04. 08. 2005

NEW AMENDMENTS TO BROADCAST ACT OPPOSED

ANEM, IJAS and Nezavisnost protested strongly against these amendments at a press conference yesterday. We believe that it is unacceptable to propose new amendments to the Broadcast Act before it has been implemented. This is the second raft of amendments to the Act since it was adopted three years ago and these are partly the result of omissions from the first amendments. We also note that, on July 25, ANEM presented to the Government, the Parliament, international and local organisations and the media, a detailed analysis of the proposed amendments and their possible consequences, demanding that they be withdrawn from procedure. Adoption of these amendments will lead to delays in reform of the broadcast sector and have the potential to create a mechanism which will hinder the resolution of the media sector’s accumulated problems. Experience shows that this will serve only the purposes of the authorities – at least until new elections. If the Act is really unworkable, and this needs to be demonstrated by first implementing it, our one common goal is to contribute, with our constructive proposals and through public debate, to the future Act functioning for the best possible development of broadcasting in the period ahead. If, as claimed, the Council of the Republic Broadcast Agency and not the Serbian Government is the initiator of these changes, we urge the Council to explain to the media and the public of Serbia the reason for the proposed amendments. Slobodan Stojsic, Chairman of the ANEM Managing Board Nebojsa Bugarinovic, President of IJAS Dragan Milanovic, Vice-President of the Media Division of the Nezavisnost Trade Union