<nettime> B92: ANEM Information About Non-Allocated Frequencies

[Veran Matic <matic@b92.opennet.org>]

(news from belgrade)

ANEM Information About Non-Allocated Frequencies

Radio B92 from Belgrade is the only member of the Associaton of
Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) which was allocated a frequency for
temporary use, as decided by Yugoslav Ministry of Telecommunication. As
founder of ANEM, Radio B92 will act together with other members of the
association, said Bojana Lekic, news editor of Radio B92. She said that
agreement on future actions will be made on ANEM extraordinary assembly,
on Sunday May 17. ANEM consists of 33 radio stations from Serbia and
Montenegro. Yugoslav Ministry of Telecommunication today decided to give
licence for temporary use of radio frequencies and TV channels to 247
radio and TV stations in Serbia and Montenegro. Licence for temporary
frequencies was given to 73 TVs and 174 radio stations. Only two members
of ANEM TV Network were given a right to use a channel, RTV Pancevo and F
Kanal from Zajecar.  Other 14 TV stations from ANEM are not on the list. 

Deputy Chief Editor of TV Pancevo, Nevena Simendic, told Beta news agency
that her station would return its frequency as a gift for Ministry of
Telecommunication, if the information about monthly fee for frequency of
160,000 dinars was confirmed as true. "I don't know if we should be glad
that we got frequency, because according to the unofficial information, we
are supposed to pay for it 160,000 dinars on monthly basis. Then, we can
give this frequency to federal Ministry as a gift, if this turns out to be
true," said she. Television Pancevo exists ever since 1992.  Editor in
Chief of Radio B92, Veran Matic, stated: "Results of this open bid are
results of the regime's two main fears: fear of independent professional
information and fear of Radio B92. First fear has been well known for
quite a while, and the regime several times attempted to silence all
independent TV and radio stations in this region.  Fear of Radio B92 is
new, and this fear produced decision of giving a licence only to Radio
B92, so smokescreen democratic approach is created, as well as artificial
argument of democratic decision-making in this matter, for purposes of
international policy. However, given the fact that decision about
extraordinarily high fees for use of frequencies had been made, it is
obvious that even Radio B92 itself will not be able to use its legally
given frequency. Besides, Radio B92 was not given a TV channel it applied
for, nor the licence for satellite broadcasts of radio and TV programmes.

With this decision today, Yugoslav Ministry of Telecommunication actually
banned 20 independent radio stations and 10 independent TV stations, and
it is one of the largest waves of bans in Europe ever.  It is clear that
Milosevic wants to "charge a price" for his positive role in start of the
negotiations by shutting down independent electronic media.  Besides the
attempt to ban these 30 radio and TV stations, Milosevic will try to
punish students and professors by new Law on Universities, and to achieve
his most important aim at the moment - to stop democratic process in
Montenegro by toppling federal government and actually eliminating
federation itself. Radio B92 and ANEM today will inform Mr. Richard
Holbrook and other politicians involved in solution of crisis in
Yugoslavia about results of the open bid, which we somehow had anticipated
as such, and send them a message that it must not be allowed that
independent media and democratic process become victims of diplomatic
success in opening of negotiations between Milosevic and Rugova. On its
meeting of members on Sunday, ANEM will create a concept for further
actions and inform the public about it on news conference on Monday. We
will advise all stations to continue their broadcasts regardless to the
decision of the Ministry.

Tiny encouragement comes from the decision of the First Municipal Court of
Law to order Ministry of Telecommunication to return equipment to TV Pirot,
which was confiscated when this station was banned.
Chances for this Ministry to obey this order are slim - it is obvious that
the state does not obey even its own laws.

We expect numerous actions of solidarity from international institutions,
and we are finalising establishment of the International Committee for
protection of independent media in Yugoslavia.

--
Veran Matic, Editor in Chief		                 tel: +381-11-322-9922
Radio B92, Belgrade, Yugoslavia			         fax: +381-11-324-8075

          Radio B92 Official Web Site --- http://www.opennet.org/


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