<nettime> ANEM WEEKLY REPORT: October 21 -- 27, 2000

[mediawatch-owner@freeb92.net]

ANEM WEEKLY REPORT ON MEDIA REPRESSION IN SERBIA
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 27, 2000.

PRODUCTION IN MATROZ DEPENDS ON GAS AND ELECTRICITY

SREMSKA MITROVICA, October 21 2000 - The Matroz paper factory from
Sremska Mitrovica, the only domestic manufacturer of newsprint, has
enough wood supplies to guarantee several months of stable production,
Novi Sad daily Dnevnik writes today. Matroz acting director Dragan
Lazic told the daily that the daily production of the newsprint paper
was around ninety tons, adding that it could be increased depending on
adequate energy sources.

"As long as it has the necessary funds, any publisher can buy paper
from us and nobody will be turned down for any reason. We will be
signing new contracts with all major publishing houses on the supply
of paper until the end of year," Lazic said. Dragan Lazic said that he
expected the new government to appoint the Matroz managing board and
to create conditions for the inflow of foreign capital.

"We know for certain that the West is ready to invest in Matroz and we
are proud that the factory price has risen," said Lazic.

DANAS EDITOR RESIGNS

PODGORICA, October 21 2000 - BELGRADE, Friday - Editor-in-Chief of
Belgrade daily Danas Veseljko Koprivica told Beta last night that he
had resigned because of the daily's editorial comment entitled "The
Montenegrin Wall", which he described as denying Montenegro its right
to independence.

Koprivica said that the article on the independence of that republic
was contrary to his stance "as both a Montenegrin citizen and a
journalist".

Koprivica, who lives in Podgorica, said he had accepted the editorial
position for a limited time and that the reasons for his appointment
had ceased to exist.

The article in question criticises Montenegrin President Milo
Djukanovic, claiming "he was behaving like Milosevic, radiating the
attitude, 'Montenegro, that's me'".

Koprivica became the paper's editor-in-chief after the adoption of the
infamous Serbian Public Information Act in October 1998.

SIMIC: I DID NOT SUE COLLEAGUES FOR INSULTING SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC

BELGRADE, October 21 2000 - Former Editor-in-Chief of Vecernje novosti
Pero Simic yesterday denied allegations that he had sued four of his
colleagues for insulting former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic,
Beta reports.

The recent publication of media monitoring results carried out by the
Media Centre and the Strategic Marketing agency between October 6 and
12 said that Pero Simic, "the man who sued four of his colleagues for
damage to the honour and reputation of former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic", was now the author of a series of articles in
Novosti entitled "The Fall of the Monarch from Dedinje". In a
statement sent to Beta, Simic confirmed that as acting director
general of Vecernje novosti in 1998 he had sued four contributors to
the paper, but not because of insulting Milosevic.

"It is true that in December 1998 I launched disciplinary procedures
against four Novisti contributors and editors, but not because they
opposed Milosevic, but because of gross negligence," said Simic. He
added that "because of that negligence" the news about former
President Slobodan Milosevic's congratulations to Air Force members in
European Novisti was published under the title "Reliable Bandits"
instead of "Reliable Protectors".

"Back in 1985 in a circulation of 35,000 I told Slobodan Milosevic
that he had no further role to play in politics and that the path he
wanted to take us down was one which would lead to our downfall,"
Simic specified, adding that he had subsequently criticised Milosevic
several times in Novosti.

APPOINTMENT OF BORBA LIQUIDATION COUNCIL

BELGRADE, October 21 2000 - The Belgrade Commercial Court has launched
procedures aimed at establishing conditions for the liquidation of
Federal Public Company Borba because there is nobody to appoint its
director. "The former director general is no longer turning up for
work and the appointment of his replacement can only be made by the
federal government which does not exist, so there is no other legal
procedure open to us but to appoint legal bodies which would represent
the company," registration judge Mirjana Trninic told Beta yesterday.

BKTV PART OF BALKAN TELEVISION?

BELGRADE, October 21 2000 - A delegation from the Greek satellite
communication company Inter Sat met representatives from BK Telekom in
Belgrade yesterday to discuss co-operation with BK Television. FoNet
was told by well-informed sources from the BK Company that the Greek
guests were interested in buying shares in the company thus enabling
BK Telekom to gain access to the Balkan television project, which
would for starters work on the territory of Serbia, Montenegro,
Bulgaria and Greece.

TV KOSAVA OFFERS ITS EQUIPMENT TO BK TELEVISION

BELGRADE, October 21 2000 - Belgrade TV Kosava, owned by Marija
Milosevic, the daughter of the former Yugoslav president, has offered
its equipment to BK television, Radio Television BK Telekom stated
yesterday. TV Kosava, which showed mainly music programmes ceased
broadcasting on October 5 after the demonstrations against the
election fraud.

