The Television Industry in Post-authoritarian Indonesia

Bibliographic Data

ID3985662
AuthorsAgus Sudibyo (Jakarta Theological Seminary), Nezar Patria (0009-0000-7458-916X, National Brain Centre, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume43
Issue2
Pages257-275
Publication date2013-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Contemporary Asia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-2336 • E-ISSN: 1752-7554
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00472336.2012.757434
OpenAlexW2000570984
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited3

This article examines the rise of capital in the Indonesian television industry. Following Richard Robison's seminal book, Indonesia: The Rise of Capital, it suggests that a range of powerful economic and political interests have determined the dynamics of the evolution of this industry in Indonesia. During the heyday of the New Order, a commercial television industry was created in ways that suited the expansion of the business interests of oligarchic families. In the post-Soeharto era, a major interest of capital in this industry has been to overcome regulatory mechanisms that were put in place before the euphoria of reform and democratisation had abated. Moreover, there are strong connections between capital in the television industry and political groupings contesting power within Indonesia's democracy. While capital accumulation in this industry may not be as massive as in some others, the unique characteristics of television as a medium ensure that exerting control over it remains vital. Key Words: Indonesiatelevision industrymediacapital accumulationspatialisation Notes The Soeharto family was often referred to as the Cendana family because they resided on Jalan Cendana, a road in the posh Menteng suburb of Jakarta. Research by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) between January and March 1997 found that ANTV gave 5.58 minutes to Golkar reportage, without giving a single minute to other parties (PPP and PDI). RCTI gave 9.29 minutes for Golkar and only allocated three minutes for two other parties. TVRI provided one hour for Golkar and five minutes for two other parties (Alliance of Independent Journalists, Monitoring Television for the General Elections, May 1997 (cited in Sen and Hill, Citation2001, 147–148). In the 1999 elections, ISAI monitored electronic media coverage on the political campaigning process. The monitoring was carried out during the official campaigning period of 19 May-4 June 1999, as well as the recess period composed of several days prior to the elections. The monitoring aimed at all private television stations: RCTI, SCTV, Indosiar, TPI, ANTV, as well as TVRI and RRI. Article 18 of Law on Broadcasting No. 32/2002 (Government of Indonesia Citation2002) stated that "Centralisation of ownership and control over Private Broadcasting Agency by one individual or legal entity, either in one or more broadcasting areas is restricted." Article 34 section 4 says that "Broadcasting licenses are prohibited from being transferred to other parties." Articles 1, 2 and 3 of Journalistic Code of Ethics by the Press Council (Dewan Pers Citation2008) state that "Indonesian journalists must act independently, producing accurate, impartial news without prejudice." It further mentions that journalists should behave professionally by verifying any information, not to confuse facts and opinions, and that they should work on the basis of the presumption of innocence. In addition, article 36 (4) of the Broadcasting Act 2002 states that "television broadcasting content must maintain its neutrality and should not advance the interests of particular groups

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