<nettime> ANEM WEEKLY REPORT: November 18 - December 1, 2000

[mediawatch-owner@freeb92.net]

ANEM WEEKLY REPORT ON MEDIA REPRESSION IN SERBIA
NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 1, 2000.

EXPERTS URGE REPEAL OF INFORMATION ACT

BELGRADE, November 25, 2000 - At a public discussion in the Federal
Constitutional Court on Friday, the representatives of several expert and
non-government organisations demanded the repeal of Serbia's Public
Information Act.

The proposal has been before the Constitutional Court for almost two
years.  Most of the initiators are demanding the repeal of the act as a
whole, arguing that it is catastrophic for the freedom of information, the
situation in the media and even for the lives of journalists.

The DT Press, the Association of Independent Serbian Journalists, the
Yugoslav Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights, the Vojvodina Chamber of
Law and the Fund for the Development of Democracy have demanded that the
Court assess compensation for damage to publishers and broadcasters who
have been fined under the act.

There have been 67 cases brought against the independent media since the
act was adopted in October 1998.  A total of 30.6 million dinars in fines
have been imposed under the act in that time.

PROTEST OVER RADIO 202 APPOINTMENT

BELGRADE, November 25, 2000 - The Radio Television Serbia Union has
appointed Milan Spicek as coordinator of Belgrade Radio 202, despite a
majority decision by employees that the job should go to Gordana Gligoric,
the radio reports today.

Staff at the radio accuse the union's Strike Committee of ignoring the
wishes of the majority of employees.

According to the Strike Committee, Spicek will be responsible for the
station's operations from November 21 until an editor-in-chief is
appointed.

Gligoric told media that she had nothing against Spicek personally, but
added that the editorial staff were resentful of the way in which he had
been appointed.

Gligoric, who is a member of the Radio 202 co-ordinating committee set up
in the wake of the October 5 revolution, represented the station on the
transitional Radio Belgrade editorial board.

MEDIA CONTROLLED BY FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE, SAYS MILOSEVIC

BELGRADE, November 26, 2000 - Few journalists were permitted to report
from the Socialist Party of Serbia's extraordinary congress on Saturday.

However, according to party secretary-general Zoran Andjelkovic, crews
from YU Info, BK and Palma television were present in the congress hall.

Slobodan Milosevic, who was re-elected president of the party at the
congress, told delegates that Yugoslav media had been bought by foreign
intelligence services.  He added that their first priority was to generate
chaos in the Socialist Party.

Asked whether he expected the Socialists to be successful with him as
party leader, the former Yugoslav President answered, "of course".

He declined to answer when asked whether he expected to be arrested.

A member of Milosevic's security staff attempted to seize a cassette
recorder from a Beta journalist after the question, but was not
successful.

PROPRIETARY RIGHTS TO BE RETURNED TO RTV NOVI SAD: REFORMISTS

NOVI SAD, November 27, 2000 - The Central Committee of the Vojvodina
Reformists on Sunday called for Radio Television Novi Sad's proprietary
rights to be returned, adding, however, that the Vojvodina Assembly should
not take decisions when it was obvious these could not be implemented.

The Assembly moved on November 22 to reclaim proprietary rights to the
station, which until recently was part of the Radio Television Serbia
network. A temporary management was appointed pending a final resolution
of the broadcaster's status.

The Serbian government responded critically, refusing to hand over
ownership of the station.

"Our position is that the Vojvodina Assembly's claim to ownership of RTV
Novi Sad is justified, but that the decision to appoint a transitional
management has compromised that claim and could undermine confidence in
the Assembly," said a statement released by the government.

The Vojvodina Reformists say that it is important that RTV Novi Sad never
again be a regime media house and demand that the station be managed by
professional broadcasters and not a "political commissariat".

POLITIKA CORRESPONDENT SUES FORMER DIRECTOR

POZAREVAC, November 27, 2000 - The Politika media company's correspondent
in the city of Pozarevac has laid charges against the company's former
director, Hadzi Dragan Antic, in a local court.

Simic alleges that Antic had harassed him repeatedly, reducing his salary
by one third and imposing fines on him.

