25. 04. 2014

RBA INITIATES PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SEVERAL TV STATIONS

According to the statement published on the RBA website after the urgent session, the proceedings will establish whether there are elements of the breach of the Law of Broadcasting and the Code of Broadcasters' Conduct by programs "Ami dži šou" and "Teška reč" of Television Pink, "Bulevar" of Television B92, "Eksploziv" of Television Prva and "Goli život" of Television Hepi.

As Tanjug news agency states, the RBA Council points out that it shares public concern over "the metastasis of the overall media pathology" which started in the 1990s, and it joins the social consensus on the values broadcast media should promote.

"The Council expects from all broadcasters, particularly those with national frequency, to withhold in the struggle for viewership from broadcasting similar content with no programmatic or editorial justification, the only goal of which is sensationalism", the statement says.

Additionally, the Council says that it is not the first time that editors of commercial media, attempting to achieve better ratings, choose sensationalist topics and often invite criminal perpetrators in their programs, led only by the criteria of ratings, with a notable absence of any social responsibility.

The RBA Council is of opinion that program guests with criminal past are no news and thus it warns the broadcasters that it is important to make sure not to glorify such persons and their past in presenting them.

The RBA Council calls on editors of all broadcast media to harmonize commercial interests with public interest.

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) filed a complaint yesterday against Television Pink for broadcasting the program "Ami dži šou" which hosted Golubović who, at the age of 44, has spent almost a half of his life in European prisons.

Golubović (44) was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Higher Court in Belgrade in January because he participated in the sale of 150 grams of heroin.

The verdict is not non-appealable yet, as the final decision is to be passed by the Appelate Court.

Along with being a guest on televisions Pink, Prva, Hapi and B92, Golubović gave several interviews to Serbian media.

He has been known in criminal circles since his youth. He has been arrested on several occasions, including in the action "Sablja" ("Sword"), and he was trialed as the leader of a criminal group which extorded 15.000 EUR from Petar Zečević, an agency owner from Sremska Mitrovica.