14. 01. 2003

Parliament “Hindering Implementation Of Broadcast Act”

BELGRADE, January 14, 2003 -- Serbia’s largest media associations have protested to the speaker of the Serbian Parliament over the delay in implementation of the Broadcast Act. The groups have also demanded that the Broadcast Agency Council envisaged by the Act be established immediately. “It is incomprehensible that the Parliament or its appropriate committee has been unable to nominate people to the Council, and thus delayed the election and establishment of the Council and the Broadcast Agency,” said the groups in a letter. Describing the situation in the broadcasting sphere as “alarming”, the associations said they could not understand why the Parliament had ignored the deadlines for implementation of the Broadcast Act. They claimed that the delay suited those companies which would like to amass further wealth from extremely long commercial breaks, pirated programs and unfair behaviour in the media market. The associations claim that might is right in the broadcasting sector and the stronger networks are under no obligation to conform to programming standards. The signatories to the letter include the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, the Association of Independent Electronic Media and the Spektar Association.