(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 24 January 2003 letter to acting Serbian President Natasa Micic by IPI affiliate, the South East European Media Organization (SEEMO): Ms. Natasa Micic Acting President of Serbia and Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Republic of Serbia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Fax: + 381 11 682 850 Vienna, 24 January […]
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 24 January 2003 letter to acting Serbian President Natasa Micic by IPI affiliate, the South East European Media Organization (SEEMO):
Ms. Natasa Micic
Acting President of Serbia and
Speaker of the Serbian Parliament
Republic of Serbia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fax: + 381 11 682 850
Vienna, 24 January 2003
Dear Madam Speaker,
The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about the failure to implement the Public Broadcast Act in Serbia.
According to information before SEEMO, this Act was adopted six months ago, but its implementation has been blocked since the beginning by the Serbian Parliament. Although the Serbian government, the organs of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, NGOs and other authorised bodies fulfilled their legal obligations on time and have already proposed their candidates for membership of the Broadcasting Council, neither the Serbian Parliament nor its authorised parliamentary committee have managed to propose their own candidates for membership of this body. As a result, this has brought to a standstill the selection and formation process of the Regulatory Broadcasting Agency.
In SEEMO’s opinion, the Parliament’s failure to meet the given deadline represents a fundamental problem, particularly given the worrying state of public broadcasting in Serbia. Also, the electronic media have been kept in an undefined position for a long time now, thus blocking the further development of radio and television stations in terms of programming and technical facilities.
Therefore, SEEMO calls for the urgent formation of the Council and its Regulatory Broadcasting Agency, as well as for the necessary transition of Radio Television Serbia (RTS) from a state-controlled broadcaster into a true public service broadcaster.
We thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Vujovic
SEEMO Secretary General
Recommended Action
Similar appeals can be sent to:
Ms. Natasa Micic
Acting President of Serbia and
Speaker of the Serbian Parliament
Republic of Serbia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fax: +381 11 682 850
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