20. 04. 2009

ANEM PROPOSALS OF MEASURES FOR OVERCOMING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IMPACT

ANEM suggestions of measures that state authorities should undertake to help media to survive and overcome the crisis:

• More efficient work of state authorities in the field of ensuring the regulatory framework for optimal functioning and development of the media (efficient adoption of new laws and modifications of the old ones; adoption of the EU standards, etc.)
• Shutting down of the illegal broadcasters
• More transparent allocation of the budget funds (including the funds of the local municipalities), according to clear criteria and equal opportunities for all broadcasters 
• Enabling the continuance of privatization process, with formulation of more favorable conditions for acquiring the media, and also more strict conditions and obligations for new owners, so the privatization would become a progress, not a problem
• Reduction of the Republican Broadcasting Agency (RBA) and Republican Agency for Telecommunications (RATEL) mandatory broadcasting fees (which are, by far, the highest in the region), by adequate implementation of existing regulatory rules (reduction of fees for at least 50% and additionally, duly usage of existing legal criteria – the actual number of citizens of territory covered  by signal and type of program)
• Reduction of the collective societies (SOKOJ and OFPS) tariffs at the appropriate   level, according to the law
• Redirection of extra money from the RBA finances, instead to the republican budget, to separate account within RBA to the specialized funds for development of broadcasting media (support for the program productions, education, digitalization, etc.)
• Tax reduction for the broadcasters and lower tax rates; revision of the payment deadlines to the conditions of the crisis
• Changes of advertising rules and more appropriate distribution of the advertising incomes between Public Broadcaster RTS and other broadcasters
• separation of the transmission equipment from RTS 

ANEM has already undertaken a series of activities (see e.g. ANEM suggestions for crisis legislation or „Effects of the crisis and its impact on the media“) and has plans for further actions directed to the improvement of the position of the media (especially fee and tax reduction, shutting down of the illegal broadcasters, etc.)