MINELRES: CEEMO: Concerns about changes in minority broadcasting programmes in Vojvodina/Serbia

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: SEEMO <seemo@freemedia.at>


PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE CHANGES IN MINORITY PROGRAMMES IN VOJVODINA /
SERBIA

Vienna, 11 July 2003

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network
of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East
Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is
deeply concerned about the changes in programme time for minority
programmes on the state-controlled Novi Sad televison.

According to information before SEEMO, on 23 June 2003 Novi Sad
television started with a new programme scheme by transfering all the
programmes in minority languages from the first TV channel to the second
one, which has a low emitting quality. For minorities living in certain
parts of Vojvodina that means that they will not be able to receive the
programme in their mother tongue. For example, neither the Hungarian
population living in Coka, Senta and Kanjiza communes, nor the citizens
of West Backa and Banat, can now follow the Hungarian programme. The
second Novi Sad TV channel should be technically mended in order to
reach all the minority population living in Vojvodina.

SEEMO is informed that the Serbian-language programme has been enlarged
and became a 24-hour programme on the first TV channel, whereas
programmes in minority languages have been shortened. The current
programme scheme does not satisfy the needs of minorities living in
Vojvodina, since the quality of the programme has worsened.

Furthermore, SEEMO is informed that the Hungarian editorial team has
only 24 employees, because 11 people have resigned in the past two years
for different reasons and the office can employ only one person at the
time. It is vital that the rationalisation of the employees is done in
the public service and on state owned media, but it is absurd that this
action is done within editorial teams of minority programmes, because it
is known that they suffer a lack of employees. There must be enough
qualified journalists in order to produce a qualitative minority
programme and to satisfy the needs of the audience groups.

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More: SEEMO, South East Europe Media Organisation.
Oliver Vujovic, Secretary General
Kristina Benkotic, Assistant
Phone: + 43 1 513 39 40 
Fax: + 43 1 512 90 15 
E-mail: seemo@journalist.com