Smederevac: REM overwhelmed with complaints against Informer, a burden on existing capacities, Šabić says - deceiving the public.

Smederevac cited as an example that 19 complaints against Informer were received in just one day, which he assessed as a burden that the existing capacities of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) can hardly bear.

He pointed out that the intense submission of complaints could lead to a kind of paralysis of the institution and warned that such a situation might affect REM's participation in the electoral process.

According to him, around four people are involved in analyzing the complaints, who must prepare reports within deadlines of 48 to 72 hours, which does not allow them enough time to compare similar situations from previous electoral cycles, international regulations, and all circumstances relevant for decision-making.

Šabić: Suggests criminal offense of abuse of power
Member of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) Rodoljub Šabić commented that Smederevac's statement is "misleading the public."

"The number of complaints is no greater than in previous elections; the problem for Smederevac is that independent members insist on proper procedures being followed, rather than being pushed into a drawer. If he and the government team in the Council, instead of relativizing even the most blatant violations of the law, allowed for the application of lawful measures, there would be fewer complaints," Šabić stated on platform X.

He assessed that "what he does and how he does it increasingly resembles the criminal offense of abuse of power."

Smederevac noted that REM is hiring employees from other departments to respond to incoming complaints, which further burdens the regular oversight of media content.

Speaking about yesterday's Council meeting of REM, during which measures against Informer, B92, TV Prva, and K1 were discussed, Smederevac said that the Council members failed to reach an agreement on sanctions, which is why none of the proposed measures received the necessary majority.

He explained that some members proposed stricter measures, such as a ban on broadcasting programs for a period of one to eight days, while others believed that, taking into account all circumstances of individual cases, it would be better to start with milder, corrective measures.

According to him, when making decisions, it is necessary to consider all circumstances provided by Article 40 of the Law on Electronic Media, including the previous behavior of the broadcaster, any prior sanctions, cooperation with the regulator, and actions taken after the imposition of measures.

"Milder measures do not mean opposition to sanctioning, just as a proposal for stricter measures does not in itself mean a more consistent application of the law," emphasized Smederevac.

He warned that a ban on broadcasting programs during the election campaign, if imposed as the first measure without considering all relevant circumstances, could lead to the shutdown of programs from broadcasters with national coverage.

He added that new complaints are expected in the coming days, which is why the Council will reconsider the behavior of the broadcasters again.

Smederevac stated that he supports the public's right to report questionable media content, regardless of whether it concerns public services, commercial, or cable broadcasters, but warned that mass submission of complaints, with short deadlines and limited capacities, could undermine the very process of oversight.

"When it becomes a caricature of that process, then everything we do can also be called a caricature of the behavior of REM and its Council. What happened yesterday was a caricature," concluded Smederevac.

Source: N1