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SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAV AREA IN 2001

ABSTRACT

Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawie’s support programme for the year 2001 consists of 50 projects (a few consisting of several sub-projects) throughout the region: 2 in Croatia; 4 in Bosnia Herzegovina; 7 in Montenegro; 8 in Kosov@; 21 in Serbia (14 in central Serbia, 4 in Vojvodina and 1 in Sandzak) and 8 in Macedonia. They include 141 different media organisations, while realisation of some of them would fulfil some of basic needs of all independent media in their respective countries.

We already applied for the support at DEZA/AZO and EDA PAIIIb Section for Global Peace Policy, but hope to get funding from other sources: towns and canton, private foundations, media houses, and various associations. We hope that you will also continue supporting our partners.

• Croatia

After the opposition won the elections in the beginning of 2000, Croatia was by many immediately seen as democratic country which does not need support any more. It is very difficult to get support for media there. Therefore, we have only two projects in Croatia. The first one is the cross-border project for Education-informative news service for minority rights and inter-ethnic relations, realised by STINA News Agency in Split and SAFAX News Agency in Sarajevo. The second is the project for electronic news archive in Zagreb.

• Bosnia-Herzegovina

The priority is given to projects aimed at providing cross-entity communication and to strengthening independent broadcast media in Republika Srpska who have professional reporting and support civic instead of nationalist approach. There are two network projects. The first is the network of 6 TV stations: ATV in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska); TV Hayat in Sarajevo, NTV Zetel in Zenica, TV Tuzla, TV Mostar and TV Oscar C in western part of Mostar (all in Federation BiH). The second is DRINA Radio Netwok, which gathers 5 radio stations along the river Drina, the only independent media in this area of BiH: Radio Dina in Skelani/Srebrenica, Radio Osvit iz Zvornik, Radio Magic in Milici, Radio Palma in Bratunac and Radio Pan in Bijeljina. Beside, we want to especially support ATV in Banja Luka, currently the most professional independent TV station in BiH and ONASA News Agency in Sarajevo, the only agency which pays attention to events in both entities.

• Montenegro

Also here, the networking projects are one of priorities. UNEM – Association of Independent Electronic Media needs infrastructure for connecting 11 radio stations who are its members, while MONTPRES, which gathers all 7 Montenegrin independent newspapers, seeks support to buy newsprint for 3 months. Roto-Slog printing house in Podgorica, where all independent press is printed, has to leave current premises till March 31 as the owner refused to prolong contract, and needs urgent support for building a montage hall. Radio MIR (Peace) in Tuzi, the only broadcaster in Albanian language in Montenegro has the project for cross-border broadcaster together with Radio VAT in Skopje and Radio Shkodra in Albania. Finally, it is important to support two regional papers – ONOGOST in Niksic (reporting on privatisation and corruption issues) and POLJE in Bijelo Polje (inter-ethnic Bosniak-Montenegrin/Serb communication and dialogue).

• Kosov@

Absolute priority represent multi-ethnic and minority media. We are very happy that there is a rise of local independent multi-ethnic media in Kosov@ and think that they diserve every possible support. Beside old partner, Radio CONTACT in Pristina, we have two projects more: Radio K in Kosovo Polje and TV Studio Prizreni. Two stations operating in two biggest Serb enclaves in Kosov@ play very important role: Radio CONTACT PLUS in northern part of Mitrovica and Radio MAX in in Gnjilan. Independent TV production group MOZAIK, has the project for education TV broadcasts related to human and minority rights, as well as women and youth issues. Besides, we want to continue supporting ZERI, both daily and weekly, as one of two existing newspapers in Albanian who fulfil professional criteria in its reporting. Media monitoring is very important activity which influences rise of media professionalism and thus we want to support GANI BOBI Center, the only qualified local organisation able to do such kind of work.

• Serbia

The largest number of projects we have in Serbia. Independent media scene is much more developed in Serbia than in other countries and there are much more projects that deserve support. One of priorities is to support media networks in order to enable them to develop capacities for self-sustainability in market-economy conditions. Here we have two partners: ANEM, which gathers 32 local independent radio and 18 TV stations and LOCAL PRESS, which includes 21 local independent newspaper. To ensure that democratisation process will really take place, it is extremely important to support RTV B92 to become the broadcaster with national licence which is out of the government control. Media projects in minority languages play very important role in protection of human and minority rights. We have a large number of such projects in Serbia: Radio 021 in Novi Sad and Radio and TV VK in Kikinda and Senta (all three in Vojvodina), independent Radio Novi Pazar (Sandzak), JEHONA bi-weekly in Albanian language in Bujanovac, and a number of media in Roma language: FROLI TV production and Radio NISAVA in Nis, Radio VOPICE of ROMA in Belgrade, as well as TV news programme in Roma on RTV KRAGUJEVAC. As regionally important projects in parts of the country with sensitive inter-ethnic relations we additionally have daily VOJVODINA in Novi Sad and two projects in south of Serbia: Radio OK in Vranje and TV GRK in Prokuplje. News agency BETA, on whose services all independent media in Serbia and many other media in the region are dependant deserves a special attention. Development of good-quality TV production, especially on topics related to human rights, inter-ethnic tolerance and war crimes will be supported to. Partners are independent production groups: UrbaNS from Novi Sad, ARCHITEL and MREZA from Belgrade. Finally, support will be given to MALE NOVINE, the only children’s newspaper in Serbia, which has a good approach in educating young generation for a life in tolerant multi-ethnic society.

• Macedonia

After a longer preparation and assessment of problems and needs, Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien decided to start with concrete support to independent media in Macedonia. Fragile inter-ethnic relations in this country have rapidly been deteriorating last months and there is a high danger of conflict escalation. Our priority is given to projects for establishing better conditions for inter-ethnic dialogue in Macedonia and cross-border dialogue with neighbouring counties, as well as to strengthen minority media. We have two projects of media in Roma language – Radio Cherenja in Stip and TV BTR Nacional in Skopje. Also media in Albanian language are among partners: Radio VAT and weekly LOBI in Skopje. Network of 5 TV stations – TV ERA in Skopje and TV ART in Tetovo (in Albanian), TV TERA (Bitola), TV VIS in Strumica and TV ZDRAVKIN in Veles (all in Macedonian) – for programme exchange and co-operation ahs a special importance. TV TERA has a project for a week 30 minutes programme on cross-border dialogue of citizens in three countries: Macedonia-Albania-Greece. Besides, projects for legal protection of journalists and establishing of electronic news archive are included too.

NEXT: SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAV AREA IN 2001 (Detailed strategy paper)

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