24. 06. 2011

Public debate on Media Strategy

Nis, June 24, 2011 (Pregled) - In the big hall of the City administration building in Nis, public debate on the Draft Strategy for the Development of the Public Information System in the Republic of Serbia will be held today. This will be the third pubic event dedicated to the Draft Strategy. In the last few days, the interested parties in Novi Pazar and Novi Sad had the opportunity to give their opinion on this document.

The Draft Media Strategy envisages, among other things, the mandatory privatization of media after certain laws have left the space for some media to avoid this obligation envisaged in 2002. What is new in the Draft and what has not been envisaged by any law up to now is the proposal to distribute the shares of non-privatized media outlets to the citizens in case they are not privatized within 18 months. The Draft's proposal is to keep the public service broadcasters only at republic and provincial level, while regional public service broadcasters would not exist.

Defining of public interest is also envisaged as well as state financing of media only through projects and only in order to support public interest. The main source of financing of public service broadcasters would be TV/radio fee.

The Draft insists on the transparency of ownership. Each media outlet would be obliged to provide information on owners and greatest financial sources, as well the funds received through the state's project funding.  The public debate on the Draft Strategy will begin at 11 a.m. in Nis and on Monday, June 27 in Belgrade, at the amphitheater of the National Bank of Serbia.