A statement issued by BK Telekom today said that legal representatives
from TV Kosava had offered BK its television equipment. "We still
don't have full information as to what kind of equipment this is, it's
value and whether it will suit the demands of BK Telekom's second,
sports and entertainment channel", said the statement. BK Telekom
stated that it would inform the public if the equipment was bought,"
Beta reports.

BROADCAST FROM FRUSKA GORA, RUDNIK AND GOC GRANTED

BELGRADE, October 21 2000 - Long standing Studio B technical director
Dusan Markovic told Beta last night that this Belgrade television
station had been granted permission to resume broadcasts via
transmitters on mountains Fruska Gora, Rudnik and Goc after a seven
year break. Markovic said that the Federal Ministry of
Telecommunication had decided to return the frequencies confiscated
from Studio B seven years ago.

Markovic said he expected broadcasting from the transmitters on these
mountains to resume in the next several months, when Studio B
programming would be available in Ruma, Mitrovica, Novi Sad, Cacak,
Kraljevo, Krusevac, Paracin, Cuprija and several other cities.

Markovic said that Television Mladenovac, a Studio B correspondence
office had also received a permit to broadcast from the transmitter on
Kosmaj.

JOURNALIST ZORAN LUKOVIC RELEASED

BELGRADE, October 22 2000 - Journalist Zoran Lukovic was released from
Padinska Skela prison yesterday after serving two and a half months of
his five month prison sentence based on article 218 of the Republic of
Serbia's Criminal Code. Lukovic was sentenced for an article published
in daily Dnevni telegraf, in which former Deputy Prime Minister,
Health Minister and Dedinje Clinic director Milovan Bojic was
indirectly mentioned in connection with the murder of Aleksandar
Popovic, a doctor employed in the clinic. Lukovic began serving his
sentence on August 15. The late Slavko Curuvija and journalist Srdjan
Jankovic were also convicted with Lukovic.

According to Radio B92, Lukovic threw a prison lock into the nearby
canal behind him upon his release, "according to the custom", he told
the press. He was greeted by his wife at the gate. He told the press
that he felt fine and that today he felt worse than on the day he went
to jail. "I am glad it has ended this way. They told me I was free to
go, that I had served enough. I hope nobody will ever again be
sentenced under article 218. That Serbian president could have done a
lot more for the journalists, for all the dailies which were closed
down, for the late Slavko Curuvija. A man needs a lot of time to
recover from all the things that have happened to us in the last two
years, in the last ten years, we will need a lot of time," Lukovic
said.

Gradimir Nalic from the Yugoslav Committee of Human Rights Lawyers,
who represented Lukovic, said that the last journalist unfairly
sentenced under Slobodan Milosevic's regime had been released from
prison. Nalic added that Lukovic had been pardoned by Serbian
President Milan Milutinovic, based on a proposal made by former
Justice Minister Dragoljub Jankovic in the last days of his office.
"We persistently challenged Serbia's judiciary, but we still wouldn't
have done anything without Yugoslav President Kostunica and his
associates and the Yugoslav Committee of Human Rights Lawyers, who
demanded the release of the last journalist from Serbian prisons.
Ministar Jankovic refused to sign until the very last minute, and
Lukovic refused to plead for this. Everything is in order and
according to the law because the president did not order anybody to be
released," said Nalic. "I expect this will mark the beginning of
similar releases of all innocent people sitting in prisons as well as
the beginning of the amnesty to all those sentenced by Milosevic's
regime for political reasons," Nalic concluded.

KOSTUNICA INITIATES BROVINA'S RELEASE

BELGRADE, October 22 2000 - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
today initiated procedures for the release of the jailed Kosovo
Albanian doctor and poet Flora Brovina who has been sentenced to
twelve years imprisonment for aiding Albanian separatist movements
during the Kosovo conflict last year. Beta reports that Kostunica
requested that the Yugoslav justice minister begin procedures to grant
Brovina a pardon, stating that there were justifiable reasons for such
action.

SIX OF EIGHTEEN STUDIO B BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED

BELGRADE, October 22 2000 - Belgrade Studio B employees last night
elected representatives to the Managing Board of this electronic
media, Beta reports today. The Friday night's session opted for
Miroslav Corbic, Jadranka Jankovic, Aleksandar Gajsek, Milorad
Roganovic, Slavomir Cirovic and Milan Nikolic, Beta was told by Studio
B.

