ANEM WEEKLY REPORT ON MEDIA REPRESSION IN SERBIA

NOVEMBER 18 - NOVEMBER 24, 2000.

BELA PALANKA INHABITANTS OCCUPY LOCAL RADIO

BELA PALANKA, November 18, 2000 - Otpor activists and the inhabitants of Bela Palanka occupied the premises of the local radio station yesterday in protest at the local Left parties decision to form local power themselves, ANEM correspondent reports. Although the left won 35 compared with the Democratic Opposition of Serbia's 6 board mandates at the recent local elections according to the decision of the local electoral commission, they did not succeeded in setting up the local Municipal Assembly. The inhabitants of Bela Palanka deemed that the results did not represent the real will of the people and thus prevented them from holding the constitutive session. After the unsuccessful attempt to begin the session, 20 Left representatives withdrew into the local Socialist Party of Serbia premises setting up the Bela Palanka Municipal Assembly and also electing the new management. Dissatisfied with the decision, Otpor members and 6 DOS representatives with the support of dissatisfied Bela Palanka inhabitants occupied the local radio station founded by the municipality and began broadcasting Free Radio Otpor programmes. Left representative Dejan Milekovic returned his representative mandate, demanding that the elections in his electoral unit be repeated and calling on his colleagues to do the same. The Bela Palanka inhabitants demanded the same action.

BORIS TADIC: PROPOSAL ON STATE OF RADIO DIFFUSION FIXING

BELGRADE, November 18, 2000 - Federal Minister of Telecommunications Boris Tadic yesterday announced his intention to propose the adoption of measures for the permanent and final resolution of the state in radio diffusion, which he described as being in a state of total chaos, at the next Federal Government session. The following measures will be proposed: the setting up of a moratorium on radio and television frequency allocation, the recording of the present situation on the spot i.e. locating all stations which currently broadcast programmes, an analysis of issued licenses, decisions and signed contracts, as well as frequency planning and their balancing with neighbouring countries. Commenting on foreign investment in the radio diffusion area before the adoption of these new measures, Minister Tadic stressed that investors need to exercise caution so as not to buy 'a pig in a poke' and that it should be understand as a warning to domestic and foreign investors. "Shortly before this press conference I talked with three French television houses and I told them about this, but at the same time I promised them that our legal regulations in this area would be in harmony with European ones, but this must happen first in our political, cultural and economic life since the creation of further chaos by the introduction of a new act would be even more dangerous."

When asked who had started the broadcasting of the new signal with the Belgrade open programme logo, Minister Tadic said that he had sent workers from the control-measure center on Thursday to find out whom the so-called Belgrade open programme belonged to.

PARTIES SHARE OUT MEDIA DIRECTORSHIPS

BELGRADE, November 18, 2000 - Representatives of Montenegro's Socialist People's Party and the Democratic Opposition of Serbia today discussed the allocation of positions in federal bodies, federal public institutions and public companies. The vice-president of the Socialist People's Party, Srdja Bozovic, told Beta after the meeting that specific personnel had not been discussed but that the Serbs and Montenegrins had divided the positions among themselves in line with the coalition agreement on a proportion of 56:44.

The director of the Borba publishing house would come from the ranks of DOS and his deputy from the Montenegrin Party which would also nominate the daily Borba editor-in-chief, while his deputy would be from DOS. DOS would appoint the director of Radio Television Yugoslavia and the editor-in-chief and deputy editor of Yu Info Channel. Yu Info Radio senior editorial staff would come from the Socialist People's Party. The Montenegrin coalition partner would also appoint the director of state news agency Tanjug and the editor of the Yugoslav Official Gazette.

NEW CONTRACT BETWEEN TV MLADENOVAC AND STUDIO B

BELGRADE, November 18, 2000 - The Mladenovac Assembly Executive Board yesterday adopted the proposal of the new contract regulating relations between Radio Television Studio B and Television Mladenovac. The contract defined details concerning the broadcasting and rebroadcasting of Studio B programmes, and Beta correspondent from Mladenovac and the editor-in-chief of Pecat Sasa Markovic were proposed for the positions of the local television executive director and editor-in-chief, reports Beta.

