(ANEM/IFEX) – The following is a 13 October 2000 ANEM press release: ANEM calls for re-examination of broadcast licence procedures BELGRADE, October 13, 2000 – The Association of Independent Electronic Media demands an urgent revision of the procedures for the granting of radio and television frequency licences. The Association has protested on numerous occasions against […]
(ANEM/IFEX) – The following is a 13 October 2000 ANEM press release:
ANEM calls for re-examination of broadcast licence procedures
BELGRADE, October 13, 2000 – The Association of Independent Electronic Media demands an urgent revision of the procedures for the granting of radio and television frequency licences.
The Association has protested on numerous occasions against the non-transparent and non-democratic manner in which frequency licences have been granted in this country and emphasised the defective legislation, whose only purpose was to provide technical justifications for the previous regime to ban independent electronic media or bar them access to frequencies. At the same time, pro-regime media were being granted frequencies without meeting even the minimum technical and programming criteria.
In light of claims by certain radio and television stations close to the previous regime that foreign investors are interested in them, ANEM calls for an urgent revision of all procedures conducted under political pressure and demands that frequencies, which are a national resource, and which some radio and television stations obtained under unequal or non-democratic conditions, not be allowed to fall into foreign ownership.
ANEM calls on the new Yugoslav authorities to clearly point out to frequency users and potential foreign investors that proprietorship of national resources allocated under political rather than legal criteria will not be permitted.
Veran Matic,
Chairman,
ANEM.