CASBAA Welcomes Moves to Regulate Indonesian Pay TV

HONG KONG: The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia is praising efforts by the Indonesian government to regulate the pay-TV sector, where a number of provincial cable platforms are operating without licenses.

The country’s new policy was announced by Bambang Subijantoro, the director of broadcasting in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Depkominfo), at a seminar earlier this week. It aims to address unregulated platforms that are redistributing channel signals without authorization. According to the ministry, the vast majority of the 2,700 pay-TV companies in Indonesia are operating without licenses. The new government campaign includes outreach efforts to these operators, with seminars and discussions planned in seven major provincial centres between now and the end of the year. The Depkominfo will them embark on working to get these operators licensed. Those who don’t come forward for licenses will face fines and possible prison time. 

CASBAA is part of a coalition participating in the campaign, alongside the Depkominfo, the Indonesian industry association APMI (Asosiasi Penyelenggara Multimedia Indonesia) and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI). “CASBAA will continue to be a strong supporter and active participant in this process,” said CASBAA’s CEO, Simon Twiston Davies. “We think this initiative by the Indonesian government and APMI represents the best way to set this industry on a sustainable growth path for the future. It should be a model for other governments in Southeast Asia, where several TV markets are enfeebled by continuing piracy.”