The appointment of the Studio B employee representatives in this
house's board of managers should be confirmed by the Belgrade City
Assembly next week, which should also appoint the remaining twelve
members. The new director and new editor-in-chief will also be
appointed once the board of managers has been set up.

A large number of Studio B employees have signed a petition demanding
that former Studio B and BK Television journalist, currently Vice
President of Social Democracy, Slobodan Orlic be appointed to the
position.

THREE LESKOVAC MEDIA ON STRIKE FROM MONDAY

BELGRADE, October 22 2000 - Employees from the three Leskovac media
founded by the Municipal Assembly announced today that they would go
on strike on Monday "because of obstruction from the local
authorities".

Newly-elected acting directors and editors-in-chief of Television
Leskovac, Radio Leskovac and weekly Nasa rec told a press conference
that the strike would last until such time as the municipality
fulfilled its obligations to these media, Beta reports.

Acting director and Editor-in-Chief of Television Leskovac Anka
Mihajlov-Prokopovic assessed that through their refusal to transfer
money to these media's accounts, the Municipal Assembly was in fact
exerting pressure on the free expression and media which were finally
free and open.

JOURNALIST'S PASSPORT CONFISCATED

BELGRADE, October 23 2000 - Milovan Brkic, a journalist who was
charged several months ago because of damage to former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic's reputation, stated yesterday that the
Jagodina Municipal Court had issued an order that his passport be
confiscated in order to prevent him from leaving the country until the
criminal proceedings had been completed.

Today's issue of Glas javnosti writes that the order was issued by
investigating judge Zivotije Dimitrijevic back in May 29. Brkic learnt
about the order recently when the police visited him bacuse of the
»alleged non-receipt of the indictment notice«. Brkic, however,
claimed that he had received the indictment notice »for the fourth
time«.

Criminal proceedings were launched against journalist Milovan Brkic
because he spoke critically of the then Yugoslav president Slobodan
Milosevic's policies on Television Nemanja in Curpija on October 10.
The Jagodina Public Prosecutor's Office subsequently charged him with
the criminal offence of damaging the president's reputation. Brkic
said that he expected the main hearing before judge Lepomir
Milosavljevic to be held in November.

LESKOVAC AUTHORITIES ACCEPT STRIKERS' DEMANDS

LESKOVAC, October 24 2000 - Representatives of the local authorities
in Leskovac yesterday accepted all demands made by the three local
media founded by the Municipal Assembly and appealed to strikers to
terminate their strike.

More than one hundred employees from Television and Radio Leskovac and
weekly Nasa rec decided to strike because of financial difficulties,
low salaries and "obstruction caused by the local authorities". Beta
learnt that the Leskovac Municipal Assembly fulfilled the majority of
demands by 14.30 on Monday. Beta was told by Radio Leskovac that the
decision whether to terminate the strike would be made after the union
session.

KOPANJA WINS JOURNALIST PROTECTION COMMITTEE AWARD

NEW YORK, October 24 2000 - Zeljko Kopanja, founder and
editor-in-chief of Banja Luka weekly Nezavisne novine, is one of the
four winners of this year's International Free Press Award, presented
by the US Committee for the Protection of Journalists. President of
the committee of this independent non-profit making organisation,
former editor of the New York Times, Gene Roberts, said that his
year's winners had been awarded for "their courage, displayed in times
of great risk".

The committee reminded the public that Kopanja lost both legs last
year in a car bomb explosion which was assumed to have been a direct
response to the Nezavisne novine article on Serb crimes in the Bosnian
war, Beta reports.

TELEVISION JEFIMIJA AND RADIO CIGRA BURN DOWN

KRUSEVAC, October 24 2000 - The premises of Television Jefimija and
Radio Cigra in Krusevac were incinerated in a fire which broke out in
the Nova Deva department store. According to the first, unofficial
facts, 15,000 German marks worth of television and radio equipment
were lost in the fire. The cause of the fire is assumed to be the
careless handling of an electrical heater during the power cuts, Beta
reports.

MONTENEGRIN TELEVISION ATTACKS DOS AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA

PODGORICA, October 25 2000 - Montenegrin state television last night
broadcast a harsh comment on Belgrade media and the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia, accusing them of double standards toward Serbian
and Montenegrin interests.

The comment by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Montenegrin Television
Darko Sukovic accused the Belgrade media, especially dailies Danas and
Glas javnosti, of "orchestrated attacks on Montenegro and accusations
of separatism".

In the Milosevic era, only media he controlled did that, and now
everybody in Belgrade is involved, forgetting that they came to
Montenegro to register when fleeing from Milosevic's Public
Information Act", the comment concluded.

LJUBICA MARKOVIC RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL AWARD

VILLA SAN GIOVANI, October 25 2000 - Editor-in-Chief of Belgrade's
Beta news agency, Ljubica Markovic has been awarded the International
Calabrie award in Italy. Markovic was given the award for her "courage
and competence in running the Beta news agency," which, the
organisation said,  "by challenging Slobodan Milosevic's regime since
1994, had become one of the most important free agencies".

JOURNALISTS PROPOSE ROGANOVIC FOR STUDIO B DIRECTOR

BELGRADE, October 26 2000 - Longstanding journalist and editor of
Studio B Milorad Roganovic told FoNet yesterday that he was honoured
that a group of journalists and founders from Studio B had nominated
him as director of this media house. Roganovic specified that the
proposal for his candidacy had been signed by seventy prominent Studio
B employees. The proposal has been sent to Belgrade Mayor Milan St.
Protic, President of the City Government Nenad Bogdanovic and DOS
leaders Zoran Djindjic and Goran Svilanovic.

The explanation of his candidacy emphasises that Roganovic is the
right choice if the powers that be also want professional as well as
political qualities in Studio B's first man.

The other serious contenders for the position, besides Roganovic,
include Social Democracy Vice President, federal representative and
former BK Television and Studio B journalist, Slobodan Orlic.

EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SERBIAN JOURNALISTS

BELGRADE, October 26 2000 - Members of the Association of Serbian
Journalists Initiative Council today appealed to all journalists to
attend the organisation's extraordinary session scheduled for October
28.

The association also warned journalists not to respect any decisions
made by the "estranged Managing Board" headed by Milorad Komrakov
whose mandate expired some considerable time ago.

Member of the Initiative Council and Tanjug and Vecernje novosti
journalist Dusan Radovanovic told B92 that the aim of the
extraordinary session was to "clean out the Komrakov leftovers and the
damage he has done to this honourable association which has a 120 year
tradition". "That is why we decided to elect the temporary
leadership," said Radovanovic adding that the Association had nothing
against the Independent Association joining them or vice versa, and
making a "joint assembly". "We believe we have the same aim, that of
cherishing the profession," Radovanovic told B92.

PREDRAG POPOVIC: TELEVISION MONTENEGRO LIKE TELEVISION SERBIA

PODGORICA, October 26 2000 - Vice-president of the Montenegrin
Parliament Predrag Popovic yesterday protested in the Montenegrin
Parliament on behalf of the People's Party against the guest
appearance of author Mirko Kovac on Television Montenegro,
particularly with respect to his assessment that "Montenegro's place
was not in this sick state".

Digressing from the parliamentary agenda, since the scheduled session
had been dedicated to the election of judges to the Montenegrin
Parliament, Popovic assessed that the screens of Television Montenegro
were "radiating hatred toward a people from a long time ago," not
specifying which people he meant.

Indirectly drawing attention to the comment broadcast on TV
Montenegro's prime time news programme on Tuesday, Popovic accused
Radio Television Montenegro of turning into Radio Television Serbia in
Komrakov's time, adding that the television company was headed by
hatemongering editors.

Popovic was supported by Predrag Bulatovic, head of the Socialist
People's Party representative group, who announced that his party
would leave all state media programming committees.

TELEVISION MONTENEGRO DISMISSES ACCUSATIONS

PODGORICA, October 26 2000 - Television Montenegro editorial staff
yesterday dismissed "with contempt" the accusations made by the
People's Party regarding the anti-Serb editorial policy of this media,
Beta reports today. A statement issued by the editorial collegium said
that the People's Party was primarily discontent because the state
television channels were not divided by the party principle and
because its officials were allegedly not given enough coverage.

"After futile attempts to dismiss the Television Montenegro collegium,
the People's Party have resorted to making the worst possible
accusations about the alleged spread of anti-Serb sentiment", said the
statement. "Tested nationalists are accusing those who dedicate their
work to the spreading of peace and international tolerance," the
Montenegro Television editors claimed.

JOJIC: NO GROUNDS FOR BROVINA AMNESTY

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - The Federal Minister of Justice Petar
Jojic has not accepted Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's
initiative to begin procedures for the permanent release of Flora
Brovina.

In a letter to Kostunica, Jojic reminded the president of the trial
chronology and remarked there were no reasons to begin the amnesty
procedure. "The authorised court in Nis should deal with the Brovina
case and repeat the trial in order to establish the truth and make a
legal decision," Jojic said.

BROVINA SHOULD BE RELEASED THROUGH LEGAL PROCEDURES

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - Defenders of the imprisoned Albanian poet
Flora Brovina, sentenced to 12 years for terrorism and conspiring
against the state, sated yesterday that her release should not be
carried out politically, by means of a pardon, but through legal
procedures.

