Parliament to debate
media ordinance today
~ Fines, prohibition of broadcasting possible ~
WILLEMSTAD--Fines of 10,000 and 25,000 guilders for each offence or even a broadcast ban are the sanctions government plans to impose on the media if they do not adhere to the provisions of a proposed new Federal Media Ordinance.
The new draft law will be debated in a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament today. The law proposes the installation of two media councils, one for the Leeward Islands and one for the Windward Islands to supervise all media in the Netherlands Antilles.
The councils will function as independent advisory entities that should advise government on information and media policy.
The councils should also promote responsible journalism and advertising. Together with the media sector the councils should draft an advertising code and a journalistic code of conduct.
Complaints about advertisements and journalistic behaviour can be submitted to the media councils. If a complaint is considered valid the media council will make this known to the media house concerned and the media house should stop the offending behaviour.
Those that violate a warning issued can receive a maximum fine of 10,000 guilders. The same goes for the advertiser and the institution that broadcasts an advertisement against which a valid complaint has been filed.
A fine of 10,000 guilders also can be issued for broadcasting programmes that are predominantly politically one-sided or predominantly religious. The same goes for media houses that broadcast films or parts of films at hours when this is not allowed.
A media house which broadcasts a programme, for which it does not have a permit to broadcast, can be issued with a higher fine of 25,000 guilders. The same fine is applicable for broadcasting programmes that go against national safety, public order, or legal authority, or that encourage social, cultural, political, ethnic, or sexual discrimination.
Broadcasting programmes that can harm the physical, mental or ethical development of adolescents and programmes that contain false alarm-signals or false alarming calls will also attract a 25,000-guilder fine.
The maximum penalty government can impose is to temporary ban broadcasting. This applies to entities that provide programmes that are against laws and regulations of the Netherlands Antilles or media houses that consistently violate the Federal Media Ordinance.
