06. 03. 2013

FULL TRANSFORMATION BY END 2014

Novi Sad, March 6, 2013 (Pregled) - The position and financing of local and regional media were the main topic of the first public discussion on the Draft Law on Public Information held in Novi Sad yesterday.

The State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Media Gordana Predic said that the Draft Law was in line with the strategic commitment of the state to withdraw from ownership structure in the media and to protect public interest in public information through project financing.

Rade Veljanovski, member of the working group of the Ministry of Culture that was working on preparing the Draft Law, said that according to the Media Strategy, the state had committed to withdraw from the media, however, it did not mean that it would take less responsibility for their work. Veljanovski also said that the Draft Law provided for the current status of the media founded by the republic, autonomous province and local self-government unit would end at the end of 2014, by when their transformation of status and ownership should be completed.

Veljanovski also announced the adoption of a completely new law that would regulate individual segments of media field, such as public service broadcasting.

State Secretary Predic reminded that the state had an obligation to regulate its media scene in line with the highest standards and international obligations it had committed to, as well as to create regulatory and economic framework for unhindered work and development of free and independent media. She added that one of the fundamental factors in the process of Serbia's accession to EU was the media freedom.