26. 10. 2004

LOCAL ELECTIONS COULD PROVE LETHAL FOR LOCAL MEDIA

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) is seriously concerned at the changes in management in local public media in Serbia which have resulted from last month’s local government elections, fearing that these may result in changes in editorial policy and a drop in the level of professional standards.

ANEM is an association of 32 broadcasters, with more than 70 affiliate members. Of these, 11 full and 30 affiliate members are public companies. These represent the most powerful regional and local stations in Serbia. From this perspective, ANEM warns that changes in management made solely for political reasons have a destructive effect on media operations. In the light of this, the association urges against the exploitation and abuse of local public media and further emphasizes the need for independent information and the importance of media operating outside a political framework.

Given the requirement of the Broadcast Act that all these broadcasters be privatized by the end of July, 2006, ANEM emphasizes the particular importance of enabling local public media to prepare adequately for privatization in stable conditions and without reversing the progress so far made by these broadcasters. If this is not the case, the right of former and current employees of these media companies, who are entitled under the regulations to acquire shares in the privatization process, will be jeopardized. Together with the damage to freedom of the media, this will damage most of all the economic interests of the state, as the proprietor of the local public media which are to be privatized.

ANEM will monitor the operation of the newly-elected local authorities and the way in which they honor freedom of the media and freedom of speech in general and will react accordingly. The association will also monitor media operations and review each individual case in which the management of the public companies, which are its members, is changed, responding to any violation of the values it advocates which are defined in the ANEM Statute and Code.

ANEM thus calls on the authorized state bodies, local organizations dealing with the protection of human and media rights, and international institutions to monitor closely the honoring of media freedom and freedom of speech in Serbia and to react rapidly and resolutely in the event these are jeopardized. Any attempt to exploit and abuse media can only be regarded as a dramatic sign that reform and democratic processes in the society at large are under threat.

Slobodan Stojšic
Chairman of ANEM Managing Board