03. 11. 2002

An Appeal to the International and Lokal Public

We would like to advise you that the final version of the draft Broadcast Act was submitted to the Serbian Government four months ago.

This model legislation was drafted, on the initiative of the Association of Independent Serbian Journalists, by an expert group brought together by the Media Centre and the Yugoslav Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights, with expert consultancy from the OSCE and the Council of Europe and broad public discussion among broadcasters and media experts.

The final version of the draft is generally assessed as being in line with European standards in the field.

We are unaware of any legal reasons for the Serbian Government's delay in considering this law and tabling it in Parliament.

There are in fact pressing reasons to do so, with technical and media chaos in Serbian broadcasting constantly worsening, with hundreds of new broadcasters since October 5, 2001, threatening total collapse of both the airwaves and the advertising market. The victims of this situation are the independent media who were repressed under the former regime by repression of the media space and a discriminatory advertising market.

We are against any stop-gap solutions which, lacking any legislative structure, bring new or different privileges. We seek fair competition under legal criteria and the revocation of privileges which have been acquired through political loyalties.

The current situation, which the Serbian Government has no justification or tolerating, suits those media which have developed and expended on the basis of the privileges they still enjoy.

Because of the continuation of the situation from the Milosevic era, the transformation of the state television network is unable to proceed, while the independent and private media who contributed to change are in urgent need of justice and regulations, and not reward for courage.

The responsibility for al the consequences in the broadcasting sector lies solely with the Serbian Government.

With respect,

    * NUNS(Association of Independent Serbian Journalists), Gordana Susa
    * ANEM (Association of Independent Electronic Media - 84 radio and TV member stations ), Veran Matic
    * SPEKTAR (Association of Private Broadcasters - 70 radio and TV member stations), Slavica Corbi