CACANSKI GLAS EMPLOYEES BEGIN STRIKE

CACAK, November 19, 2000 - Weekly Cacanski glas employees yesterday voted to strike because of irregular salary payments and demanded 'that the lawlessness in managing enormous foreign currency donations by the leading managers of the company be made public', reports Beta. Yesterday's edition of Cacanski glas, which was found by the Municipal Assembly along with radio and television Cacak, appeared with fewer pages, and the strikers' demands were published in the introductory text. Radio Cacak employees announced that they would join the strike on November 20 if their demands for regular salary payments were not fulfilled in accordance with the special collective contract.

OTPOR STILL EDITS RADIO BELA PALANKA PROGRAMMES

BELA PALANKA, November 19, 2000 - Radio Bela Palanka broadcast Free Radio Otpor programmes from Friday when Otpor activists supported by the inhabitants of Bela Palanka occupied the premises of the local radio station. Radio Bela Palanka employees simultaneously went on strike. Journalist Boban Golubovic said that the striker's demands were the appointment of an editor-in-chief who would be suitable for all sides and an immediate change in editorial policy in order to ensure objective and timely informing. DOS and Otpor member Milan Jovanovic told B92 that Radio Otpor Bela Palanka hoped that the wave of changes that had caught the whole of Serbia would also finally catch Bela Palanka. Police officers who were in the radio premises for a short period of time stated that they would only intervene in the case of serious clashes.

IVAN PAJDIC HEARING ON ALEKSANDAR TIJANIC'S CHARGES

BELGRADE, November 19, 2000 - Belgrade daily Danas published a report in Saturday's double issue from the hearing relating to private charges filed by journalist Aleksandar Tijanic against former Borba journalist and editor-in-chief Ivan Pajdic. Tijanic charged Pajdic with slander in an article entitled 'Independent announcement of terrorism' published in Borba on February 15, 2000. In the disputed article Pajdic accused Tijanic of having advance knowledge about the preparations for the assassination of Federal Minister of Defense Pavle Bulatovic and of providing media support for the murder thus protecting the assassins by not carrying out his duty as a citizen and failing in his legal obligation to warn the authorities. Danas writes that during Pajdic's hearing, special attention was paid to the motives for publishing the article in such times when another journalist, Slavko Curuvija, lost his life for publishing a similar text. Pajdic stated that he thought Tijanic had known that Minister Bulatovic would be killed. In the disputed text, Pajdic wrote that 'independence in journalism is connected with treason', but when asked whether he was a traitor, since he wrote independently, he answered in the negative. Lawyers Zdenko Tomanovic and Goran Draganic asked him whether he was aware that his article would lead to public charges being brought against Tijanic, Pajdic did not have a concrete answer, but commented that every journalist was responsible for his own actions and that in his opinion the text had not been a call for lynch. The hearing of Aleksandar Tijanic, who filed the charges, was scheduled for January 31, 2001.

COVIC: NO AGREEMENT ON RTS

BELGRADE, November 20, 2000 - Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian transitional government Nebojsa Covic today denied reports published earlier on Sunday that the government had reached agreement concerning the management of Radio Television Serbia. At a press conference after the session, journalists were given documents stating that RTS would be managed by a collegium of three directors and three editors-in-chief, each representing the parties in the transitional government. Covic said that he had refused to sign such an agreement describing it as manipulation and fraud on the part of the Socialists in their attempt to buy more time and block the normal functioning of the country. It had previously been declared that at its session on Sunday the Serbian transitional government had appointed the Radio Television Serbia Managing Board, the Radio Television Serbia Director Collegium and the Collegium which would carry out the functions of the media house editor-in-chief. According to the information, the Managing Board consisted of twelve members, i.e. four representatives from the Socialist Party of Serbia, the Serbian Renewal Movement and the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. The members of the Collegium of directors were reported to be Vojislav Milenkovic, Dragan Kolarevic and Nenad Ristic and the function of editor-in-chief would be carried out by Dragan Kojadinovic, Milos Markovic and Gordana Susa, reports B92.

STATE MEDIA OFF THE AIR OVER GOVERNMENT DECISION

BELGRADE, November 20, 2000 - Radio Television Serbia union members took the state television network off the air briefly last night in protest over the appointment of a new management. A statement from the national broadcaster's Strike Committee said that employees would stand up to anyone who thought it was possible to bring the country back to the state in was in before October 5. The statement was read before last night's evening news programme and the blackout followed immediately.

MONTENEGRIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS WITHOUT FEDERAL AUTHORITY

PODGORICA, November 20, 2000 - Montenegrin Minister of Economy Vojin Djukanovic yesterday described as groundless the statement made by Federal Minister of Telecommunications Boris Tadic that the domain of telecommunications within Montenegrin Government authority would be soon back under federal administration authority. In a statement made for Radio Montenegro, Djukanovic stressed that Tadic 'firstly, must deal with the illegal use of military facilities for YU Info television and request licenses from the Montenegro Ministry like all other electronic media'. Djukanovic also said that the Montenegrin Government would talk only with the Serbian Government since it did not recognise illegal and illegitimate federal organs. "There has been no contact with the federal administration which deals with telecommunications, and there will be none in the future', concluded Djukanovic, reports FoNet.

ONE OF ABC PRODUKT DIRECTORS MISSING

BELGRADE, November 20, 2000 - Belgrade daily Glas javnosti editorial team stated yesterday that on Saturday at the very door to the printing house and editorial offices the daily's director and editor-in-chief's car had been stolen. The statement issued yesterday said that the theft and simultaneously burning out of the alarm device in the Managing board President's car had taken place under 'strange circumstances' while two unknown persons were inquiring about ABC Product Director Predrag Nikezic who 'had disappeared around ten days ago under suspicious circumstances'. "This chain of events indicates the possibility of Mafia pressure on ABC Produkt which could be caused by the present attempts at correcting a number of irregularities carried out against the company in the recent period', concluded the statement, reports Beta.

POLEMICS ON RTS CONTINUE

BELGRADE, November 21, 2000 - Serbian Government members from the Socialist Party of Serbia and Government Deputy President form the Democratic Opposition of Serbia Nebojsa Covic held press conferences in the Serbian Government yesterday. As Radio B92 reports, the subject of the press conferences was the Government session where it was decided that the Radio Television Serbia Managing Board, director's collegium and editorial team would be made up of representatives from the Socialist Party of Serbia, the Serbian Renewal Movement and the Democratic Opposition of Serbia as well as the democratic opposition of Serbia's subsequent decision not to agree with it.

Prime Minister Milomir Minic said that the three-member management structure of RTS had been agreed along with the agreement on the scheduling of the extraordinary parliamentary elections in Serbia. Minic presented papers from a government session yesterday showing that a consensus had been reached in a cabinet meeting on the state media appointments. Stressing that Government decisions were formally signed after the session, and that Covic had refused to do so, Minic added that the matter was an unseen attempt at manipulation on the part of DOS.

Deputy Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic responded to Minic's statement by denying that any vote had taken place on such an issue within the Serbian Government. "I do not want to polemise with them as to whether they are right or wrong, I do not want to sign that, and until I do sign it, the decision cannot be carried out. If I decide to polemise with them, then I will polemise with them about the last five years. On the other hand, if we are wrong, let them see what it was like when they were in the wrong. I do not want polemics with Minic on the subject since I know how much it upsets him when technology changes sides. But, I cannot help him there', said Covic. He stressed that DOS was ready to accept the Managing Board where the people from RTS would be represented, but only in the case that the media house director would be Nenad Ristic, and editor-in-chief Gordana Susa. "Our citizens did not burn the premises of Radio Television Serbia in order for those who spread the rhetoric of hatred via TV screens to came back there now', added Covic.

Serbian Renewal Movement President Vuk Draskovic estimated that Deputy Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic had changed his mind after the session where the decisions on RTS were made or that somebody powerful had ordered him not to respect the Government decisions. As the Serbian Renewal Movement Informative Service reported, Draskovic described Sunday's events as 'examples of rowdiness and dishonor' which 'had not taken place even when TV Bastille was in Milosevic's hands'.

Democratic Party of Serbia spokesman Milorad Jovanovic stated yesterday that the proposed cadre changes in RTS were 'attempts by defeated parties to enter the television again through the back door and via the transitional government before the December elections'.

The Association of Independent Serbian Journalists stated that they did not agree with part of the transitional government's decision to return Radio Television Serbia to the state it was before October 5. "The citizens' will expressed on September 24 and the people's rebellion against the servile, hateful and propagandist editorial policy that denied all professional and moral principles will be annulled this way', said the statement issued by the association yesterday. In the name of the profession, the Association of Independent Serbian Journalists demanded that those who had confirmed their professional and moral integrity be placed in key positions of editing and business, which was one of the most important conditions for RTS to become an informative service for all the citizens of Serbia. "Our position is that the Managing Board must be made up not only of political party representatives and RTS employees, but also of professional organisations and trade union representatives as well as independent persons of doubtless democratic orientation', stressed the statement.

