03. 11. 2008

GORAN KARADZIC (COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC BROADCASTING AGENCY) TALKS ABOUT THE MEDIA

Belgrade, November 3, 2008 (Vecernje Novosti) – None of the existing laws on the media blocks the development of broadcasting. Therefore, there is no reason for quick, sudden changes!

This is how Goran Karadzic, vice president of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency, interviewed by "Novosti", describes the current media scene, but he does not deny that the existing media laws should be changed.

Are you dissatisfied with the fact that the RBA does not have its own representative in the work group for modification of media laws?

- We have a lot of experience in this area, we know what parts of the laws are not functional and where the main problems in the enforcement of the laws lie. That's why I cannot understand the ministry's explanation that the work group would be too big if we were to participate in it. If one of the proposed changes is the system of collection of the licence fee, then I think that representatives of RTS and RTV should be included in the work group. The Republic Telecommunication Agency should also be involved, because it is impossible to enforce order in the area of broadcasting without this agency.

You have announced dismissals in the Managing Board of the RTS because of the low rate of collection of the licence fee, but it seems you gave up the idea.

- We have been trusted with taking care about this by appointing the Managing Board of the RTS. We definitely  do not want to jeopardize the survival of the RTS because of the decreasing rate of collection of licence fee. Luckily, I have been informed by Aleksandar Tijanic that the summer drop in collection of the fee is behind us and that the amount is increasing. Around five million dinars are collected every month.

Is it possible to increase the rate of payment?

- The law should be improved, because the current law does not stipulate penalties for non-payment. Also, perhaps the system of collection should be changed – maybe we should introduce collectors who would perform door-to-door collection, or tie the fee to some other utility instead of the electricity bill.

It seems that you are not at odds with the RTS anymore, especially compared to the period when Nenad Cekic was the head of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency?

- A work group has been created in the RTS which deals only with collection of the fee and we have received their report. At that moment when this unfortunate advertisement (about the election of new members of the Managing Board of the RTS) was published by Mr Cekic, most of the members of the Council were not informed about that. But I think that all mechanisms should be used to increase the collection of the licence fee, and that the RTS and the Republic Broadcasting Agency should work together for this purpose. We should not waste time searching for culprits and blaming each others.

After the dismissals from the Council of the Broadcasting Agency, the Agency's attitude towards the broadcasters has changed, as well as towards the public...

- At the time, we have changed the president and vice president of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency, but its composition has remained the same. Therefore there were no drastic changes of direction. But the manner has clearly changed. Some relationships were renewed which had previously been destroyed because of public controversies.

Pirate stations

How many pirate RTV stations are actively broadcasting their programme and when will they be shut down?

- Many broadcasters have been shut down. But we will have to close another hundred of them, in accordance with the Law on Administration Procedure, because the Constitutional Court has decided that our rulebook was unconstitutional. In coordination with the Republic Telecommunication Agency, we have completed the procedure regarding 12 RTV stations which will be closed next, but I cannot name these stations lest they should prepare themselves. They are the subject of complaints by local broadcasters because they constitute unfair competition in the market.