22. 05. 2002

AMENDMENTS TO DRAFT BROADCAST ACT

BELGRADE, May 22, 2002 - A number of media organisations and the Vojvodina Assembly have proposed amendments to the government's draft broadcasting legislation. The Spektar Association for the Development of Private Broadcasting and the Association of Vojvodina Electronic Media have defined a joint proposal of nine amendments, in association with the G17 Plus media team. Separate proposals have been prepared by the Association of Independent Electronic Media and the Vojvodina Assembly. Spektar, which represents more than a hundred private broadcasters and the G17 Plus media team have proposed that party officials who had performed certain state functions cannot be members of the regulatory agency envisaged by the legislation. Another proposal is that an article relating to the broadcasting of commercials be dropped from the bill. The Vojvodina Assembly has proposed that all television licence fees collected on the territory of the province should go directly to the provincial broadcasting service instead of the 60-40 split proposed by the Serbian Government. The Association of Independent Electronic Media has called for public services in local and regional communities to be given ten per cent of the television licence fees colleted in their territory. The Association has also called for radio and television stations operated by local government authorities to be granted the status of public services.