05. 08. 2005

CONFUSION IN BROADCASTING

NOVI SAD, August 5, 2005 – The Association of Independent Electronic Media called on the Government of the Republic of Serbia to withdraw draft amendments to the Broadcast Act from parliamentary procedure. If this was not done, this organisation urges the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia not to adopt these amendments, said the chairman of the Association’s Managing Board Slobodan Stojsic. Vojvodina authorities also protested against one of the amendments to the Act that revoked power of veto of the council member from the province. They also voiced their concern over the delay in transformation of RTS into a public service and privatisation of local media. ANEM believes these new changes to the Act were unnecessary, since the legislation had never been implemented. The association also said that the amendments to the Act would further obstruct the transformation of media in Serbia. Moreover, impulsive actions concerning such sensitive issues such as media were not good, said the chairman of ANEM Managing Board Slobodan Stojsic. “There is no justified reason for this second raft of amendments to the Act. It only weakens the legislation and leads to dangerous consequences that have the potential to create a mechanism which would lead to further obstructions and delays in reform of the broadcast sector, which simply isn’t good”, said Stojsic. ANEM does not oppose the introduction of the subscription for the public service broadcaster, but the general position of the association is that RTS, not yet transformed, simply cannot collect the income from the subscription. Besides, when subscription is introduced, it is necessary to explain to the citizens the purpose of the money collected in such manner. Vojvodina authorities also voiced their concern over the draft amendments to the Act, saying that the position of the TV Novi Sad would be additionally aggravated by postponement of RTS transformation. Vojvodina Information Secretary Milorad Djuric said the amendments that revoked the power of veto of the council member from Vojvodina demonstrated a lack of understanding for the special problems of the province as a multiethnic environment. “The forming of the public service broadcasters should be hastened, as a requirement for the regulation of the media sphere in the country.” The authorities of the province objected to the introduction of RTS subscription from September 2005 before its transformation into a public service broadcaster and further postponement of the privatisation of local media. “This is another wrong step that takes us away from the improvement of conditions in which the media operate”, stated the Information Secretariat.