Radio Belgrade briefly terminated all its programming on Monday in protest at the Serbian transitional government's decision to appoint a three-member RTS management. At precisely 3 p.m. at the scheduled time of the prime time info programme "News of the Day" on Radio Belgrade One, the broadcast was stopped for fifteen seconds.

Before the black out, a statement from the Radio Belgrade temporary editorial collegium was read out, specifying that the government decision on the three-member managing and editorial collegium, which should decide by consensus, was unacceptable.

The collegium claimed that professional journalism would never consider such a solution and that it would paralyse the decision making process as regards RTS editorial policy.

TV DUEL BETWEEN BOROVIC AND LILIC CANCELED

BELGRADE, November 21, 2000 - The TV duel between Borivoje Borovic and Zoran Lilic scheduled for Monday on Radio Television Serbia's Third Channel was canceled at the last moment yesterday. Both guests, former senior officials in the Serbian Renewal Movement and Socialist Party of Serbia told B92 that the show had been withdrawn from the programming schedule because of pressure exerted by their ex party colleagues who were now members of the Serbian transitional government.

Third Channel editor-in-chief and Duel on Monday show host Igor Miklja told B92 that the decision to cancel the show had been made at RTS highest level. According to him, 'higher instances in the house' had requested that the show be postponed since Borovic and Lilic, as representatives of newly founded parties, had not singed certain agreements on presentation on RTS during the pre-election campaign.

The cancelled guests Borovic and Lilic were more explicit with their comments. People's Party Justice President Borivoje Borovic told B92 that it was a question of enormous pressure from the Serbian Renewal Movement and the Socialist Party of Serbia on those who currently managed state television, accusing them of having threatened to leave the transitional government. 'It is simply a matter of those who are afraid and want to keep any space on the political scene for their own political activities, and it is obvious that the new party Justice is a great thorn in their side', concluded Borovic, adding that he was disappointed by the behaviour of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. "They have given in to pressure from the defeated parties and all in the interests of preserving an illusory peace', estimated Borovic.

Serbian Socialist Democratic Party President Zoran Lilic also said that he had been informed during the evening that the show had been cancelled because of pressure from the Serbian Renewal Movement and Socialist Party of Serbia adding that according to his information one of the DOS parties supported them. 'It is obvious this is above all a matter of the fear felt by the Socialist Party of Serbia management before their forthcoming congress, and probably also the fear of those who will probably enter some new coalition with the very same people who have done enormous damage to both the party and the state. I am sorry I have not had the opportunity to supply answers to some unpleasant questions, as well as to some issues which have not yet been talked about. I think that this is a scandal which is anything but an attempt to begin implementing changes in this country, it is obvious that it is an attempt to stop what the people in an enormous positive energy wave began on October 5, Lilic told B92.

VUCELIC: I HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF

BELGRADE, November 21, 2000 - President of the newly-founded Democratic Socialist Party Milorad Vucelic said yesterday that the party would participate in the forthcoming republic elections and added that he hoped a large number of disappointed Socialist Party of Serbia members would join the party. Vucelic, a former Socialist Party of Serbia senior official, told a press conference that his party would be a modern democratic, leftist and socialist-oriented party. He reminded the public that the majority of former Socialist Party of Serbia officials gathered in the Democratic Socialist Party had a "clear critical attitude towards part of the Socialist Party management in the past" which was why they were "sanctioned in various ways".

When asked whether he regretted his political past and closeness to former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, as well as the warmongering editorial policy of state television under his leadership in the mid-nineties, Vucelic responded that he "had nothing to be ashamed of". "I parted with Milosevic over the national policy, and my engagement in state television was not warmongering, but the defence of national interests," said Vucelic. Vucelic said that his party had good relations with former Socialist officials who had also founded their own parties and announced talks on grouping the left center parties.

FORMER COALITION OWES BOR TELEVISION AROUND 410, 000 DINARS

BOR, November 21, 2000 - Bor Municipal Assembly Executive Board Deputy President Rade Mihajlovic said yesterday that the Socialist Party of Serbia and Yugoslav Left Coalition were in debt to Bor Television to an estimated 410, 000 dinars. Mihajlovic told a press conference that the Socialists owed 350, 000 dinars to Stampa radio i film Public Company for spots and advertisements broadcast on Bor television during the pre-electoral campaign. The Yugoslav Left owed them around 60, 000 dinars for the same purposes. As Beta reports, Mihajlovic explained that one second of commercial time cost four dinars for the Socialists while the same service cost twenty dinars for the Democratic Opposition of Serbia.

