04. 04. 2013

KOLAREVIC: RTS WILL BE FINANCED FROM THE BUDGET

Belgrade, April 4, 2013 (Blic) - Assistant Culture and Media Minister Dragan Kolarevic said the new law on electronic media was not providing for financing of public service broadcasting institutions from radio-television subscription fee, but from the state budget.

"There will be more details in seven to ten days, when the draft law on electronic media is planned to be finished. At this moment, it is still early to come out with any information", Kolarevic said.

Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Paula Thiede said that the new legislation needed to provide for protection of editorial and operative independence of public service broadcasting, so the conditions for the respect of media freedoms would be met.

"It is equally important that the new legal framework ensures stable, adequate and independent financing of public service broadcasting, which will enable them to respect their obligations", said Thiede. She also notes that the OSCE Mission has proposed to the Serbian Government to review European standards as well as existing models of financing of public service broadcasting in other European countries.

"There is not an unique model of financing of public service, and Serbia is yet to decide which model would be fitting to the current situation in the country", Thiede said, adding that the Government of Serbia had indeed committed not only to withdraw from ownership in media in the Media Strategy, but also to finance media content that was in the best interest of the public.