24. 08. 2004

MEDIA PRIVATISATION RULES ADOPTED

The Association of Independent Electronic Media welcomes the long-overdue adoption of the Rules for the Conduct of Privatising Local and Regional Community Radio and/or Television Stations.

This and other professional organisations have repeatedly pointed out that the failure to pass these regulations was making it impossible for local public media to launch the process of privatisation which, under the Broadcast Act of 2002, they were obliged to conduct within four years.

ANEM also welcomes the decision of Culture and Information Minister Dragan Kojadinovic to take into account, in adopting these Rules, the recommendations of professional associations, particularly those which concerned removing the provision for part of a company’s capital to be temporarily exempted from privatisation and retained by the original proprietor.

ANEM is concerned, however, that some provisions in the Rules could prove problematic in their implementation. In particular, the Association notes that the ministry is exceeding its authority in stipulating certain programming conditions. Under the law, this issue lies solely within the jurisdiction of the Broadcast Council and not the ministry. The ministry is also putting too narrow a restriction on the field of potential buyers by prescribing conditions for them which are, under the law, to be met by the company being privatised rather than the buyer, or the future proprietor. In this way the Rules exclude the possibility of the employees of a company being privatised directly taking part as buyers in the privatisation process.

Slobodan Stojsic
Chairman of ANEM Managing Board