HADZI DRAGAN ANTIC SUES AGAIN

BELGRADE, November 21, 2000 - Former General Director of the Politika media company Hadzi Dragan Antic has filed criminal charges against another journalist from this Belgrade daily, Ljubodrag Cudomirovic, for "libelous" writing causing damage to his reputation. Antic has sued Cudomirovic for the article "Honour and Reputation on Trial" from November 15 this year in which the journalist accused the former Politika director general of accumulating an income of about 130 million dinars within nine months.

Hadzi Dragan Antic last week filed criminal charges against several senior officials and employees from his former house also accusing them of libel. He demanded compensation from all five amounting to a total of five million dinars. He is now demanding a further five million dinars from Cudomirovic.

MILOSEVIC 'S FIRST APPEARANCE ON TELEVISION SINCE OCTOBER 6

BELGRADE, November 22, 2000 - Radio Television Serbia last night broadcast a segment from Socialist Party of Serbia President Slobodan Milosevic's presentation from the party's central committee session. Estimating the present situation in the Socialist Party of Serbia and its chances at the forthcoming republic elections, Milosevic said that the party's forthcoming Fifth Congress scheduled for November 25 would be 'an expression of unity and the best way to answer the current challenges thus confirming the Serbian Socialist Party as a factor in the true defense of national and state interests'. This was the first television appearance of the former Yugoslav President since admitting electoral defeat on October 6. Milosevic also appeared on channel YU Info on Monday after a month and a half pause.

TADIC: MORATORIUM ON FREQUENCIES LIKELY BY JUNE

BELGRADE, November 22, 2000 - Federal Minister of Telecommunications Boris Tadic told B92 yesterday that the setting up of a moratorium on the provision of radio and television frequencies would take more than the previously estimated three months and was likely to be completed by June next year. "There are indications that more time is required to establish conditions for a final resolution to the situation in the radio diffusion domain. We have to find a legal solution, to make new frequency plans, to prepare studies in the Ministry and to carry out on the spot measurements. All these who believe that they can use the changes in the country to create new chaos in the domain are fooling themselves and they will have a strong opponent, and I can even say a strong enemy', said Tadic. When asked how the Ministry would carry out its decisions in Montenegro, Tadic said that passions should be calmed down and that he would make contacts with the relevant Montenegrin Minister adding that the Federal Government authority was defined by the Constitution. "The questions have an inner political, but also an international dimension, thus these inter republic quarrels seem rather foolish on the international plan. The ball shall be put down', concluded Tadic in his statement to B92.

Tadic yesterday declared the opening of an Eight Telecommunications Forum, where a number of experts from the country and the world would gather during a two-day programme. Tadic stated that the best work from the telecommunications domain would be presented at the gathering, including Internet, mobile telephone and radio diffuse signals, reports FoNet.

UNESCO PROMISES A PRINTING HOUSE FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA

BELGRADE, November 22, 2000 - During talks held in Belgrade with Serbian Information Co-Minister, DOS member Biserka Matic, UNESCO official Henricas Iusciavicus said that the Serbian independent media would soon be able to use the services of a printing house for the price of one dollar. Iusciavicus, who is the UNESCO deputy general director for communications, information and information technology, said that equipment and funds for this printing house, amounting to 3 million dollars, are soon expected to arrive. The Serbian Information Ministry added that UNESCO had announced a number of aid projects for the Serbian media. Matic informed the UNESCO delegation of the bad conditions in the media, pointing out the media's need for technical equipment, newsprint and journalist training courses, reports Beta.

ASSOCIATION AGAINST RTS THREE MEMBER COLLEGIUM

BELGRADE, November 22, 2000 - The Association of Serbian Journalists protested yesterday at the appointment of the three member collegium of directors and editors-in-chief of Radio Television Serbia estimating that the Serbian Government had set a precedent in the contemporary practice of informative radio and television stations editing. In a statement issued yesterday, the Association of Serbian Journalists said that the professional and ethic quality of programming must come before any political interests thus rendering 'the political division of operative journalistic work' unacceptable, reports Beta. The association added that the multi party Radio Television Serbia Managing Board should elect a professional state television collegium. The statement also stressed that 'no crisis headquarters, not even unions, can replace a legal professional organisation, since October 5 was a long time ago.

