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Charging for communal viewings against public rights: YLKI
Attempts to impose fees on non-commercial viewings of the World Cup are against the public’s right to know and obtain information, a consumer foundation says
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ttempts to impose fees on non-commercial viewings of the World Cup are against the public’s right to know and obtain information, a consumer foundation says.
Chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Sudaryatmo, said the local license holder of the 2010 World Cup, PT Electronic City Entertainment (PT ECE), did not have the right to charge fees for communal viewing events that had no commercial interests.
“As long as it [the event] is not commercial, people have the right to watch the event for free,” Sudaryatmo told The Jakarta Post recently, citing a constitutional law that protects the rights of the public to know and obtain information.
Sudaryatmo was referring to a policy made by PT ECE that requires license fees be paid for all public viewings of the World Cup in Indonesia, including non-commercial viewings in kampungs.
Events with less than 100 viewers are required to pay PT ECE Rp 6 million (US$648) while events with between 101 and 300 viewers are required to pay Rp 14 million. Under the guideline, events with more than 300 spectators must pay Rp 20 million.
PT ECE says unlicensed screenings will be subject to a minimum penalty of Rp 10 billion.
The YLKI is aware of the business agreement between the PT ECE and FIFA as the global license holder, however, it says the contract is not supposed to violate the rights of people that are guaranteed under the Constitution.
Sudaryatmo also said that copyright law excluded the royalty fees for education and non-commercial interests.
“You cannot just let business agreements undermine the rights of people,” he said.
The public viewings for the World Cup in the capital are expected to occur not only in commercial spots such as cafés and bars, but also public spaces such as parks and fields, which are usually organized by local communities.
Therefore, the strict policy set by PT ECE has raised public concern, especially from those who plan to share the excitement of the World Cup with friends through communal screenings.
The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) acknowledged the violation of the public’s right to watch the World Cup under PT ECE’s policy.
However, the commission respected ECE’s contract with FIFA, said KPI’s head Dadang Rachmat.
He suggested the company make an exception for non-commercial viewings.
“The ECE must also perceive television not only from its industrial side, but also from its social function as a public medium,” Dadang said, referring to the habit of villagers to gather in a house that had a television set.
Sudaryatmo from the YLKI said PT ECE should have aired the World Cup on cable television and not free to air channels when it planned to charge for watching the event.
PT ECE has appointed two local TV stations, RCTI and Global TV, as licensed broadcasters for the World Cup in Indonesia.
It has also named Tunas Bola as the coordinator for public viewing in Indonesia.
Replying to a query from the Post, the world’s highest football institution FIFA said that it only required that “an exhibitor is responsible for obtaining, at its own cost and expense licenses, permissions and/or consents required for a public viewing event,” including from the broadcaster.
