TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) criticized the legalization of the Omnibus Law as it revises the Law on Broadcasting with new sets of rules that they argue go against the spirit of democratization in the industry.

AJI also suspected that the new regulation goes against Law No.32/2002 on broadcasting.

“The ban on national broadcasts was to push the democratization of broadcasts by giving room for local cultures and local economies to grow,” wrote AJI chairperson Abdul Manan in Wednesday’s statement, Oct. 7, to Tempo.

According to Manan, the omnibus law attempts to change a number of laws at once and that the Press Law (UU Pers) had been taken out of the discussion.

The omnibus also hands major authority to the government and how it sets up broadcasts due to Article 34 being erased from the new law, which initially oversees the role of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) in the process of obtaining broadcasting permits.

The new rule overseeing the maximum broadcasting permit of 10 years for televisions and 5 years for radio before expired permits are handed to other parties have also been redacted. Another essential rule is that the omnibus law fully let the government authorizes in granting digital migrations.

Read: Press Council, AJI Ask Press Articles in Job Creation Bill be Cut

YEREMIAS A. SANTOSO