In one incident cited in Simic's complaint, he alleges that he was fined
100 Deutschmarks by Antic over one word in a report.

He is seeking three million dinars (100,000 Deutschmarks) in compensation.

POLICE BEAT HUNGARIAN JOURNALIST

SUBOTICA, November 27, 2000 - Two policemen brutally beat Hungarian
journalist Peter Aradi in the Bali Pizzeria in Senta, the local branch of
Otpor claims.

The police dragged Aradi from a table where he was dining with friends,
throwing him to the floor.  They put a gun barrel in his mouth and
threatened to kill him.  He was then taken to the police station where,
says Otpor, he was interrogated, threatened and beaten before being
released the following day.

Aradi said in a statement that he was again threatened with a gun while in
a police car.  Before being released at 10.30 the next morning he was
forced to kneel, hold a Bible and told to "say something in Serbian".

The Senta branch of Otpor has protested to police, demanding that the two
officers involved be suspended until the case has been investigated.

LESKOVAC NGO ACCUSES STATE MEDIA OF IGNORING EXODUS

LESKOVAC, November 28, 2000 - A human rights campaigner in Leskovac has
accused Radio Television Serbia of ignoring what he describes as an
alarming situation in the Serbian municipalities of Bujanovac and Presevo
on the Kosovo border.

Dobrosav Nesic told Radio B92 that he had seen hundreds of people in the
street carrying firearms, including Kalashnikov automatic rifles. He also
described seeing cars and trucks piled with furniture as local inhabitants
fled to Vranje and Leskovac.

Nesic, who is president of the Leskovac Human Rights Committee, said that
he was alarmed by the similarity of the scene to those which occurred
before the war in Kosovo.

RENEWAL MOVEMENT ALLEGES BREACH OF ELECTION REGULATIONS

BELGRADE, November 28, 2000 - The Serbian Renewal Movement has accused
Radio Television Serbia of gross breaches of the regulations pertaining to
election campaigns.

The party quoted a rule which prohibits the presentation of party
activities in news programs, saying that the state broadcaster had given
detailed reports on the Democratic Opposition of Serbia's activities in
current affairs programs last weekend.

CURUVIJA WIDOW ON POLICE INTERVIEWS

BELGRADE, November 28, 2000 - The widow of murdered Belgrade publisher
Slavko Curuvija has made a complaint to Serbian Justice Minister Sead
Spahovic about her interviews with police following the recent publication
of State Security reports on surveillance of Curuvija in the hours before
his death.

The Justice Ministry said in a statement today that Branka Prpa had told
the minister that she was not happy that she had been interviewed by the
same police officers who had interrogated her the day after her husband
was gunned down in front of their home.  She told him that the police had
appeared more concerned about how much she knew than with discovering the
facts of the murder.

The statement quotes Spahovic as saying the ministry would demand an
explanation from the Public Prosecutor's Office for the lack of progress
in the case.

Curuvija was executed by gunmen outside his home in April last year after
having been denounced in government media.

NEW BOARD FOR POLITIKA

BELGRADE, November 28, 2000 - Shareholders of the Politika media company
have elected a new director, board of management and supervisory board.  
The company's general meeting also verified new appointments by the
government, representing public shareholding in the company.

The general meeting appointed the president of the Komercijalna Bank as
chairman of directors.  Federal Telecommunications Minister Boris Tadic
and economist Nebojsa Savic were appointed to the supervisory board as
government representatives and Milorad Banzic and Ljubodrag Cudomirovic as
employee representatives.

The shareholders also adopted the supervisory board proposal of Darko
Ribnikar as director of the company.

Post Bank representative Dragan Peric and Serbian Electric Company
representatives Momcilo Cabalovic and Vlada Filipovic were also elected to
the supervisory board.

MARJANOVIC ALLEGES LIBEL

BELGRADE, November 29, 2000 - Former Serbian Prime Minister Mirko
Marjanovic has laid charges against DOS politicians Vladan Batic and Nada
Kolundzija Belgrade daily Vecernje novosti and the G17 Plus movement,
accusing them of disseminating "false and insulting" information.

