06. 05. 2005

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AGAINST PROPOSED ALLOCATION

BELGRADE, May 6, 2005 – Proposed Plan for frequency allocation was created without the knowledge of the broadcasters and public, said the Association of Serbian professional broadcasters (APRES), Association of radio and television journalists RTV Press and Association of private broadcast development Spektar, in their joint statement. The three media organizations were stunned by the information from two days ago that the Ministry for capital investments and Broadcast Council forwarded to the public debate the Draft Plan for radio and television frequency allocation. “This is a potentially harmful document. It was created in haste, against numerous regulations of the Act. Telecommunications sector in the Capital Investment Ministry failed to respect the envisaged deadline for submitting the frequency allocation plans, which was in May. The plans must be submitted to the process of international coordination by October”, said in the statement of the three professional associations. Before the statement of the Capital Minister Velimir Ilic, APRES, RTV Press and Spektar have appealed to the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Resource Ministry to immediately engage in resolving the issue of frequency allocation plan.