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ANEM media update
MULTILINGUAL PRISTINA RADIO KONTAKT HARASSED
Belgrade, December 3 1999 -- The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
protests at the December 2 break in and theft of transmission equipment to the value of
15,000 US$ from the studios of ANEM’s Pristina affiliate multilingual, multiethnic
independent Radio Kontakt. In light of this latest in a series of obstructions to the
broadcasts of Radio Kontakt, ANEM calls on UNMIK, KFOR and the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe to urgently provide adequate protection for the station’s
staff and ensure that the station’s work can continue unhindered.
Furthermore, ANEM urges the competent authorities in Pristina to carry out
investigations at the earliest possible opportunity into the theft, and ensure that the
stolen equipment is returned to Radio Kontakt.
In its press release of November 29, ANEM condemned the constant and systematic
harassment of Radio Kontakt, which holds a valid broadcasting licence. Radio Kontakt was
re-launched as a multiethnic, multi-lingual station late this summer, broadcasting in
Albanian, Serbian and Turkish, after being closed down in summer 1998 by the Serbian
authorities. Radio Kontakt's journalists have stayed true to their commitment to provide
different ethnic and language groups in Pristina access to professional balanced news, but
now face various forms of obstruction. Since its re-launch, the station’s
transmissions have been frequently jammed and a number of stories criticising the station
have appeared in the local print media in Kosovo.
The director of Radio Kontakt, Zvonko Tarle, reported to ANEM that a car belonging to
the station was stolen in broad daylight in Pristina town centre on November 25, despite
being clearly marked as a "Press" vehicle. The station’s director has also
reported that a journalist from the station had experienced verbal threats, and that the
station had been unable to secure from local authorities a telephone connection.
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