25. 01. 2006

LICENCE FEES THREATEN COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING

BELGRADE, January 25, 2006 – The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) noted that high payment rates for broadcast licenses would seriously threaten to block commercial broadcasting. The Association points out that the competition for the allocation of licenses has been inadequately prepared, despite the fact that there has been more than adequate time. Of particular concern is the level of fees approved by the Serbian Government. Information obtained by ANEM indicates that the broadcasting fees are as much as ten times the fees for commercial networks with national coverage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania and Croatia. Setting broadcasting fees at such a high level, together with the large number of channels planned, will result in a scramble for ratings at the expense of quality, problems maintaining professional standards already achieved or, at best, stagnation and the collapse of independent positions even of those broadcasters which have managed to preserve their independence in the past, said in the statement of the Association. ANEM urged the Government and the Broadcast Council to reconsider the decisions and acts adopted in recent days.