28. 09. 2011

Media Strategy adopted

Belgrade, September 28, 2011. (Beta, Tanjug, B92) - The Government of Serbia adopted the disputable Media Strategy at the telephone session, it was announced by the Government Office for Media Relations.

The working group found on the basis of the Prime Minister's decision completed the Proposal of the Media Strategy on September 8.

Journalists' organizations NUNS, UNS and NDNV and media associations ANEM, Local Press and Association of Media announced that they are satisfied with some of the solutions, they found some solutions problematic while the part of the Proposal that related to regional public service broadcasting is considered completely unacceptable and unsustainable.

The state secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Dragana Milicevic-Milutinovic said that by realization of the Media Strategy, European standards will be met and public interest protected.

According to her, the most important elements of the Media Strategy are withdrawal of the state from media ownership, establishment of six regional public TV service broadcasters and the fact that national minority councils keep their right to found media in national minorities' languages.

National councils will be obliged to guarantee the greatest possible autonomy to the media outlets that they found.

The final text of the Media Strategy was prepared by the Dept for Media of the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society in cooperation with the government commission composed by the representatives of several ministries and an independent expert of the European Commission.  

Dragan Milicevic Milutinovic emphasized that EU assistance in the process of the Strategy's development was valuable.

"We should adopt several laws in a very short period: on public information, on broadcasting, on Tanjug, on public service broadcasting..Deadline for adoption of these laws is two years. The same deadline is set for withdrawal of the state from media ownership, said Dragana Milicevic Milutinovic.