NUNS

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia has for the 17^th time called on Serbian police, prosecutor's office and courts to solve the murder of journalist Radislava Dada Vujasinovic.
Source: NUNS, 07/04/2011

With support from USAID and IREX, the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) has provided its members with free legal advice of lawyer Snezana Djokic delivered by phone. They can call 062-8000-273 or contact NUNS at the phone number 011-3343-255. Answers to most important questions about journalists' rights can be found at the web site: www.nuns.rs/pravni_saveti (www.nuns.rs, after clicking on the banner "Rights of Media Professionals").
Source: NUNS Newsletter, 01/04/2011

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia has condemned the Government of Serbia's decision to forbid publication of an interview previously agreed between the newspaper "Danas" and two members of the Government. NUNS says that this act constitutes a form of censorship.
Source: NUNS Newsletter, 01/04/2011

NUNS condemns the decisions made by Blazo Popovic, director of Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV), to dismiss one employee and suspend several others, because of the mistake committed during airing of the report on visit by Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin. The report was aired with text reading "Confirmation of hostility" appearing on TV screens. Dismissal and suspension of RTV employees before completing any legal procedures cannot be tolerated, says NUNS.
Source: NUNS Newsletter, 01/04/2011

UNS

UNS is concerned because President Boris Tadic has not been informed about the dramatic position of journalists and the risks facing the media outlets in the country. The President's interview with "Novosti" newspaper clearly proves that he believes that the anti-European media law that he had signed in 2009 is still in effect, says NUNS.
Source: FoNet, B92, UNS, 07/04/2011

UNS has started enrollment of the fifth generation of attendees at the School of Online Journalism "WebNovinar". The school's mission is to achieve professional advancement of journalists, students of journalism, PR and marketing professionals, aimed at better results in the world of new media. Additional information is available here: www.webnovinar.org.
Source: UNS, 11/04/2011

Journalistic trade unions

Journalistic trade unions of Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia have expressed their solidarity yesterday with their colleagues from "Vecernji List" from Zagreb, as well as with the employees of RTV5 from Nis and Kragujevac weekly "Svetlost", protesting against abuse of journalists and other media professionals by their employers and owners of private media outlets.
In cooperation with the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Journalistic Trade Union of Serbia will organize the Annual Assembly of the European Federation of Journalists on June 15-17 in Belgrade.
Source: Tanjug, Dnevnik, NUNS, UNS, NDNV, 04/04/2011; Beta, Pregled, 05/04/2011

The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RBA)

Programme content that is classified as a content that could be harmful to mental, moral or physical development of minors, and which has to be labeled "18", can be aired by broadcasters only between midnight and 6.00 AM, says the mandatory directive on broadcasters' conduct issued by the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA).
Source: Danas, 01/04/2011; ASMEDI Newsletter, 04/04/2011; Beta, B92, 05/04/2011; Dnevnik, NUNS, Pravda, Blic, 24 sata, ABC Srbije Newsletter, 06/04/2011

After examining the recording of the aired content, the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) will decide on whether TV Pink has violated the law by broadcasting sex between participants of the "Big Brother" show during prime time, reports B92.
Source: 24 Sata, 01/04/2011

The meeting between the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) and representatives of regulatory agencies from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia, was dedicated to events in the media that go beyond single countries. Participants have emphasized that the media should enjoy their freedoms, but that regulation in the region should be harmonized. It was agreed to hold regular meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for May in Ohrid.
Source: B92, RRA, 07/04/2011, RRA, 08/04/2011, Danas, 09/04/2011

During the last week, a lawyer from Kragujevac was appointed as a member of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency instead of a Doctor of Science and professor of electronic media regulation at the University of Belgrade. The newly appointed member, Goran Petrovic, a lawyer, has worked in the city administration of Kragujevac, and previously in the Pharmaceutical Institute and the Health Center in Kragujevac. The other candidate was Dr Natasa Gospic, a member of "Women's Government" and Government's Council for Gender Equality, and a lecturer invited by many international organizations.
Source: NUNS, UNS, 06/04/2011

The ruling coalition has decided again to interpret the phrase "independent body" in a different way. Instead of appointing Natasa Gospic, a professor active in the field of regulation of electronic communication, who had already been approved by the Parliament, it was decided to hastily repeat the voting in order to appoint a more suitable individual – a lawyer, Goran Petrovic. Of course, he is a member of the Democratic Party. This is happening only few weeks after the visit of the mission of the European Commission. Serbia is the only country in the world where members of regulatory bodies are appointed in accordance with their party affiliation.
Source: Blic, 06/04/2011

It is necessary to adopt a new Law on Broadcasting so that the programme would be broadcast in accordance with European moral and ethical standards, says Goran Pekovic, a member of the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency.
Source: Tanjug, 08/04/2011, Pravda, Kurir, 09/04/2011

The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) will appoint on April 15 nine members of the Managing Board of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) and six members of the Managing Board of Radio Television of Vojvodina. The names of 50 candidates for the Managing Board of RTS and 30 candidates for the Managing Board of RTV were published by the RRA more than a month ago. The mandate of the current Managing Board ends on April 19, 2011.
Source: Danas, 13/04/2011

The Government and the Parliament

The National Parliament has appointed on March 31, 2011 the professor Dr Jovan Radulovic as the president of the Managing Board of the Republic Agency for Electronic Communications (RATEL) and Dr Zdravko Stanimirovic as his deputy. Professor Dr Miroslav Dukic, professor Dr Vlade Milicevic and Vuk Vujovic, M.A., have been appointed members of the Managing Board.
Source: RATEL, 01/04/2011

The Ministry of Culture, Information and Information Society

The Minister of Culture, Information and Information Society, Predrag Markovic, has announced that he would propose creation of the position of the state secretary for information whose activities would be related exclusively to the media, and added that his personal opinion is that "self-censorship among journalists is evident."
Source: Vecernje Novosti, 01/04/2011

Dragana Milicevic Milutinovic, born in 1965 in Belgrade, is a new state secretary for information and the media. She graduated from the Faculty of Law, judiciary-criminal department. She speaks Russian and English languages, and understands Spanish. Between 1991 and 1997 she worked as a journalist, editorial editor and programme editor of Studio B; after that, she was the editor of PG "Mreza" until 2002. Dragana Milicevic Milutinovic was the editor-in-chief and the executive director of Studio B between 2002 and 2007.
Source: Beta, B92, 06/04/2011; Alo, NUNS, 07/04/2011

Republic Agency for Electronic Communications (RATEL)

Submitters of applications who have been allocated locations/frequencies on the basis of the decision of the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) are required to deliver the Republic Agency for Electronic Communications (RATEL) complete technical and other documentation specified in the Rulebook. The Rulebook is available at the Agency's web site web page, while forms for requests for issuance of individual licenses are available here.
Source: RATEL, 05/04/2011

Various

The Assembly of the Union of Journalists of Serbia and Montenegro has adopted a new statute, while Zivorad Zika Nikolic has been again elected as a president. The Association of Journalists of Serbia and Montenegro was founded on October 29, 1946 in Belgrade as the Association of Republic Organizations of Journalists of Yugoslavia, while today it is comprised of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Journalists' Association of Montenegro (UNCG).
Source: UNS, 11/04/2011

Abbreviations