(AMARC/IFEX) -According to reports from the Association for Independent Electronic Media in Yugoslavia (ANEM), around 14.00 on 18 August 1998, CITY Radio in Nis was closed. Backed by two policemen, inspectors from the Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry entered the radio’s studios and banned its operation on the spot. Although the radio’s staff obeyed the inspectors’ order, […]
(AMARC/IFEX) -According to reports from the Association for Independent
Electronic Media in Yugoslavia (ANEM), around 14.00 on 18 August 1998, CITY
Radio in Nis was closed. Backed by two policemen, inspectors from the
Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry entered the radio’s studios and banned
its operation on the spot. Although the radio’s staff obeyed the inspectors’
order, signed their program off and ceased broadcasts, the inspectors seized
a part of the station’s transmitter. The inspectors also seized a part of
the radio’s old transmitter which was in the studios at that time.
Over the past few days, CITY Radio had been in constant contact with the
Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry, trying to find out what documentation
was missing from its application in the open frequency tender by that
ministry. Instead of a reply as to what documents were missing from its
application, CITY radio suffered a ban on the radio’s broadcasts and the
seizure of a part of the radio’s equipment.
AMARC is concerned about this and other seizures of equipment from ANEM
affiliates which have participated in the open frequency tender and thus
demonstrated their will to legalise their operations, all the more so as
there are hundreds of other stations operating without licences, many of
which had not even applied for a frequency.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
equipment it has seized from CITY Radio and all other radio and television
stations which had their equipment similarly seized in order to enable them
to continue to broadcast at least until the Yugoslav Telecommunications
Ministry’s final ruling in the open frequency tender
Appeals To
His Excellency Slobodan Milosevic
President
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
email: slobodan.milosevic@gov.yu
Fax: +38 111 636 (775) / (682) / (167)Goran Matic
Secretary for Information
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fax: +381 11 600 446Copies to:
ANEM
Fax: +381 11 3224378
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
