Ad ban might see firms up in SMOKE !!!

(News Terupdate) - Event organizers are predicting a grey future following a government plan to pass a new regulation banning cigarette companies from sponsoring their events and broadcasting their advertisements.

“Certainly event organizers are strongly supported by cigarette companies,” said Rudi Iriawan, the owner of MCM Production, when asked whether the new regulation would turn the world of event organizers upside down.

The 2009 Health Law, which is the basis for the new government regulation, stipulates that tobacco is categorized as an addictive substance and should therefore be subject to distribution controls.

Under the new law, cigarette companies will be prohibited from sponsoring events, especially if the sponsorship includes displaying brand names or logos in promotional material, Muhammad Joni from the Lawyers Committee on Tobacco Control said Wednesday.

Currently, the 2003 government regulation, to be replaced by the 2009 law, allows the broadcasting of cigarette advertisements during certain hours as long as they do not feature cigarettes or actual smoking.

Similarly, billboards are still permitted providing they abide by the same regulation.

Cigarette companies frequently sponsor musical and sporting events, such as streetball championships and indie music concerts.

He said that event organizers could find other alternatives for sponsorship.

However, he doubted that those alternatives would be as lucrative as the sponsorship from cigarette companies.

“We could shift to telecommunication companies, but I don’t think that any replacement will be as strong as cigarette companies,” Rudi said.

Hasani Abdulgani from Mahaka Entertainment said the entertainment industry would definitely miss the sponsorship provided by cigarette companies.

“The industry must survive and abide by the rules, but it will be a shock to adjust to the new law at first,” he said.

Hasani added the government should provide a new source of funding, which he said could be provided by the government.

“The government wishes to improve the country’s image, and if they are aware of it, the entertainment industry should be used for that purpose,” he said.

However, Rudi said that event organizers might find ways to play along with the rules, but still keep their sponsors.

For example, as they cannot hold events in campuses using cigarette sponsors, he said, they could move to outdoor venues and if they were banned from displaying logos, they could display the signature colors of a particular product instead.

Deden, another event organizer, said that he doubted the regulation would be as rigid as it seemed.

“The advertising world always comes up with new ideas. The government can make up its
rules, but there are always those who find a way to break them,” he said.

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