Tjedni izbor vijesti IFEX-a

17.08.2005.

MATIC CLAIMS ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING

BELGRADE, August 8, 2005 (Beta) - Director of TV B92 Veran Matic said
yesterday that he had urged the authorities to investigate allegations of
illegal wiretapping.

Matic said that he decided to take actions after the claims of the Secretary
General of the Serbian Radical Party Aleksandar Vucic of possessing recorded
conversations of people from this television station.

As the Belgrade daily Srpski Nacional reported, Vucic stated that he had
records of people from B92 talking about not having any proof that could
incriminate Nikolic, but that the story should be pressed nevertheless.

Matic said that he had urged several institutions including the prosecution
to investigate these allegations of illegal wiretapping and possible
distribution of transcripts.

PRIVATISATION OF BROADCASTERS

BELGRADE, August 10, 2005 (Politika) - The draft amendments to the Broadcast
Act envisage the extension of deadline for privatisation of radio and TV
stations founded by local governments to the end of 2008.

The government explained that the current deadline, which expires in July
next year, have become unrealistic, adding that "for some reason, the
process of privatisation of these local media is back at square one".

The professional organisations believe that the proposed changes to the Act
would not only delay the regulation of chaos in the media sphere, but would
also imperil electronic media.

The Association of Independent Serbian Journalists (IJAS), the Association
of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and Media division of the Nezavisnost
Trade Union stated that the government would maintain control over the
broadcast field by postponing the privatisation of local electronic media.
The three organisations warned to the obvious intention of certain
politicians to use local stations as their mouthpiece.

Other media organisations as well warn that media should be freed from the
state interference and influence (except for the public service broadcaster)
since it is in opposition to the international standards.

NDNV OPPOSED NEW AMENDMENTS

NOVI SAD, August 10, 2005 (Danas) - The Association of Independent Vojvodina
Journalists (NDNV) protested over the draft amendments to the Broadcast Act,
noting that it was just another bad step which would only delay the long
awaited regulation of chaotic broadcasting sphere.

The proposed changes would postpone the transformation of RTV Novi Sad into
a provincial public service broadcaster one more time.

NDNV reminded that the balance between RTV Belgrade and RTV Novi Sad was
divided, which was just one of the reasons why the transformation of RTV
Novi Sad should not be further delayed.

NDNV also protested against the intention of the legislators to revoke the
power of veto of Vojvodina representative in the Broadcast Council,
stressing that it would deprive Vojvodina of any power in the Council.

The association stated that such intention only proved the government's lack
of understanding for the specific problems of the province as a multi-ethnic
environment.

The amendment which would extend the deadline for privatisation of local
media to the end of 2008 was also unacceptable, said in the statement of the
association. There is a reasonable doubt that the authorities want to use
media as their mouthpiece in pre-electoral and other campaigns, said in the
statement.

MINISTER ILIC: B92 A PSYCHIATRIC CASE

KOPAONIK, BELGRADE, August 15, 2005 (B92) - Capital Investments Minister
Velimir Ilic responded with his customary threats and obscenities today when
a B92 journalists attempted to ask him about his role in the withdrawal of
charges against Marko Milosevic, the son of former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic.

Speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony for a cable railway in the Kopaonik
Tourist Centre, Ilic said that he had spoken to the alleged victim of death
threats from the former president's son in an attempt to protect him from
the pressure to which he had been subjected in Pozarevac because of the
court proceedings against Marko Milosevic.

Zoran Milovanovic, who first accused Milosevic's junior of threatening him
with a chainsaw as well as striking him, then this month, suddenly changed
his statement, is a close relative of Minister Ilic.

The minister says that proceedings against Marko Milosevic which have not
been finalised after five years don't need to go any further.

"Marko Milosevic has done nothing illegal in his life, the only thing is he
struck Zoran Milovanovic. There's no point in commenting. At that time there
were violent murders of Badza, the army minister, the general director of
JAT and so to support a charge from Zoran Milovanovic, a boy who has nothing
to live on, this doesn't need to happen, if there's nothing else," said
Ilic.

Ilic took extreme exception to questions from B92 journalist Ana Veljkovic
about the Milosevic affair. At that point the minister's media advisor,
former state media journalist Petar Lazovic, stepped in and told Veljkovic
to send a message to RTV B92 Director Veran Matic that he would kill him.

A short time later, at a press conference, Lazovic denied the threat.

Lazovic: I told you to tell Veran Matic to go [obscenity deleted]?

B92: No, you said that as well. You said everything.

Ilic: We've come here for an important, a very serious investment. Ladies
and gentlemen from B92, wherever you go you make chaos.  Wherever you come
you practice provocation. You're sick, you need a psychiatric clinic, you
need to go for collective treatment. You tread treatment at Kopaonik, we'll
make a centre for you, to take care of you. I can promise you that, here
I'll promise you that your great professional, Veran Matic, making people
look like idiots in Serbia. I claim that openly. We've gathered here for a
serious matter. You're just talking about Marko Milosevic, forget Marko, why
is Marko so important in your life? Please, don't get in our way in this
serious work.

Following this outburst Minister Ilic then directed a personal attack on the
B92 journalist.

"You just talk, you're so aggressive, you're one of those that can't get
married. I worry about you. What will you do? No one will want you. Relax
here, enjoy and be nice with us," he said.

After Ilic's closure, the representatives of local community who were
following the conference loudly supported and applauded the Minister's
statement.

Povratak