09. 05. 2009

MINISTRY OF CULTURE: PROPOSITIONS OF MEASURES TO HELP MEDIA

Nataša Vučković-Lesendrić, Deputy Minister of Culture in charge of media, talks about proposals to help the print and electronic media

Belgrade, May 09, 2009. (Danas) – Advertising the liquor and tobacco, collective agreement for media employees and changes of structure within Republican Broadcasting Agency Council, are some of the proposed measures of media organizations and associations submitted to the Ministry of Culture, created with the aim to assist media outlets in Serbia to overcome the economic crisis.

Nataša Vučković-Lesendrić, Deputy Minister of Culture in charge of media, points out that this Ministry sent all the suggestions of working groups, formed to draft the proposals for overcoming the economic crisis in media sector, to all relevant Ministries – of Labor, Finances, Economy and Trade – for evaluation.

- Three working groups are formed – the first is in charge of media profession in general, the second deals with print and third handles the problems of electronic media. Each working group has submitted their suggestions to the Ministry of Culture, as a joint list of measures. These are also the propositions of systematic solutions to the problems burdening the media, not only the measures to overcome the economic crisis – explains Vučković-Lesendrić.

As she added, the broadcasters suggest the alterations in the structure of Republican Broadcasting Agency (RBA), so they can ensure having their representative in the Council, as well as to keep the tax (VAT) at the present level of eight percent. She explained that it was suggested that newspapers pay VAT only to the sold number of copies, to change the Advertizing Act so it would allow the advertizing of liquor and tobacco, and also, to reduce the taxation of personal income for honorary associates.

- One of the proposals was to form a state committee which would overlook at the advertizing payments in newspapers for public enterprises - emphasizes Vučković-Lesendrić.

When it comes to broadcast media, Vučković-Lesendrić says that the working group suggested reduction of broadcasting fees for 40 percent for RBA and 60 percent for Republican Agency for Telecommunications (RATEL).

According to her, the closure of pirate stations and advertizing the vine and beer in the morning hours at the radio stations was demanded, as well as that publicly owned media have the same obligations toward RBA as the private ones.

Vučković-Lesendrić reminds that media organizations and associations also suggested the formation of the fund to help the media and journalists who lost their jobs, and also, for education for new media and Internet. She added that Journalists’ Syndicate of Serbia suggested the signing the collective agreement for journalists and media professionals.   

- We expect that ministries react on emergent procedure, during the next week. Ministry of Culture will form the proposition to the Serbian Government; we will decide which the intervention measures are, and we will continue to work on package of systematic measures for the future, like the strategy for media – concludes Vučković - Lesendrić.