12. 05. 2006

ANEM ASSEMBLY DEFINES NEW DIRECTIONS

The Assembly adopted amendments to the Association’s contracts and statute, thus completing its transformation into a modern and functional association of broadcasters. The members also elected new officers: Sasa Mirkovic, RTV B92 from Belgrade, Milorad Tadic, Radio Boom 93 from Pozarevac, Dragan Kocic, Radio City from Nis, Boban Tomic, RTV Bajina Basta and Slobodan Stojsic, Radio 021 from Novi Sad were appointed to two-year terms as the board of management. Sasa Mirkovic, the Chairman of RTV B92 Managing Board, is the new chairman and Milorad Tadic, director of Radio Boom 93 is elected vice president of the Association. After a period of chaos in the media sphere which saw a freeze on membership of the organisation, ANEM today admitted fourteen new broadcasters as members, ushering in a new era of membership growth. ANEM in future will particularly focus on the problems of companies broadcasting in the languages of minority communities with services tailored to securing their survival and development. A new category of associate membership will cater for companies involved in important ancillary fields such as education, production and the manufacture of broadcast equipment. As various comments continue to fly on the current public competition for the allocation of broadcasting licences, ANEM will insist that the law be applied consistently. Above all the Association will insist on an improvement in the personnel standards of the Republic Broadcast Agency and its professional services aimed at developing broadcasting and investigative freedom. ANEM will present proposals in this matter to the appropriate bodies and to the public. On this occasion the Association also presented, for the first time, individual and company awards for contributions to the media sector and the role of the media in the development of the civil society, for maintaining the mission and vision of ANEM and advancing its position in the media market while honouring the standards and principles advocated by the Association. The award for the greatest individual contribution went to ANEM lawyer Slobodan Kremenjak, while City Radio in Nis took the company award. ANEM continues to insist on the affirmation of free, independent and professional broadcast operations in the service of the public interest, on the creation of a better legal framework for the functioning of electronic media and on the development and improvement of media policy and legislation. In particular the Association will work towards making electronic media part of the modern, international media industry and, as part of this, on professional advances and the securing of legal, technical and other kinds of assistance, and on building links with media organizations both at home and abroad in order to secure mutual support and cooperation. Sasa Mirkovic, Chairman of ANEM Managing Board