TV KOSOVO STEPS UP BROADCASTS

PRISTINA, November 29, 2000 - Television Kosovo has doubled its daily
broadcast from two hours to four, Beta reports.

Launching the new schedule last night, director Midjena Kelmendi said that
the station would add programs for children, sports and culture as well as
documentary and movie programs to its current affairs programs.

TV Kosovo now broadcasts from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. (Central European
Time) both by land transmitter and satellite.  Two independent stations,
TV 21 and Koha Vision, as well as the private TV AA, also carry the
station's program two hours each day.

JOURNALIST MURDERS IN CONFLICT AREAS FALL

BERLIN, November 29, 2000 - The World Association of Newspapers announced
in Berlin today that the number of journalists murdered in war regions
throughout the world has dropped dramatically this year, although many
more journalists have been assassinated

In a report to its annual Board meeting in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday,
the Paris-based association said 46 media workers had been killed so far
in 2000, compared with 71 in 1999. Seven journalists have died in
crossfire in conflict areas, compared with 46 in 1999.

But many more journalists were murdered in 2000 than last year, WAN said.
Latin America, with 14 killings, and Asia, with 13, have the highest
number of victims. Colombia (8) and Russia (6) remain the most dangerous
countries in which to be a journalist.

The World Association of Newspapers Board also heard that at least 83
journalists remain behind bars world-wide; three-fifths of them have been
in jail for three years or more. Burma, China, Iran and Ethiopia have the
largest number of journalists in jail.

A revolution unfolded in the Yugoslavia media scene with the ousting of
Slobodan Milosevic and the election victory of Vojislav Kostunica in late
September, says the Association's report, adding that while the political
situation is far from clear, Kostunica has freed two journalists from
prison and set aside the notorious Public Information Act.

MEDIA CONFERENCE FOR BELGRADE IN FEBRUARY

BELGRADE, November 30, 2000 - Yugoslav Telecommunications Minister Boris
Tadic met representatives of the Wilton Park International Conference
Centre in Belgrade on Wednesday.

The minister spoke to Wilton Park represenative Chris Langdon together
with the British Embassy's Sarah Price about plans to regulate
Yugoslavia's chaotic frequency licensing system.

Wilton Park has agree to hold a conference on media reform in Belgrade in
February 2001.

DOS CURBING STATE MEDIA, SAYS RADIO FREE EUROPE

PRAGUE, December 1, 2000 - The state media network Radio Television Serbia
is no more objective since Yugoslavia's October 5 revolution than when it
was one of former president Slobodan Milosevic's main levers of power,
said Radio Free Europe in a commentary today.

The station quotes media analysts as comparing the situation ahead of the
extraordinary parliamentary elections in Serbia with Russia in 1996 when
most Russian media failed to observe the government's appeal for equal
treatment of the opposition, thus ensuring the re-election of President
Boris Yeltsin.

Radio Free Europe described DOS as having refused to sign assent to new
management at the network in order to keep Socialist Party of Serbia
advertising off the air.

This had been done by ruling that parties could not book new air time in
the state media until they had paid outstanding debts.

The Socialist Party of Serbia and its former coalition partner the
Yugoslav Left owe Radio Television Serbia about 50,000 dollars for airtime
during the federal election campaign.

MINE NEWSLETTER EDITOR RESIGNS

BOR, December 1, 2000 - The editor of the Bor Smelter's magazine, Slavisa
Petrovic, resigned yesterday at the demand of his editorial board.

Journalists working on the newsletter protested to the publication's Board
of Management at Petrovic's appointment by Director Radomir Jovic.

They alleged that he had written comments for the magazine describing
Serbia's democratic forces as "scum, fifth columnists, quislings, foreign
mercenaries and scum who were serving the infamous".

PHONE THREATS FOR JOURNALISTS

ZAJECAR, December 1, 2000 - Journalists at Radio Zajecar who have opposed
the appointment of new directors for the company said yesterday that they
had received anonymous threats by telephone.

The journalists told a press conference in Zajecar that they had opposed
the appointment of journalists Biljana Glisic and Irena Jovic-Stanojevic
to the company's new board of management, describing them as "corrupt" and
alleging that they had "enjoyed privileges" under the Milosevic regime.

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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.
    


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