Radio and television broadcasting is without doubt one of the most complicated and heavily regulated sectors within Indonesia. This is primarily due to the fact that the broadcasting industry has traditionally had to utilize radio frequencies, which are considered to be a limited natural resource. Furthermore, the broadcasting industry is also required to strike a balance between the needs of business and the public interest, as it utilizes frequencies which are defined as constituting public space. General provisions on the broadcasting industry are regulated under Law No. 32 of 2002 on Broadcasting (“Broadcasting Law”). However, since this law is now somewhat out of date as regards current developments within the industry, the government and the House of Representatives (“House”) are now engaged in joint deliberations of the Draft Bill on Broadcasting (“Draft Bill”).
 
The Draft Bill brings offers a number of new mechanisms, including: (1) Migration from analogue to digital technology; (2) Special broadcasting institutions; (3) Stricter investment procedures; (4) New standards for broadcasting/SPS; and (5) Enhancement of the authority of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia – “KPI”). All of these provisions will be analyzed in this week’s ILD under the following sections: