<nettime> STATEMENT

[Veran Matic <matic@b92.opennet.org> (by way of Drazen Pantic <drazen@opennet.org>)]

ANEM STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE RADIO AND TV
STATIONS

Federal and republic-level state institutions have continued to mount a
coordinated campaign to close radio and TV stations down within the
FRYugoslavia beyond the deadline - June 30 1997 - set by the Yugoslav
Ministry for Transport and Telecommunications for the submission of
documentation necessary to gain a working licence. The Ministry, working in
concert with the police, inspectors and other state law enforcement bodies,
has failed not only to provide temporary working licences after that
deadline for stations with 'incomplete documentation' until proposed changes
to exisiting regulations have been defined, but also omitted to release any
official public statement explaining when and how proposals to legalise
those stations without the necessary papers would be implemented.

Instead, authorities have stepped up their campaign to shut radio and
televisions down, and have exerted particular pressure on many of those
stations who complied with the Ministry's demand and submitted all available
documentation.

It is therefore obvious to us, as members of the Association of Independent
Broadcast Media, that the Ministry is using its updated data base not to
legalise stations but to close them once and for all, and with the
unneccessary assistence of armed police.

In addition to imposing a ban on broadcast stations, the authorities have
confiscated broadcasting equipment. Although stations have submitted
official complaints against the action in due time, they have received no
reply
nor any decision from the competent Ministry. Even those stations which hold
a full working licence - e.g. TV Trstenik - have been banned. (TV Trstenik
has a full working licence, however an additional paper which records an
agreement to allow it to switch channels was taken when the SPS handed over
control of the station to the opposition after the last elections. It is
this paper which is cited as the reason for the ban.)

It is our belief that the current bans constitute the largest government
campaign to shut down media in the FRYugoslavia we have seen. The reason
given is not their illegal status, nor are they being jammed as has been the
case before. The authorities are instead mounting a campaign based on
objections to the information the stations provide - The Ministry for
Transport and Telecommunications warns that these stations are a threat to
human wellbeing. Other non-information broadcasters are also being shut down
as a preventative measure to ensure that there are no new channels of free
information in the future. The tiniest bureaucratic discrepency is being
used arbitrarily to shut a station down, and as all regulations are made
without forewarning stations have no way of anticipating a possible ban.

When the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications does not have
sufficient documentation of its own, other organs of the state are called in
to shut down undesirable stations - the financial police, police for
economic crime, various state inspectors. 

That is why we believe the current clean up is a coordinated nation-wide
action involving a broad spectrum of state institutions and organs with the
governing Socialist Party of Serbia at its helm, rather than the regular
work of the Ministry for Transport and Telecommunications.

When the Serbian Ministry of Information pledged democratic reform in the
media it promised that no stations would be shut down before the next
elections. Minister Milentijevic would now appear to be nothing more than a
smoke-screen for the benefit of international observors for the repressive
essence of the state's true policy on media.

The Association of Electronia Broadcast Media, in order to protect the
interests of members and all other endangered broadcast media in the
FRYugoslavia, again WARNS all those organisations interested in protecting
freedom of information that the actions of Yugoslav authorities continue to
violate this fundamental democratic right. We call on you to do your upmost
to halt this repressive campaign against the media and place pressure on the
authorities here to stand by their pledge of media freedom.

The Association also also calls on all endangered radio and TV stations,
regardless of whether or not they are members of the Association, to contact
us - in this way we will be equipped to provide accurate information to the
public. We would also then be better able to support those stations under
threat outside the Association.

ANEM calls on all those effected to use all legal avenues available to lift
the ban, as it is our legal right and a proper response to the illegal
actions of the state. ANEM also calls on all broadcasters to inform the
public of the true aim and nature of the current 'clean up' operation as
well as the legal response banned stations have made.

In order to continue in our role as information providers, we suggest that
alternative ways of transmitting programming be found whereever possible -
various group and individual information actions should be organised.

We also call on all those stations whose broadcast has not been banned to
exercise their information capacity, exchange programming, donate
programming time, have guest spots and provide other useful means of support
to banned stations.

