show is deemed violating the provisions contained in the P3-SPS broadcast content guidelines, then it must be reprimanded,” she stated.
Next, KPI needs to explain what elements are violated by the Spongebob cartoon to the producer. If KPI reprimands the producer, the reprimand letter must be sent to the U.S.
“But if KPI reprimands the Indonesian TV station, then it means that the censorship agency is no longer functioning because all foreign shows that enter Indonesia should have passed the censorship, ” she explained.
Prof. Ida hoped that in the future KPI can be a regulating body that truly enforces the regulations with equal treatments to all. KPI should not use double standards to monitor TV and radio broadcast contents in the country.
The guidelines must be upheld and KPI should not just sanction without giving solution. KPI should not only play the role of broadcast police, but also should act as an advocating agency for all broadcasting institutions.
“The active contribution of the KPI should be on behalf of the audience in Indonesia and it must strive to educate the nation through continuous media literacy movement,” she stated. (*)
Author: Sandi Prabowo
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
