25. 03. 2008

PRIVATIZATION OF LOCAL TV STATIONS TO CONTINUE AFTER THE ELECTIONS

Privatization process for more than 20 stations suspended, previously scheduled auctions cancelled

Belgrade, March 25, 2008 (Politika) – Privatization of local electronic media with minority language programming, which was temporarily suspended in December by the Government of Serbia, will most probably continue only after the elections and the formation of a new parliament and government.

The chaotic situation is further compounded by the provisions of the Law on Local Self-Government and the Law on the Capital City, which are obviously contradictory to the previously adopted Law on Public Information and the Broadcasting Law. Additional prolongation of the privatization might cause new problems, even the appearance of pirate broadcasters, it was warned yesterday at the round table about the effects of the privatization of local radio and TV stations organized by the Ministry of Culture.
Dragan Janjic, assistant minister of culture for the media, reminded that from a legal point of view his hands are tied until after the elections. New legal framework, which allows the local self-government to establish media outlets with minority language content, may cause numerous difficulties.

Namely, after the minority communities complained about the lack of guarantee that after the privatization the future owner of the media would keep the minority language content, the new law on local self-government was created in such a way to allow local self-government institutions to own or establish such media outlets.

Biljana Zivkovic, from the Privatization Agency, said that after the government's December decision on the suspension of the privatization of minority language media outlets, the process was aborted for more 20 stations and even already scheduled auction were cancelled.

Slobodan Djoric, a member of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency, reminded that the process of allocation of frequencies for TV stations has been completed and that it will soon be over for radio stations as well. Since the privatization process' cancellation, the Republic Broadcasting Agency "is in chaos and cannot decide on the next step", whether it should enforce the law, the guidelines, or the government's directive.

The Republic Telecommunications Agency, which issues technical licenses, is also in limbo.  Milan Jankovic, the executive director of the Agency, pointed out that after the legal changes, stations which were previously rejected began asking for a technical license.

Not only the continuation of privatization is uncertain, but complaints were received from commercial stations who consider themselves to be at a disadvantage because many stations are still financed from the budget, says Nino Brajovic, the president of the Journalists' Association of Serbia.

Regarding the minority media, he believes that tender privatization is the best solution and that the value of offers should not be the most important factor – stations should be sold to buyers who will be obliged to respect the program structure to the benefit of minorities. Rade Veljanovski considers that the main problem lies in the lack of consensus within the society about the aim of the media transformation, and points out that nowhere in Europe the right of minorities to access information in their own language involve legal provisions allowing the state to establish such media outlets.