14. 03. 2013

DRAMATIC DISCUSSION IN NIS

Nis, March 14, 2013 (FoNet) - Local politicians in Nis, together with the representatives of city media, have strongly opposed today, during the third public discussion on the Draft law on Public Information, the end of direct financing of media from the state and local self-government units as of January 1, 2014.

"You do not have the right to prevent the formation of public services. If Belgrade and Novi Sad had it, then other cities should have them too", said the president of the Nis Municipality Crveni Krst Darko Bulatovic.

According to him, the state and local self-governments must have an influence on media reporting.

Bulatovic said that in the last nine months, since his appointment to the position of the municipality president, he had never been enabled to appear in the programs of private TV stations in Nis.

Nis Mayor Zoran Perisic supported the position that the city of Nis should have its own regional public service broadcaster and added that 46.5 million dinars had been allocated for the city's Niska TV from the budget.

Director of the private Radio City from Nis Dragan Kocic said that the presence of a great number of politicians at this debate was only demonstrating their fear that, if the law were to be adopted in its present text, their influence on media would be weakened.