SEEMO: SERBIA - Electronic media and Ekonomist magazin

[seemo]

   SEEMO: SERBIA - Electronic media  and Ekonomist magazin


   1. SEEMO letter to H.E. Zoran Djindjic: Position of the electronic media 


   Prime Ministerndjic

   Republic of Serbia
   Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

   Fax: + 381 11 3617 - 609



   Vienna, 21 November 2001



   Your Excellency,

   The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network
   of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South Eastern
   Europe, and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is
   concerned about the position of the electronic media in Serbia one year
   after the political change in Belgrade.

   According to the information supplied to SEEMO, the legal framework of the
   operation of the independent electronic media in Serbia is no better than
   the one in place during the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, while conditions
   for healthy competition on equal terms for all electronic media in Serbia
   are still non-existent. Most members of the Association of Independent
   Electronic Media in Serbia (ANEM) are still working as "pirate" stations.
   Of the 64 stations in the ANEM radio network, only 31 are licensed. Only
   11 of the 40 stations in ANEM's television network have been granted
   licences. This makes development and planning impractical and prevents
   stations from seeking stable sources of finance.

   SEEMO urges Your Excellency to use your authority and political influence
   to facilitate an immediate adoption of new media and telecommunications
   regulations, particularly the proposed Broadcasting Act that was drafted
   by local experts with international consultation. We believe that the
   adoption of this Act will be the key step in establishing the proper
   relationship between the political authorities and the media, and that it
   will reinforce media independence, which is an important factor for
   democratisation in Serbia.


   We also ask you to start the process of transforming the state media,
   including Radio Television Serbia (RTS), into public service media, and to

   establish an independent regulatory body authorized to allocate
   transmission frequencies.


   Finally, SEEMO calls for the immediate granting of temporary licences to

   independent electronic media in Serbia. Such licences would be valid until
   the frequency allocation procedure under the new legislation has been

   completed.

   Yours sincerely,

   Oliver Vujovic
   Secretary General

   Cc:      H.E. Dragisa Pesic, Prime Minister, FR Yugoslavia

   H.E. Savo Markovic, Minister of Justice, FR Yugoslavia

               H.E. Bozidar Milovic, Minister of Transportation and
   Telecommunications, FR Yugoslavia

               H.E. Slobodan Orlic, Federal Secretary of Information, FR
   Yugoslavia

   H.E. Marija Raseta-Vukosavljevic, Minister of Transport and
   Telecommunications, Serbia, FRY
               H.E. Vladan Batic, Minister of Justice, Serbia, FRY


   2. SEEMO letter to H.E. Zoran Djindjic: Ekonomist magazin


   H.E. Zoran Djindjic
   Prime Minister
   Republic of Serbia

   Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

   Fax: + 381 11 3617-609

   Vienna, 21 November 2001



   Your Excellency,

   The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network
   of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South Eastern
   Europe, and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is
   deeply concerned about the case of the independent economic magazine, 
   Ekonomist magazin.

   According to the information before SEEMO, on 17 January 2000, Ekonomist

   was declared a "publication of special interest for science" and therefore
   exempt from general circulation tax, in accordance with Serbian law.

   However, a decision signed on 12 September 2001 by the Vice Minister for
   Science and Technology, Professor Dr. Ljubisa Papic, has led to Ekonomist

   magazin losing this status. As a result, the magazine now has to pay the

   general circulation tax.

   In SEEMO's opinion, this change in the status of Ekonomist magazin is

   unusual, because the concept of the magazine has not changed since January
   2000. In addition, we find it strange that an independent publication,

   which has always been critical of economic developments and policy in

   Serbia, enjoyed a better position during the Milosevic regime than it does
   today.
    
   SEEMO urges Your Excellency to find a legal way to help professional and
   independent media that play an important role in scientific development in
   Serbia. For this specific group of media, every new financial load is an
   extra burden. We are sure that you also understand that the existence of
   the scientific media is very important for the economic development and
   democratisation of Serbia.


   Yours sincerely,

   Oliver Vujovic
   Secretary General

   Cc: H.E. Dragisa Pesic, Prime Minister, FR Yugoslavia

         H.E. Slobodan Orlic, Federal Secretary of Information, FR Yugoslavia
         H.E. Dragan Domazet, Minister of Science and Technology, Serbia, FRY
         H.E. Ljubisa Papic, Vice-Minister of Science and Technology, Serbia,

   FRY

   ___________


   SEEMO is a regional network of  editors, media executives and leading
   journalists from newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, internet, new media and
   Spiegelgasse 2 / 29, 1010 Vienna (AUSTRIA), Tel: (+ 43 1) 513 39 40, Fax:
   (+43 1) 512 90 15, www.seemo.at