VALJEVO JOURNALISTS TO FORM ASSOCIATION

VALJEVO, November 22, 2000 - Valjevo journalists yesterday decided to form their own organisation which would be independent from the Association of Serbian Journalists and the Association of Independent Serbian Journalists. Beta reports that Valjevo journalists elected an initiative board to set up the new association at a meeting last night. The association coordinator would be Napred journalist Branislav Obradovic. The decision was made because of Valjevo journalists' dissatisfaction with both republic journalist associations, which were, in their estimation, completely disinterested in the problems and situation of journalism outside Belgrade.

VESELINOV: WE DEMAND THE RETURN OF VOJVODINA TELEVISION

PANCEVO, November 22, 2000 - Vojvodina Coalition President Dragan Veselinov announced at a press conference in Pancevo yesterday that their representatives would propose the establishment of Radio Television Vojvodina at the next session of the Vojvodina Parliament. 'We will propose that the Novi Sad and Radio Television Serbia branch on Vojvodina territory be returned to Vojvodina parliamentary control and suggest the establishment of Radio Television Vojvodina', Veselinov said stressing that both the radio and television had been illegally seized from Vojvodina under Slobodan Milosevic's regime and these must be given back', reports SRNA.

VOJVODINA ASSEMBLY TAKES OVER NOVI SAD TELEVISION

NOVI SAD, November 23, 2000 - The Vojvodina Assembly yesterday took over the management of Novi Sad Television, the first institution returned to the province since the election of the new authorities. Assembly President Nenad Canak said that the new management was temporary and that the elected acting managers would perform their duties until the final status of the company had been resolved. Aleksandar Kravic was appointed acting director, Slavisa Grujic editor-in-chief and Laslo Joza was elected to the position of executive board president. The Assembly also appointed new managers for all its newspapers. Vera Soti was appointed daily Dnevnik director and Petar Petrovic was appointed Dnevnik editor-in-chief. The New Forum director is Sombati Zoltan and Erzebet Marjanov was again appointed editor-in-chief of Magyar Szo.

MIKLJA URGES RTS EDITORSHIP TO PERMIT HIM TO RESPOND 

 BELGRADE, November 23, 2000 - Third Channel Editor-in-chief Igor Miklja yesterday urged the Radio Television Serbia editorship to give him the chance to respond to RTS Strike Committee accusations addressed to him on the previous day, reports B92. Miklja was accused of cheating the public when he stated that Radio Television Serbia Director Nenad Ristic had banned him from having People's Party Pravda and Serbian Socialistic Democratic Party Presidents Borivoje Borovic and Zoran Lilic on his talk show.

The strike Board claimed that the guest appearance of the two politicians was impossible because of Radio television Serbia's obligations under the agreement on election rules in the pre-electoral period. "In discussions ten days ago we clarified that, as stated by the parties involved, those rules do not apply to the Third Channel. I have not seen the agreement and therefore in agreement with Lilic and Borovic I postponed the show for the following Monday. We will see whether we will be able to broadcast the show after making all these things clear. We have demanded a meeting with Mr. Ristic, but have received no response to date", said Miklja.

Denying that he was 'a self-appointed editor', Miklja showed the press the Third Channel workers assembly decision on his appointment which was signed by 110 workers. "The show is not supposed to present parties, but duels between people of different positions', Miklja explained, accusing the new Radio Television Serbia management of continuing the old practice of bias towards the bigger parties, in this case the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Serbian Renewal Movement whose members Lilic and Borovic had been. Otpor activist Vukasin Petrovic was also present at the press conference. 'We have been fighting and will continue to fight for journalists' freedom to invite whoever they like as guests', said Petrovic in support for Igor Miklja.          

ANEM PROTESTS AT CANCELLATION OF TV DUEL

BELGRADE, November 23, 2000 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media yesterday protested the latest cancellation of a show from Radio Television Serbia's programming schedule. The programme in question was a duel between Borivoje Borovic and Zoran Lilic on state television's third channel scheduled for Monday evening and canceled at the last moment. "It is without doubt a case of censorship, which tells us that the state media is still under the political influence of both the victors and losers of the September elections, as well as, unfortunately, proof that there is no visible intention of changing the situation and of these media being transformed into professionally organised public services', said the statement issued by the Association of Independent Electronic Media. "It is obvious that the independent media, which succeeded in the previous difficult period in resisting all political pressures are still the only real guarantee of free and objective informing of the Serbian citizens', concluded the statement.

