Veran Matic, ANEM Chairman, Editor in
Chief Radio B92,
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
tel: +381-11-322-9109 fax: +381-11-322-4378
anem@opennet.org // http://www.anem.opennet.org
DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANISATION
In 1993 a group of local independent broadcast media in Serbia and Montenegro - Radio
B92, Radio Bum 93, Radio Antena M, Radio Bajina Basta, Radio Smederovo, and NTV Studio B -
founded the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM). By 1996 a series of
government crackdowns had reduced the number of active members to four - Radio B92, Radio
Bum 93, Radio Antena M and Radio Bajina Basta. In December 1996 this number fell to three
when the Serbian government also banned Radio Bum 93. In June 1997 this situation changed
dramatically and the broadcast network expanded its membership to include 19 independent
local radio and thirteen television stations across Serbia and Montenegro. In September
1997, ANEM pressure on the government also led to the lifting of the year-long ban on the
private Radio Bum 93. Today that network collectively reaches 80% of Yugoslavia's
population and the membership has increased to 32 radio and 17 TV stations.
From the outset, ANEM's overarching aim has been to build a network of professional
broadcast media across Yugoslavia which is equipped to provide citizens with timely,
accurate and balanced news, political analysis and public information. In addition, a key
goal of the Network is to build solid commercial management structures for
self-sustainability. For example, ANEM’s one-stop central advertising sales
department for the Network will offer advertisers an easy route into the local radio
advertising market, thus generating revenues for affiliates from a hitherto untapped
source.
In addition to commercial management and programming support, ANEM provides regular
journalism skills training, a production facility for in-house training, equipment aid,
free legal support and political defence for all affiliate members.
The member stations are all united by a shared commitment to the fundamental principles
of professional journalistic ethics and standards, democracy, respect for human rights and
tolerance.
ANEM's Network has the following broad goals:
- to ensure that local communities receive accurate and balanced information, by providing
local stations with in-country and international networking options
- to enhance the quality of programming, by co-ordinating the efforts of member stations
to acquire, produce, and distribute programs
- to establish higher journalistic standards, by providing training and education
opportunities at all levels for technical staff and journalists, managers and sales staff
- centralised subscriptions to news agencies and international features
- to strengthen local level commercial management know-how in the advertising sales
departments to increase the overall revenue generated by the Network and put in place the
local foundations for self-sustainability
- to build a central advertising sales hub to generate revenue for the Network and put in
place the central foundations for self-sustainability
- to establish an intra-Network News Agency, to operate via the Internet (Real Audio and
Real Video) until the launch of satellite, and thereafter via satellite
P.O. Box, CH-8031
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