ANEM will continue to release statements as the situation develops, to
inform the public, to follow closely the development of the state's campaign
to close down broadcast media and to support in whatever way it can all
those endangered radio and TV stations.

On behalf of ANEM
Veran Matic
Editor in Chief of Radio B92, Belgrade                

ENCLOSED - List of banned radio and TV stations by 23.7.97:

1.  Radio Boom 93 - Pozarevac (banned on 3 December 1996)
2.  Radio Duga - Pozarevac (19 July 1997)
3.  Radio Folk Duga - Pozarevac (19 July 1997)
4.  Radio Dabar -  Pozarevac (19 July 1997)
5.  TV Duga - Pozarevac (19 July 1997)
6.  TV Sat TV- Pozarevac (19 July 1997)
7.  RTV San - Novi Pazar (27 May 1997)
8.  JU Radio - Novi Pazar (27 May 1997)
9.  Radio Skala - Novi Pazar (27 May 1997)
10.  Radio Jedinstvo - Novi Pazar (27 May 1997)
11.  Radio Pozega -Pozega (29 May 1997)
12.  TV Pancevo - Pancevo (17 July 1997)
13.  Radio Melos  -Kraljevo (20 July 1997)
14.  Radio Globus - Kraljevo (20 July 1997)
15.  Radio Miks  -Kraljevo (20 July 1997)
16.  TV Trstenik - Trstenik
17.  TV BK (banned broadcast in the region of Pec in Kosovo)
18.  Eko Radio - Cacak (14 July 1997)
19.  Radio 96 - Cacak (14 July 1997)
20.  Radio Star FM - Cacak (14 July 1997)
21.  Radio Soliter - Cacak (14 July 1997)
22.  Radio Dzoker - Cacak (14 July 1997)
23.  Radio Dzenarika - Cacak (14 July 1997)
24.  TV Galaksija - Cacak (14 July 1997)
25.  TV Jefimija - Krusevac (21 July 1997)
26.  TV Kanal Plus - Krusevac (21 July 1997)
27.  Radio Krusevac II Program - Krusevac (21 July 1997)
28.  Radio OK Studio - Krusevac (21 July 1997)
29.  Radio VK - Kikinda (25 June 1997)
30.  Radio AMI - Kikinda (25 June 1997)
31.   Radio Golf  - Belgrade (8 July 1997)
32.  Radio TDI  - Belgrade (8 July 1997)
33.  Radio Roda - Belgrade (8 July 1997)
34.  Radio Stenka - Belgrade (8 July 1997)
35.  Radio Top FM - Belgrade (8 July 1997)
36.  Radio Ritam - Pancevo (17 July 1997)
37.  Radio Safir - Pancevo (17 July 1997)
38.  Radio Egeta - Brza Palanka 
39.  Radio Spektar - Pancevo (17 July 1997)
40.  TV Kanal 10 - Kraljevo
41.  Radio Puls - Kraljevo
42.  Radio Amaro - Sjenica
43.  Vikom Radio - Sabac
44.  Radio Civija - Sabac
45.  Radio AS - Sabac
46.  Radio Nesvil - Bogatic
47.  Radio Koceljeva - Koceljeva 
48.  Radio Vladimirci - Vladimirci
49.  Radio TV Lotel - Loznica
50.  Radio Cer - Lipolist
51.  Maksi Radio - Bogatic
52.  Radio OM - Loznica
53.  Radio Tufa - Kladovo
54.  Radio Kometa 030 - Bor
55.  Radio Luna - Lunovo Selo

  
NOTE: TV Trstenik, TV Pancevo, Radio Boom 93, Radio OK Studio and Radio
Pozega are members of the Association of the Independent Electronic Media.













 




































   










































 


























 



































--
Veran Matic, Editor in Chief		                 tel: +381-11-322-9922
Radio B92, Belgrade, Yugoslavia			         fax: +381-11-324-8075

          Radio B92 Official Web Site --- http://www.opennet.org/


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