GOVERNMENT TO RETURN NOVOSTI ITS STATUS AS STOCK COMPANY

BELGRADE, November 23, 2000 - The Vecernje novosti company workers assembly have demanded that the Yugoslav Government revoke the regulation under which Vecernje novosti's status as stock company was canceled, and the company was given over to the Federal Public Institution Borba, Vecernje novosti stated yesterday. The statement issued yesterday said that the workers assembly had decided to send a letter to Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic demanding that the Federal Government revoke the previous Yugoslav Government decision dating from March 2, 2000 by which Vecernje novosti was given to Borba, reports Beta. Novosti demanded that its status as stock company be returned and that the company be permitted to elect its own assembly, Managing Board and managing organs, as the company had done previously. The workers assembly demanded talks between a Vecernje novosti three member delegation and Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic, during which the delegation would inform Zizic about the situation in Vecernje novosti. The workers assembly elected Manojlo Vukotic, who was Vecernje novosti coordinator, as the new Vecernje novosti editor-in-chief.

CACANSKI GLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RESIGNS

CACAK, November 23, 2000 - Cacak weekly Cacanski glas editor-in-chief Aleksandar Maksimovic resigned yesterday because of the 'unbearable situation in the company caused by a series of illegal actions and machinations'. Maksimovic said that he had resigned in protest at the end of the weekly's strike, adding that he was also irritated with Cacak Mayor Velimir Ilic whom he accused of "attempting to justify and protect the main culprits" in the Cacanski glas company. The weekly was printed with a reduced number of pages and was distributed for free following the editorial staff's decision to strike because of irregular salaries and the irregular management of foreign currency donations for which they accused Cacanski glas Public company heads. Meanwhile, Radio Cacak's editorial staff cancelled the announced strike scheduled for November 20 since the Municipal Assembly, the founder of Cacanski glas, met the demands for late salary payments, reports Beta.

TV NOVI SAD SEPARATION FROM RTS SYSTEM ILLEGAL

BELGRADE, November 24, 2000 - Radio Television Serbia Independent Union Strike Committee yesterday described the Vojvodina Parliament's decision regarding the separation of Television Novi Sad from the Radio Television Serbia system as illegal. The Strike Committee stated that Radio Television Serbia was a public company authorised for radio diffusion activity in the interests of the Republic of Serbia as well as on the Republic of Serbia territory with the aim of creating unified radio and television programming. "Since the decision by Radio Television Novi Sad organs is not in accordance with the Radio and Television Act, the Statute and Radio Television Serbia registration decisions, the Strike Committee will address the Serbian Government and Belgrade Commercial Court on this issue', said the statement given to Beta.

SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED CONTRACT BETWEEN TELEVISION MLADENOVAC AND STUDIO B

BELGRADE, November 24, 2000 - Mladenovac Municipal Assembly yesterday supported the proposed contract to regulate relations between Belgrade Television Studio B and Television Mladenovac. The Assembly authorised the municipality President Zoran Kostic to sign the contract proposed by both the Mladenovac Municipal Assembly and Studio B management. According to the contract the correspondence work would be jointly financed by the Mladenovac Municipal Assembly, which would fund 30 percent of the expenses, and Studio B which would finance 70 percent of the expenses. The contract regulated that Television Mladenovac would broadcast its programmes on UHF Channel 34 between 7 and 11 p.m. and that it would rebroadcast Studio B programmes for the remaining time during the initial period. When all required financial and cadre-technical conditions had been fulfilled, the local programming would be extended, reports Beta.

SIMIC: 24 HOURS NOT FOUNDED BY SOCIALISTS

BELGRADE, November 24, 2000 - Editor-in-chief of new Belgrade daily 24 hours Nenad Simic yesterday denied that the Socialist Party of Serbia had founded the daily as was previously announced to the public. Daily 24 hours mostly published critical articles on the Democratic Opposition of Serbia and these were mostly signed only with initials. Simic told the Beta agency that the founder of the new daily was not the Socialist Party of Serbia, but a private 'S group' company. He also said that the editorial concept of the daily was 'oppositional' and that it had 'a critical note to all events at the current political time'. The daily is published in Borba with editions appearing every day except Sundays.

go to top

P.O. Box, CH-8031 Zürich, Switzerland
Phone +41-1-272 46 37,  Fax +41-1-272 46 82, email: info@MEDIENHILFE.ch