Media Scene

Home / Media Scene / In Focus

07. 11. 2013

VIOLATION OF MINORITY RIGHTS

Subotica, November 7, 2013 (Pregled) - Privatization of Radio Subotica would seriously violate the right of national minorities to be informed and jeopardize the survival of the station, the director of Radio Subotica Toni Bedalov said.

Privatization model has not brought anything good thus far, nor is it in line with the EU standards, as someone would like to present it, Bedalov said.

Speaking for the Subotica-based TV YU Eco, Bedalov said that the privatization in Vojovidna, which was interrupted in 2007, had led only to "declining or complete shutdown of 80 percent of privatized media".

"This is just another reason why local media should not be privatized under the existing model", Bedalov noted, adding that the public discussions on media laws had shown that there were many objections to the proposed draft laws on public information, electronic media and public services.

He stressed that even in the EU there were media, like Radio Subotica, founded by local self-governments. Nevertheless, in case the privatization of public media companies is necessary, Bedalov believes an adequate solution for "multilingual media" needs to be found, such as public-private partnership or division of shares among employees.