"Flora Brovina is the innocent victim of an unfounded and groundless
persecution, in addition to which she has spent most of her time in
custody illegally and against the law," one of her lawyers Branko
Stanic told Beta.

Stanic explained that Brovina had been imprisoned based on an illegal
act, whose creator should answer for the violation of the law before a
judge.

"They have launched a political procedure to resolve her case, one
which overrides the legal procedures we have filed with the Supreme
Court. Who would have expected the ministry, headed by Jojic to accept
a pardon proposed by Kostunica", Stanic concluded.

KOSTUNICA'S OFFICE FILES PROTEST TO CBS

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's
office sent a protest letter yesterday to the president of the CBS
NEWS company, A. Hayword, demanding an explanation for the
unprofessional and unethical behaviour of this company regarding an
interview with President Kostunica, FoNet reports.

"On October 15, despite the president's busy schedule at a time of
dramatic and democratic changes in our country, the CBS crew shot a
conversation with President Kostunica lasting 100 minutes. However, on
October 24 coverage of the interview was aired containing only several
minutes of the president's reply to only one question from this
interview, taken completely out of context," said the letter from the
head of the Yugoslav president's office Ljiljana Nedeljkovic.

"This case it is not the only professional slip made by your company.
Throughout the entire day before the programme was aired, the CBS web
page featured a press release which included a series of untruths and
words President Kostunica did not use, to questions which were not
asked in the programme, concluded the letter.

INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION: WE CANNOT ACCEPT THE INVITATION

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - The Independent Association of Serbian
Journalists yesterday replied to the Association of Serbian
Journalists Initiative Committee stating that it could not accept the
invitation for a joint assembly, FoNet reports today.

"The fact that we have different goals was clearly shown during the
last ten years with tragic consequences for journalists, the media and
our society as a whole. You failed to carry out your basic duty of
defending the profession. You did not raise your voice when
journalists were thrown out on political orders, when entire media
were closed down, when journalists were harassed, arrested, convicted
to long time prison sentences and when non-government media were
stripped of their property," said the statement.

The text emphasised that the Association had not stood up against the
shameful rhetoric of hatred which had openly called for the
persecution of political opponents, supported warmongering, demanded
the lynching of the inappropriate which had all contributed to the
murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija.

NEW LEADERSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SERBIAN RADIO STATIONS APPOINTED

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - The Association of Serbian Radio Stations
yesterday, after a two-year break, held a session of the Assembly to
appoint the new leadership of the institution, Beta reports today.
Former deputy director Velimir Milosevic was appointed acting
director, while Editor-in-Chief of Radio Television Kraljevo Alen
Knezevic was appointed president of the Assembly. Director of Radio
Podrinje from Loznica Dragan Vucetic was elected president of the
Managing Board. The primary task of the new officials will be to
regain the reputation of the Association because the previous
management headed by Ivan Markovic destroyed all the Association's
activities for their personal and party interests, especially during
the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia," said the statement.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES AGAINST CUKIC

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - The temporary management body of the Borba
and Vecernje novosti publishing house voted on Wednesday to launch
disciplinary procedures against former acting director and
Editor-in-Chief of Vecernje novosti Dusan Cukic, and to temporarily
relieve him of duties. Cukic's deputy Ilija Zurovac also suffered the
B
same fate , while his assistant Ivan Pajdic was relieved of his duties
because he had not shown up for work for more than five working days.

SECTOR DIRECTORS APPOINTED IN POLITIKA

BELGRADE, October 27 2000 - The director of the temporary managing
body of the Politika AD Company, Darko Ribnikar, appointed journalist
from the paper's foreign politics department Slobodan Aleksendric as
acting director of the paper's affairs. According to Politika ekspres,
journalist from the economy department Ljubodrag Cudomirovic was
appointed acting director of financial affairs.

ZDF AIDS TELEVISION MONTENEGRO

PODGORICA, October 27 2000 - The several-month cooperation between
Television Montenegro and German national television ZDF will be
crowned by the investment of one million seven hundred thousand German
marks, Television Montenegro stated today.

Montenegrin national television will thus become, in common with all
European television companies, equipped with modern desks thus
enabling the info-political programme to implement the "Television -
public service" project.

It was stated that out of the total two million Deutsche Marks
intended for the development of media in the Balkans, Germany had
invested almost the entire sum in Television Montenegro.

In a letter to Television Montenegro editor-in-chief Velibor Covic,
German television ZDF announced that the approved technical aid to
Montenegrin national television would be carried out by the end of the
year, Fonet reports.



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