30. 11. 2012

ANEM Comments on Draft Action Plan for Development of Electronic Communications

In the period from November 15 to November 30, Ministry of Foreign and Domestic Trade and Telecommunications organized the public consultation on the Draft Action Plan for Development of Electronic Communications 2012-2014. The Draft treats, among other things, the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting of TV programs and sets out specific actions, deadlines, indicators, responsible institutions and partners for their implementation.

ANEM took part in the public consultation by submitting its written Comments on the Draft.

In its Comments, ANEM expressed its satisfaction with the Ministry recognizing the Association as a partner in the work on round tables on digitalization, as these gatherings were deemed as very important forum, where broadcasters could express their views on the challenges in the process of transition to digital broadcasting from their own perspective, which had not been the case in this process so far. In addition, ANEM expressed its willingness to provide assistance and support to the activities in implementation of the Action Plan, in the part related to the process of the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting. Therefore, ANEM has recommended specific amendments to the Draft Action Plan relating to certain planned activities - adoption of the Plan of the switchover to digital broadcasting, development of the distribution network project and its implementation, as well as the development of the ETV business model related to the process of digitalization. Namely, ANEM requested that the column "Partner", for all specified activities in the Action Plan, should include that these activities shall be performed in consultations with national broadcasters and ANEM, as the representative association of broadcasters, which gathers one national broadcaster and regional and local broadcasters across Serbia. ANEM pointed out that these activities were of a great importance for broadcasters who therefore ought to be involved in their implementation. In addition, ANEM proposed that the Plan of the switchover to digital broadcasting was adopted by the Serbian Government, and not by the Ministry, as originally proposed, because of the importance of the document and the responsibilities it had entailed, which was in line with the Strategy for Switchover from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting and the practice of European countries. ANEM provided appropriate arguments for all its suggestions.

ANEM submitted its written Comments on the Draft Action Plan for the Development of Electronic Communications to the competent Ministry on November 30, 2012.

ANEM Comments are available here (only in Serbian)