SARAJEVO, Oct 23 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, announced a new decision on the reorganisation of the country's radio and television system on Monday. Petritsch
told reporters in Sarajevo the document had been adopted with the aim of establishing electronic media which would serve the interests of the public and not political structures. In accordance with earlier made decisions on the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as an umbrella media institution on the state level, and Radio-Television of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, today's decision sets the framework for the operation of those systems. Numerous details are yet to be defined with legal and sub-legal acts, said the head of the media development department at the Office of the High Representative (OHR), Chris Riley. The decision de facto promotes PBS
SARAJEVO, Oct 23 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch,
announced a new decision on the reorganisation of the country's
radio and television system on Monday.
Petritsch told reporters in Sarajevo the document had been adopted
with the aim of establishing electronic media which would serve the
interests of the public and not political structures.
In accordance with earlier made decisions on the establishment of
the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as an umbrella media
institution on the state level, and Radio-Television of the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, today's decision sets the
framework for the operation of those systems. Numerous details are
yet to be defined with legal and sub-legal acts, said the head of the
media development department at the Office of the High
Representative (OHR), Chris Riley.
The decision de facto promotes PBS BiH into a state radio-
television with developed internal organisation, including a
somewhat unusual management structure.
In a nutshell, along with the general director, who will be in
charge of the business policy and coordinate activities with entity
RTV systems, also appointed within PBS will be radio and television
directors. They will directly manage the production of programmes
and organise teams which will produce them.
PBS has been directly entrusted with producing information
programmes, to be broadcast via existing frequencies of RTV
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Radio-Television of
Republika Srpska. In the term which until now was reserved for
central news broadcasts of the entities' media, PBS will be
broadcasting its own 'state central news broadcast.'
Petritsch's decision does not clarify the editorial structure but
it is certain that there will be no office of editor-in-chief and
programmes will be coordinated by the editors-in-chief of
information and other programmes, who will be appointed by the
radio and television directors.
PBS programmes will have to take into account the national,
religious, historical, cultural and other characteristics of
Bosnia's constituent nations and citizens.
Programme transmitting and broadcasting and the management of the
transmitter network will be performed by a separate institution
called the Interim Transmission Corporation (ITC), which will also
be functioning on the state level.
Defining the tasks of RTV Federation of BiH, the High
Representative confirmed this media house would be able to
broadcast programmes on two radio and two TV channels.
They will be completementary and mixed, will have to take into
account national and cultural diversity and the personnel
producing the programme will be equally represented in terms of
ethnic background.
The final decision has avoided the use of the term "channel with the
predominantly Croat, i.e. Bosnian language."
Petritsch's decision also confirms extensive powers of the
international "agent for the RTV system in Bosnia-Herzegovina,"
who has the task to "coordinate, supervise and direct the
reorganisation" of the public RTV system.
The decision does not include any deadlines for its implementation
but according to first estimates, the completion of the entire
project should not be expected before spring 2001.
(hina) rml