25. 03. 2013

RBA: FEES FOR BROADCASTERS TO BE REDUCED

Belgrade, March 25, 2013 (Blic) - The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RBA) has requested from the Serbian Government that the broadcasters' fees be reduced by 20 percent, the RBA Deputy Chairman Goran Karadzic said.

During the break at the round table on digitalization process in Serbia, Karadzic told journalists that this proposal was addressed to the Serbian Government so that broadcasters' position could be alleviated, and that they could accumulate the sources to "endure the process of digitalization and generally, survive".

Karadzic reminded that national broadcasters would see their licenses expiring in 2014, and announced the possibility to extend the validity of the licenses to 10 years, under the new Law on Electronic Communications.

Culture and Media Minister Bratislav Petkovic announced that the Draft Law on Electronic Media would be publicly available in the next few days. According to him, the Draft Law contains provisions regulating the future digital era and clearly defining the roles of all media content providers, currently broadcasters, operators of the terrestrial digital network, Public Company ETV, regulatory bodies in the field of media and communications, as well as state authorities.