17. 05. 2005

PPRIVATIZATION OF LOCAL MEDIA

BELGRADE, May 17, 2005 – The amended version of the regulations for privatization of public local broadcasters should be adopted by the end of next week, said Dragan Bosiljkic from the Privatization Agency, in charge of media privatization issues. The new regulations are expected to be applicable before all, which would help setting the process in motion, said Bosiljkic. However, everyone agrees that the state of the broadcast sphere is chaotic. The exact number of broadcasters is still undetermined, and it varies from 1400 to 1500 radio and TV stations. According to Bosiljkic, one of the main obstacles in privatization process would be the fact that the present version of regulations was applicable only to those broadcasters that had streamlined their operations with the Broadcast Act. “This means that only media which possess the valid frequency license obtained from the Frequency Center of the still incomplete Broadcast Agency could enter the privatization process. Only those media are considered to be conformed to the Broadcast Act”, said Bosiljkic, reminding that the appointment of the Broadcast Agency was due in November last year; however, the ninth member of the Council has not yet been elected by the Parliament. Moreover, the frequency allocation should be done in three phases – for national, then regional and finally local frequencies. According to experts, the tender for frequency allocation could not start earlier than 2007, while, on the other hand, the legal deadline for privatization of electronic media is July 2006. “No media can be privatized, for no media are adjusted to the Act or have been issued a license. Apart from that, the stipulations where the future owners must have four news bulletins in their program schemes, broadcasting them in prime times from 7 to 9 a.m. and 8 to 10 p.m., also create serious obstacle. Even national television station Radio Television Serbia does not have such scheme, let alone local media. This stipulation was rated as catastrophic by the public, for no one can provide such production. On the other hand, the Privatization Agency would not be able to control all that, but we are obliged to incorporate all regulations into our sale contracts”, said Bosiljkic. The amended document is likely to see such stipulations removed, said Bosiljkic, adding that the Broadcast Agency had vowed to see regulations dealing with the municipal ownership in local public media included in the new regulations.