17. 11. 2008

CONTEST FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC BROADCASTING AGENCY

SERBIAN PARLIAMENT DECIDES (original title)

Deadline for nomination of candidates for new members of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency expires

Slobodan Djoric and Velimir Milosevic may stay in the Council

Belgrade, November 17, 2008 (Danas) – Non-governmental organizations and media associations had a deadline until Saturday, November 15, to nominate their candidates for membership in the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agencies. Mandates of Velimir Milosevic and Slobodan Djoric, current members of the Council, expire in February next year. Danas was informed that Milosevic and Djoric are among the candidates again.

Public invitation for these positions has been announced in July, six months before the expiry of current members' mandate. Names of candidates will be submitted to the Serbian Parliament, which will confirm them.

Slobodan Djoric says for Danas that his first, "and perhaps the only mandate in the Council" is about to end.

- I was the only member of the Council without any other obligations, which has allowed me to devote myself completely to materials related to competitions, as well as to maintain numerous contacts with broadcasters. Radio and television production is my profession, and I had a relationship of understanding and partnership with radio and TV stations. I am satisfied with my performance in the Council, which has been significant, but still not complete, says Djoric.

Velimir Milosevic points out for Danas that the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency "has had a rocky road to reach the final stage, at least with regard to the regulation of the broadcasting chaos, especially if we have in mind that this is the first Council that functions and which has enforced the Law. The beginning is always the most difficult step."

- Colleagues in the Council will probably have easier job in the future, since they will have models that we could not rely upon, Milosevic points out, adding that he is not satisfied with the Broadcasting Law, which is insufficiently clear.

Vice president of the Republic Broadcasting Agenc, Goran Karadzic, has recently pointed out that there are no legal obstacles for Djoric and Milosevic to be nominated and appointed again. In his words, the mandate of Tomislav Trific, member of the Council of the RBA from Kosovo, expires in April 2009, but the procedure for his appointment is different. Kosovo representative in the Council of the RBA is chosen by its remaining eight members, which should also be confirmed  by the Parliament.

The Council of the RBA has nine members who are appointed for the period of four, five or six years in the first mandate, and after that for the period of six years. Mandates of the president of the Council, Bishop Porfirije (representative of churches), vice president of the Council, Goran Karadzic (representative of Vojvodina), and Svetozar Stojanovic (representative of universities) expire in February 2010. Mandates of the members of the Council of the RBA nominated by the parliamentary Committee for Culture and Information – Nenad Cekic, Aleksandar Vasic and Vladimir Cvetkovic – ends in 2011.